Scar Tissue
“Prophet’s” or “devil’s” thumbprint
I bet you’ve seen these before!
Scar tissue that we’re all familiar with - the little dents on our horses’ neck, shoulders, or butt, that look like little thumbprints. Regardless of the wive’s tales (or whatever it technically is), “prophet’s thumbprints” are great examples of scar tissue. ****This is not only applicable to prophet’s/devil’s thumbprints, but to ALL scar tissue!!**** Whether the scar is from a kick, bite, fall, stitches, bad vaccine, whatever, scar tissue is scar tissue.
Scar tissue is NOT the same as original tissue - and unfortunately it never will be.
The tissue that replaces damaged muscle tissue is more similar to tendon and ligament tissue than muscle - it’s less forgiving and elastic, and doesn’t function in the same way. While scar tissue is STRONG, the tissue around the scar tissue is weaker than the scar tissue. This can cause the surrounding tissue to become over stretched, weak, and poorly utilized. Our horses are masters at compensation - they have to be! As prey animals, their ability to function and move even with injury, scar tissue, poor feet, etc. is quite literally life or death. Whether you have noticed OBVIOUS changes or not after an injury, I can almost guarantee your horse has soft tissue compensation as a result of the new scar tissue.
Scar tissue WILL affect the horse’s ability to use that muscle. This is because the scar tissue doesn’t have the same makeup as healthy muscle. This is also a result of the fascia becoming restricted and defensive as a result of injury and attempts to heal. Fascia will never resolve itself - it can’t. This all means that once our horse has scar tissue and reactively tight fascia, their way of going, posture, and circulation are all directly affected. And seeing as we can’t fully eliminate scar tissue, this often means the horse will be working with AT BEST ~90% of the former ability of that muscle - and even then, ONLY if work is done to even get the function to that level! Scar tissue and surrounding tissue will not improve on their own. In fact, the issues created - weakness, compensation, tension, etc. - will only compound if the proper work isn’t being done to counteract the effects of scar tissue formation.
To understand how the weakness vs tension works with scar tissue, imagine tying a knot in a rubber band. The knot is strong, but the tension and strain causes the rubber on either side of the knot to become weakened. When you continue to stretch and pull the rubber band, eventually it’ll snap. Where? NEXT to the knot! The knot will remain intact. It’s the rubber on either side that becomes stressed. The same concept applies to scar tissue. The scar tissue itself is super dense and strong, fortified for protection. However, the tissue on either side of the scar tissue is under more tension and is weakened. This is where the trouble occurs, and often the root of compensation.
What can we do to mitigate the effects of scar tissue on the surrounding tissue and entire body?
Massage
Stretches
Targeted exercises
Fascia work
PEMF
Decompression therapies such as k tape & cupping
Cold laser
Understanding what scar tissue is and how it causes the body’s soft tissue and fascia to respond is important if you plan to recover as much strength and mobility as possible. Working with soft tissue specialists, your vet, your trainer, and even your farrier will be important whether you discover new scar tissue forming, or you’re working to help soften and ease the effects of old scar tissue. If your horse has scar tissue that you’ve already identified, or they have compensation patterns after an injury, reach out to a bodyworker in your area so you can get them help! If you’re not working to combat the effects of scar tissue, they’re only compounding.