One of the things to keep an eye on is the balance of the body of your horse. When you see your horse daily, it is easy to lose track of subtle changes. Make it your practice to observe your horse:

Is there consistency to the muscle development? If one area (like the front end or hind end) is more developed than the other, the body is not working as one unit. The over-developed area will be tense and the under-developed area will be weak. Tight, built-up muscles are shortened muscles that have lost flexibility; this makes them more prone to fatigue and injury.

The body is a unit and should be treated as such. The moving parts of the body were designed to move through a specified range of motion freely, easily and completely. If they are unable to do so, there will be a problem.

Did you know that the horse is composed of 60% muscle? The human body is comprised of about 40% muscle. Most motion problems originate in the muscular system. The massage and stress point therapy I do helps the contracting and release process of the muscle, aiding the  muscles from getting hyper-contracted and injured.