Why Your Horse Still Needs Acuscope & Myopulse in the Winter (Even If You’re Riding Less)

As the weather gets colder, most riders scale back their schedules. Rides get shorter, turnout gets muddier, blankets get heavier, and horses spend more time standing around. It feels like a slower season — but winter is actually when your horse’s body works the hardest just to stay comfortable.

Cold weather tightens fascia, reduces circulation, increases stiffness, and makes warm-ups take longer. Add mud, less movement, and heavier blankets, and you have the perfect recipe for soreness and hidden compensations.

This is exactly why Acuscope & Myopulse work is so valuable in the winter: it keeps your horse’s body healthy, elastic, and balanced even when your routine changes.

1. Cold Weather Tightens Fascia and Muscles

Cold temperatures naturally cause:

• Slower circulation

• Tighter fascia

• Shortened muscles

• Less joint lubrication

• Restricted movement

• Longer warm-up times

• Higher risk of slips or tweaks

  
  

Even lightly worked horses feel the effects. Microcurrent helps counteract this by increasing ATP, improving blood flow, softening tight tissue, and restoring electrical communication so movement stays fluid — even on colder days.

2. Less Movement = More Stiffness

Winter often brings:

• Less turnout

• More stall time

• Fewer rides

• More blanketing

• More waiting around

  
  

Horses aren’t designed to be still, and reduced movement leads to:

• Back soreness

• Neck stiffness

• SI tightness

• Stocking up

• Compensation patterns

• Increased reactivity

  
  

Acuscope and Myopulse help stimulate tissue, nerves, and circulation in a way that mimics healthy movement — without stressing the body.

3. Heavy Blankets Restrict Movement More Than You Think

Blankets keep horses warm, but they also:

• Restrict the shoulders

• Add pressure over the withers and neck

• Limit ribcage expansion

• Encourage bracing

• Contribute to topline tightness

  
  

Winter bodywork helps keep that restriction from turning into lingering soreness.

4. Winter Footing Creates Hidden Compensations

Mud, slick spots, puddles, and uneven ground all contribute to:

• Minor slips

• Tight lumbar and SI areas

• Hind-end bracing

• Shoulder or neck tension

• Overuse of one side

• Subtle gait changes

  
  

These little moments often add up and show themselves in spring when horses go back into regular work. Microcurrent helps catch and correct these patterns early.

5. PLEASE Warm Up Longer in the Winter — What That Actually Means

Most riders warm up, but few warm up enough in cold weather. Winter requires more time and intention to protect your horse’s body.

🐌 10–15 minutes of walking is the minimum for every horse.

This applies to every type of horse: young, old, fit, unfit, lazy, or hot. They all need this time to:

• Warm their muscles

• Lubricate their joints

• Loosen fascia

• Increase circulation

• Reduce stiffness

• Prevent sudden “freshness” and explosive behavior

  
  

⏳ Horses with known issues might need even longer.

If your horse has any history of:

• Arthritis

• Old injuries

• Back or SI problems

• Neck or poll tension

• Stifle or hock soreness

• Chronic compensations

• Asymmetry or weak areas

• Previous soft-tissue strains

  
  

…Some horses will need more than 15 minutes to warm up in cold weather.

Their muscles and fascia simply take longer to loosen and move comfortably. Listen to what their body is telling you — your goal is to wait for that “ready” feeling rather than rushing into work.

🌀 What to do during those first 10–15+ minutes

Start with straight walking for 5–7 minutes, then add:

• Large loops and serpentines

• Soft bending

• Stretching on a long rein

• Transitions within the walk

• Gentle lateral work like leg yields or shoulder-in

  
  

You are not “working” yet — you're slowly unlocking the body so it’s prepared for activity.

6. If You Don’t Have Time to Ride — Don’t Let Them Run Cold

If you’re short on time, it is much healthier to take your horse for a 15–20 minute walk under saddle or handwalk than to:

• Turn them out cold when you know they will run around

• Let them loose in the arena when you know they will run around

• Let them run around like a maniac

• Chase them to “blow off steam”

  
  

Why?

Cold muscles cannot stretch safely.

Cold fascia tears.

Cold joints cannot absorb impact.

Explosive movement on a cold body increases the risk of:

• Back strains

• SI issues

• Stifle or hock stress

• Pulled hamstrings

• Neck/poll injuries

• Slipping or twisting something

  
  

A controlled, relaxing walk warms the tissue safely and is far better for their physical and mental health than letting them run full speed right off the bat.

7. Winter Is Prime Time for Ulcers and Stress

Seasonal changes often lead to:

• More stall time

• Weather frustration

• Less turnout

• Diet changes

• Increased anxiety

• More bracing and tension

  
  

These show up physically as:

• Tight flanks

• Girthiness

• Shallow breathing

• Back soreness

• Ribcage restriction

  
  

Microcurrent helps regulate the nervous system and soften the areas that get tight when stress or gut discomfort increases.

8. Winter Bodywork Sets Your Horse Up for a Better Spring

Horses who stay balanced and supported throughout winter:

• Condition faster in spring

• Avoid many seasonal soreness patterns

• Maintain better posture

• Have healthier fascia

• Move more comfortably

• Experience fewer injuries

Think of winter as the “reset season.” Bodywork now prevents a long list of spring issues later.

The Bottom Line

Winter is not a break for your horse’s body — it’s a challenge.

Between cold weather, limited movement, heavier blankets, and tricky footing, horses often develop the most tension and compensation during this season.

Acuscope & Myopulse sessions help your horse stay:

• Comfortable

• Balanced

• Mobile

• Elastic

• Stress-free

• And ready for spring