You have seen it on Olympic athletes, at your physiotherapist’s office, maybe even had it applied to you, and now you may be seeing it applied to horses! Kinesiology tape, what is it, why is it being used, and can it really help us or our horses?
Kinesiology tape has been around since the 1970s, when it was developed by Japanese chiropractor Dr. Kenzo Kase, who was looking for a modality that would help to support and improve his treatments. Before the introduction of kinesiology tape, the tapes being used were thick and rigid without any elasticity, which was great for stabilizing joints but did not provide any flexibility or range of motion.
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Kinesiology is the study of motion. How can motion be studied and/or helped if the tape being used is restricting movement? Enter in kinesiology tape, a flexible tape made up of a stretchy weaved fabric that has a heat-activated adhesive. This innovative combination allows for a variation of light, moderate, or controlled movement of tendons, ligaments, and muscles, which allows for better healing and support of the soft tissue.
As with most things that see success in human therapies, kinesiology tape slowly made its way into the world of horses in the early 2000’s. Our equine partners have similar anatomy to humans and are hardworking athletes who could also derive the same benefits of kinesiology tape as the humans using it. But how does it work with all that hair? This is a question that I often hear, but the tape may work even better on horses than humans! When we think about horses, we know that they can control their individual hairs. They have the ability to raise and lower them to help keep themselves warm or cool off as needed. What this tells us is that each of those hairs is attached to a nerve, and when the tape lifts the hair, it starts to send information into those nerves and throughout the body. This communicates with the healing and feel-good nerve cells called mechanoreceptors and helps to block the pain receptors called nociceptors.
Tape can be applied in a variety of ways that create different reactions in the horse’s soft tissue. When it is applied, the stretch on the tape creates a recoil effect that lifts the hair, which in turn lifts the skin and continues lifting through the layers of the soft tissue. This lift creates a multitude of reactions, including creating space and providing relief in areas of tightness, congestion, and swelling. It can reduce swelling and pain without the use of compression, which can further damage already injured soft tissue. By varying the amount of stretch placed on the tape as well as the direction of the application, we can help to support damaged tendons and muscles while still allowing for full range of motion.
Other applications can help to relax sore and tight muscles by helping to lengthen the muscle fibres as the horse moves. Kinesiology tape can decrease recovery time from a hard workout or sporting event, reducing the possibility of injury the next time you head out to the arena, fields, or trails. A high-quality kinesiology tape can stay on a horse for up to a week, at which time it should be re-assessed to ensure that the application is still being effective, even if the horse is out in their regular paddock just doing all the horse things!
Some of the ways that applying kinesiology tape to a horse can help include:
- Relieving pressure
- Pain relief
- Improving circulation
- Supporting joints and tendons (including limb deformities in foals!)
- Assisting in muscle activity
- Relieving tight muscles and fascia
- Proprioception
- Scar tissue release
What about the colours? There is a large variety of bright colours, and you may have wondered if there is a significance to them. While there are not technically any kinesiological differences in the colours of the tapes, there are many practitioners and owners that strongly believe in colour therapy. Colour therapy is thought to influence the healing process. This is a great holistic addition to the use of kinesiology tape and has actually been practiced since ancient times! The bright colours are an excellent help for therapists, and owners can see at a quick glance in the field that the tape application is still on the horse without having to catch them and bring them in.
The use of kinesiology tape can be beneficial for horses at all stages of life and levels of athleticism, both on its own or as an extension of another modality like massage or chiropractic work. Equine kinesiology tape is currently being used by professional therapists and owners in countries around the world and on horses in many sports. Although widely accepted, there are some restrictions being placed on the when and where of the use of tape is allowed in certain sports by governing organizations such as the International Federation for Equine Sports (FEI), making it important to be aware of all the rules when using kinesiology tape during competitions.
Since the inception of the use of kinesiology tape on horses in the early 2000’s, there have been few changes, but recently, there have been some great developments in the equine kinesiology tape industry. Where previously the main difference in the available tapes was the strength of the adhesive, recently a new line of tapes has come to market created by a Canadian therapist that is taking the taping world by storm. This new line is a collection of equine kinesiology tapes that includes three types of tape that are meant for use in different applications, making it the only equine kinesiology tape company in the world with these options. The Hestaband collection includes a basic cotton tape in two sizes and a satin tape, which has a stronger weave and adhesive and was created mainly for joint support and tendon support. This tape is a game changer when working with limb deformities in foals and when supporting injured joints and ligaments. There is also the newest addition of a lymphatic tape, which is made to mimic the lymphatic system and helps to evacuate fluid from areas of swelling. For example, taping chronic windpuffs and swelling around injuries with the ease of applying a single strip of tape removes the need for time-consuming and complicated basket weave applications that were previously the industry standard.
With these exciting developments, it is important to say that equine kinesiology taping knowledge can be passed along to owners, who can then continue to help their own horses between visits with their equine wellness team members. An owner or trainer wanting to apply kinesiology tape to their horses can take a variety of either online or in-person courses learning how, when, and when not to apply tape. I always suggest taking an in-person course so that you have a chance to get familiar with the tape as well as having a chance to practice applying it to the horse. Once you learn the correct theory and technique for taping applications, the options become almost endless in the ways you can apply the tape to help your equine partners.
It is also important to note that the use of kinesiology taping does not replace the advice or services of a veterinarian. In the event of an injury or limb deformity, kinesiology tape should be applied by a competent professional with knowledge of equine anatomy and used under the close supervision of your veterinary professional.
Article by Becky Denny, Photography credits Myra Hencher Photography
About Becky and Whispering Equine Bodyworks Inc.
Becky Denny EEBW, EEMFR, Whispering Equine Bodyworks Inc. Established in 2019, Becky Denny, owner of Whispering Equine Bodyworks Inc., provides equine massage therapy in southern Alberta and beyond. She is a certified Equinology bodyworker specializing in myofascial release with over 2000 hours of education and training. Becky is also a kinesiology taping instructor, teaching owners the ins and outs of taping their own horses. To work with Becky contact her at [email protected] or visit her website at whisperingequinebodyworks.com
