When temperatures drop, a horse's body must constantly adapt to maintain its thermal balance. This adaptation, although natural, causes numerous changes in the muscles, fascia and joints. In winter, massaging your horse becomes much more than just a moment of relaxation: it is a real tool for prevention, comfort and performance.
Understanding the role of equine massage in winter allows you to act in a way that is more appropriate and respectful of the horse's body, and to avoid the development of compensations that are often invisible… until the onset of pain or slight lameness.
Why does the cold change the horse's biomechanics and fascia?
In winter, horses expend more energy to maintain their internal temperature. This physiological adaptation has several direct consequences on the tissues:
• Peripheral vasoconstriction: blood vessels constrict to limit heat loss, reducing blood flow to muscles and fascia. Tissues become harder and less flexible.
• Loss of fascia elasticity: cold reduces the fluidity of connective tissues. The fasciae become more adherent and less slippery.
• Increased muscle tension, particularly in the back, lumbar region and neck.
• Analgesic postures: to protect itself from the cold, the horse often adopts a more hollow back and a contracted neck.
• Increased risk during exercise in cold weather: muscles ‘seize up’ more quickly, cramps, micro-lesions and compensations.
In this context, massaging your horse in winter helps to gradually restore mobility and tissue quality.
The objectives of equine massage in cold weather
Deep tissue warming
Massage stimulates blood circulation despite vasoconstriction caused by the cold.
It promotes the diffusion of heat to the deep muscle layers and prepares the horse’s body for work.
Key objective: prevent the horse from working ‘cold’ and restore viscosity to the fascia.
Restore hydration and fascial glide
In winter, several factors alter fascial quality: reduced movement, decreased natural compression/decompression mechanisms, slowed circulation. Internal fluids become more viscous and the fascia loses its natural glide.
Massage then acts as a fascial water pump:
• Each slow pressure removes some of the used fluid.
• Each release allows new fluid to return.
• Fibroblasts, which are sensitive to mechanical forces, are stimulated.
Result:
• Stimulation of hyaluronic acid production, improving the quality of the interfascial gel.
• Warming of fluids, making them less viscous.
• Reduction in adhesions, which are very common in cold weather.
• Improvement in interfascial gliding.
Improve tissue quality and prevent compensation
Thanks to the mechanical action of massage:
• The muscle-fascia layers regain their ability to slide.
• Fibroblasts reorganise collagen fibres.
• Areas that are too dense are gradually remodelled.
This reduces the ‘stiff’ effect of the tissues, typical in winter, and quickly corrects micro-compensations before they become permanent.
Reduce thermal and emotional stress
Cold weather, reduced activity and sometimes confinement to the stable can cause:
• irritability,
• emotional tension,
• discomfort when being groomed or handled.
Massage stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting calmness, better stress management and improved sleep. Massaging your horse also helps to maintain its emotional balance.
Areas that are particularly sensitive to massage in winter
Certain areas are more exposed to the effects of the cold:
• Neck (splenius, brachiocephalic): strong contraction to retain heat.
• Withers and back muscles: areas sensitive to wind, often stiff.
• Lumbar and psoas muscles: the cold accentuates deep tension and tightness in the pelvis.
• Glutes and posterior chain: heavily used on slippery ground.
• Thorax and shoulder girdle: frequent fascial restrictions in the shoulders.
When should you massage your horse in winter?
• Before work: tissue warm-up, better engagement, reduced risk of injury.
• After work: optimised recovery and reduced tension caused by the cold.
• On rest days: maintaining flexibility despite reduced activity.
• In cold and wet weather: a combination that is particularly conducive to stiffness.
Essential precautions in cold weather
• Never massage a shivering horse: cover it and warm it up first.
• Avoid rapid techniques that cool the skin surface.
• Always check that the coat is dry.
• Use a fleece blanket to protect areas not being worked on.
• Choose a location sheltered from the wind.
Massaging your horse: quickly observable benefits
With a suitable massage, you will often see:
• improved flexibility in the neck and back,
• smoother transitions,
• improved propulsion,
• less resistance to harnessing,
• a calmer and more responsive horse,
• effective prevention of winter muscle spasms.
Short winter routine (10 to 15 minutes)
• General warm-up
Slow effleurage on the withers, back and lumbar region.
• Myofascial work
Sliding pressure and gentle stretching.
• Key areas
◦ Neck: slow deep pressure
◦ Back: broad kneading
◦ Hindquarters: relax the glutes
• Finish
Gentle mobilisation and light stretching.
Integrating massage into a holistic approach
In winter, massaging your horse is even more effective when it is part of a holistic approach that includes:
• appropriate management of rugs,
• prolonged warm-up under saddle,
• work on varied terrain,
• optimised nutrition (omega-3, hydration),
• mobilisation exercises on foot.
And to learn more, we invite you to discover equine myology through Julia Prével’s book. An equine massage therapist, she shares her knowledge and expertise in this 240-page book.