Friction is one of the last movements you will use in Equine Massage Therapy. The tissues MUST be ready to accept friction to avoid causing damage to the tissue.

Friction is often used to break up adhesions and scar tissue. It can be used over muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascial restrictions.

Friction is usually applied with thumbs, fingers, or the heel of your hand. You can use small circles, or an up-and-down, or back-and-forth movement. Friction is usually done in a firm manner to break up the adhesions in the tissue.

Cross-Fiber Friction is applied across the muscle fibers instead of in the same direction of the muscle. This helps to break up adhesions in the muscle fibers or to break apart muscle fibers and help to realign them correctly.

Do not apply friction to an injury that is less than 6 months old. It is still in the healing process. You may even want to consult with your veterinarian first to be sure the area is ready for equine therapy. With that said, you may use friction to break up adhesions in scar tissue to allow the tissue to return to normal function.

Do not use friction for more than a couple of minutes in any one area. And only if inflammation is not present. Your horse will most likely become very irritated and sore.

Be sure to use effleurage to drain the area of toxins and waste products when you are finished applying friction.


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