Cranial Anatomy

The cranium of the horse is made of flat bones that articulate with each other through joints called sutures. These sutures allow the bones to move slightly leading to a slight expansion and contraction as the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) is pumped through the cranium. The movement of these bones is the basis for craniosacral therapy. 

Cranial Bone Misalignments

The cranial bones can become "jammed" due to trauma/injury or the process of traveling through the birth canal when the horse is born. When the bones shift and become "stuck" in this position, it will lead to decreased movement of the bones as the CSF is pumped through the cranium. This can ultimately lead to symptoms such as head aches, difficulty concentrating, runny eyes or nose, head shaking and other behaviors. Visually, it can be noted as asymmetry in the face. 

Re-aligning the Bones

The cranial bones can be brought back in to proper alignment using specific craniosacral techniques to release the bones. Chronic misalignments will often take multiple sessions to resolve fully. Most horses will begin to show a decrease in symptoms following the first session.

Looking for Asymmetries 
A good way to check for asymmetries is to take a picture of the horse's head when standing directly in front of them. You can then draw a line vertically from the mid section of the top of their head (by the poll) to the middle of their upper lip/nose. Next draw horizontal lines connecting the top of each eye and the top of each nostril. An additional horizontal line at the bottom of the lips can also be drawn. If the lines are all perpendicular to each other (create 90 degree angles) then the horse's skull is symmetrical. If 90 degree angles are not found, then asymmetry due to shifting of the cranial bones is present. 

Checking for Changes

After releasing the appropriate cranial bones, you should then take another picture of the horse's head and re-draw the lines to determine if improvement has been made. 

This picture above, which was taken immediately after the first session, shows little improvement. Due to the chronicity of the symptoms and the small improvement, kinesiology tape was applied over the parietal and frontal bones and nasal sutures. The picture below shows the amount of asymmetry present following 24 hours of wearing the tape. 

Cranial Bone Releases - 2nd Session

​The kinesiology tape was left on another 24 hours (48 hours total) and then was removed before the second craniosacral session. During the second session, a sacral and tail release was performed before releasing the cranial bones. The picture below shows the results after the cranial bone releases were performed. Note a drastic improvement in the nasal and lip lines.

Follow up

This horse is experiencing a decrease in symptoms and an improvement in attitude. She will continue with monthly craniosacral sessions at this time to further improve facial symmetry, reduce the reoccurrence of symptoms and improve proper function.

Special thanks to Mary Beth Nunes on her assistance in performing the primary CST session!

A study that was recently published in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science demonstrated a reduction in swelling in horses that were taped using kinesiology tape (the inflammation reduction taping) following arthroscopic tibia-patellofemoral surgery. 

Some conditions that can benefit from kinesiology tape are: ACL and other knee related injuries in dogs, back pain in dogs and horses, hind end weakness in dogs due to IVDD, spina bifida, arthritis, or DM, suspensory ligament injuries in horses, post surgical swelling in all animals and stocking up in horses. A recent study in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science showed a significant reduction in swelling after 24 hours of kinesiology taping in horses with arthroscopic tibio-patellofemoral surgery. (http://www.j-evs.com/article/S0737-0806(16)30525-1/abstract)

While kinesiology taping is a very safe and effective technique, there are specific ways to cut and apply the tape for the condition being treated and there are contraindications to utilizing this tape as well.  Proper training is required to be able to adequately add kinesiology taping to your practice.
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Angel’s Animals - Holistic Online Courses, offers kinesiology taping certification courses for both Equine and Canine practitioners.  These courses can be completed from anywhere in the world and do not have time limitations.  The courses are taught by Dr. Angelique Barbara who is a Doctor of Chiropractic with a BS in Veterinary Science and a MS in Veterinary Pathobiology.  Dr. Barbara was one of the first practitioners to start using kinesiology tape on animals and she developed these comprehensive courses to share her applications and experience with other practitioners.  

Most horses experience some degree of back pain either from a saddle that doesn't fit perfectly, a rider who isn't completely balanced or just sore muscles from exercise.  This back pain reduction taping is a very easy way to decrease your horse's pain and support the muscles along your horse's back during exercise!

• 4-inch and 2-inch Kinesiology Tape (recommend the Equine Big Daddy and Equine standard tape from RockTape)
• Scissors to cut the tape (recommend teflon coated scissors because the glue on the tape will "gum up" your scissors)

• Start by cutting a piece of the 4-inch (BigDaddy) tape long enough to run from behind  your horse's shoulder blade (at their withers) to the high point on their hind end
• Cut a second 4-inch piece of tape the same length as the first piece (you can use the 1st piece to measure the second)
• Starting behind your horse's shoulder blade on the left side of the horse, place the tape down about 1-2 inches from your horse's spine (running parallel to it)
• Do the same thing on the right side of your horse
• Cut 2 2-inch pieces of tape long enough to go across your horse's back, over the 2 strips of tape with 1-2 inches overlapping on each side
• Place one piece perpendicular (directly over) the 4-inch pieces just behind your horse's withers
• Place the second piece in the same manner on your horse's lower back

• Ride and work your horse as you normally would - the tape stretches as your horse moves which triggers the pain reduction response and minimizes muscle spasms
• Your horse can be saddled over the tape, but make sure to work your horse on the ground first when the tape is first applied so they can get used to the feeling before riding
• The tape is waterproof, so you can still hose your horse down after a ride
• This taping will normally stay on for 1 week and can be worn during turnout or under a blanket or sheet
• Reapply as needed and make sure to always remove it along your horse's hair direction, not against it
  • There will be some hair that comes off with the tape, but it is hair that was ready to naturally shed off, so no worries

Non-certification course available for horse owners. Certification Course available for equine professionals.