Due to the wear and tear of a previous career, the older horse will benefit greatly from that approach. Older horses often are stiff and muscle sore due to chronic injuries. Flattened muscles, such as those along the lumbar spine and the gluteal muscles of the hips, are a symptom of chronic soreness. Muscles can become fibrotic from years of use and strain and perhaps guarding muscle contractions. The horse is a master at protecting the lower limbs from concussion by tensing the upper body musculature.
Chronic tension leads to ischemia in the muscles and eventual infiltration of fibrotic tissue.
The muscle is less functional and begins to atrophy over time. Massage to the back, shoulder, and hip musculature will reduce muscle stiffness, and you certainly will provide your older horse with a well-deserved, pleasurable experience. Do not forget the lower limbs when you are carrying out your massage. Therapeutic ultrasound and slow stretching movements, called passive range of motion exercises, can improve limb movement in humans, and seems to work in horses as well. Degenerative joint disease leaves the joints stiff and painful to move.