Jessica Limpkin - Equine Massage Therapy

26/09/2025

There are many applications for Kinesiology Tape.

Keeping it simple here, this tape application is targeted at the continuation of my hands on therapy.

Aiming to increase blood and lymph flow, promoting healing & recovery.
And stimulation of the nervous system - nociceptors, offering pain relief and proprioceptors, bringing awareness to the area.

A simple piece of K-tape applied with a considered amount of stretch in the targeted area can be a valuable tool. Helping to enhance the benefits of treatment for your horse for as long as 5 days post treatment 🙂

23/09/2025

The Activomed Power Pad delivers 3 types of Therapy to the targeted area. And can be applied to most parts of the horse's body or limbs.

The therapies are:

▪️Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEMF)
▪️Photobiomodulation (LLLT or Red & Infrared light therapy)
▪️Vibration Massage Therapy

And can be used in any combination of 1,2 or all 3 therapies at once.

I call this my 'Triple Threat' and find the pad compliments hands on therapy really well, when a little bit of an extra 'boost' is required.

Horses respond very well to application of the pad, usually finding deep relaxation.

All three therapies are also FEI legal so the pad can be a great addition to pre & post class treatments at shows.

20/09/2025

The Photizo Vetcare has been part of my tool kit for a long time now and I still use it daily.

I like to use the LLLT (Low Level Light Therapy) in combination with some pressure, using the wide, flat head of the unit to assist with releasing muscular trigger points or fascial tension.

A very effective technique I have developed over time and that horses often welcome particularly if they are sensitive to touch.

Here I am working along Dora's back, targeting the Thoracolumbar Fascia and superficial back muscles along with their associated systems.

You can learn more about LLLT, also known as Cold Laser Therapy, Red & Infrared Light Therapy or Photobiomodulation at my website: link in bio

19/09/2025

Meet 'Dennis'

Today was his first experience of balance pads under his hind feet.

I use balance pads in a number of different ways with different intentions.
Today's session was targeted at gentle mobilisation of the pelvic (hind) limb joints & tissues.

In my experience of using these pads with many horses over the last 6 years, anecdotally I have found that horses presenting with hind limb joint stiffness seem to find relief in standing on the pads, they often choose to stand on them for a period of time and enter deep relaxation. And post session their passive hind limb range of movement tests are more fluid and their locomotion improved.

Once myself and the horse's owner/groom have looked at this together it is also something easy that can be included in the horse's regular routine.

Riders often report a reduction in warm up time after using the pads before exercise.

I wouldn't recommend pads for every horse, this is why it is always best to have a full history of the horse and to have completed a full assessment before implementing a strategy like this.

But for Dennis, I felt this would be a great approach for him and he definitely gave us a thumbs up! 👍🏻

18/09/2025

The Activomed boots deliver Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEMF) to the Distal (lower) Limbs.

They are just one of the 'tools' in my treatment kit and also a firm part of my own horse's daily routine.

For my own horse Eric they help prevent/reduce filled legs when he has been stabled as well as aiding in the health & recovery of his tendons, suspensories & joints post training.

PEMF uses a range of different frequencies to help stimulate different cells in the body, helping them to work more efficiently.

The body is made up of numerous tissue cells which all need energy to function. Inside the cells, growth and other functions are controlled by electromagnetic oscillations.

Damaged, fatigued or inefficient cells will have their metabolic processes impaired and a less effective electromagnetic field.

PEMF therapy uses tiny electrical signals that stimulate the cells, and help restore their natural electromagnetic field. This results in more regulated cells, with membrane channels opening up allowing more nutrients into the cell and waste products out. Once enough cells are restored they will all work more efficiently.

PEMF therapy is sometimes described as cellular exercise or as a massage for the cells. The cells in the horse’s body engage when the electromagnetic field is active and relax in between the pulses. The process is enjoyable, it’s relaxing, and it helps horses feel better faster.

17/09/2025

Meet Midnight 🌙

When I first met Midnight 4 months ago he was looking a little uncomfortable following a riding holiday where less than optimum ground conditions meant he had aggravated an old suspensory injury.

After taking his full history, and assessing his dynamic and passive range of movement his owner and I discussed options and I also recommended she consult her vet who knows Midnight well.

It was decided a conservative approach would be taken, and he would be rested.

I treated the compensations he had developed through his body, in particular the lumbosacral region. And visited him a second time during his period of convalescence.

This week I returned for a third time to find a very happy and comfortable Midnight. Moving beautifully and happily and with no sign of the previous compensations 🙌

A well known sports medicine vet once said to me 'The ones that get the rest, do the best'
And that certainly seems to be the case here with Midnight.

He will begin walk work now, sticking to straight lines where possible on firm footing, and we hope he will be able to resume the riding holidays his owner & rider love to do in good time 🖤

15/09/2025

This is 'Cool'

I recently attended a Horsemanship Clinic with my own horse Eric and Cool's owner asked if I could take a look at him. He had unfortunately been in a 'pull back' incident which sent a ripple effect of soft tissue tension through the right side of his body.

Treating a horse mid clinic is not ideal as I usually advise rest post treatment when this level of work is required. But this was an SOS situation ‼️

Cool was moving much more freely the following day and ready to continue with his schedule which was to complete the clinic and then go on to ride across Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Enjoy your adventures Cool - hopefully we will meet again some time ☺️

13/09/2025

Lovely Whirlwind chose to reach and take a drink during a soft tissue release using the tail. Maximising the stretch 🧡

29/08/2025

K-Taping Application to support the Manual Massage & Mobilisation therapy targeted at a focal point of lumbar tension for this horse.

The tape will help continue the benefits of my manual therapy for the next 3-5 days

26/04/2025

Reshare of a post I put out in 2020 - but it's still absolutely relevant!

I am often encouraging my clients to walk their horses more 🐴

Might sound a little boring to some of you, but walk is a wonderful pace and has so many benefits for your horse 👍🏻

It’s also something you can easily do in-hand, so a suitable exercise for your youngsters, oldies or those recovering from injury

But why do I recommend walking more and what are the benefits❓

The walk is a 4 beat gait with no moment of suspension (this means there is always at least one foot on the ground, unlike in the trot, canter and gallop when there is a moment where the horse has no feet on the ground during the pace)

Your walk should have an even and regular beat. 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4 and so on.

It’s useful to learn to listen to your horse’s footfalls when they walk, whether you are leading, riding or long reining them as an uneven beat could indicate an issue such a lameness 😐

Because of the lack of suspension in the walk the forces generated for each step must be by active muscle contraction and effort on the horse’s part 💪🏻

This is one of the reasons a horse will often want to trot or canter up a hill instead of walk, as walking is more challenging 🥵

I like to recommend having a ‘Walk day’ or using more walk in your sessions as walk is the lowest intensity gait but you can still achieve so much in this pace.

It’s also great for your horse’s mental health 😌

Benefits of walking your horse include:

▪️Improves circulation

▪️Facilitates and maintains proper bone and hoof development

▪️Stimulates the production of synovial fluid in the joints

▪️Loosens up the joints

▪️Loosens the back, and encourages lateral swing in the body

▪️Allows your horse to gradually gain strength with minimum stress to the joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments (more likely to avoid injury)

▪️Gently improves fitness and endurance

▪️Encourages your horse to stretch and relax

▪️Will improve your work at the faster paces

🔴Not to mention:

▪️Bonding time

▪️Confidence building

🔴But just because you are walking, doesn’t mean your session has to be boring or lacking purpose

There are lots of things you can do during your walk session to ‘spice’ it up and get the maximum benefit for your horse, here are a few ideas you can try:

▪️Walking up hills

▪️Walking down hills

▪️Walking over poles

▪️Shorten the walk

▪️Lengthen the walk

▪️Steps of Shoulder In

▪️Steps of Haunches In

▪️Steps of Leg yield

▪️Serpentines

▪️Walking over raised poles

▪️Walk through water

▪️Walk through long grass

(The last 3 on the list will encourage your horse to lift their feet higher and engage their core and stabilising muscles even more)

I hope this post encourages some of you to get out and do more walking with your horses 🐴

Whatever horse or pony you have, if they are able, I encourage you to get out there and have some low intensity fun 😀

21/04/2025

Congratulations to Abbie Newbury Equestrian - Dressage Training and Livery and the team at Seagry Stud. It's a real pleasure to be part of the journey 💙