Equi-Tape Creator Dr. Beverly Gordon Puts Chiropractic Principles To Work In The Horse World Story by Deborah Welky • Photos by Abner Pedraza
With a background in exercise physiology and biomechanics, Dr. Beverly Gordon had worked for years as a chiropractor when she had a startling realization — the kinesiology tape that works so well on humans could probably be adapted for use on horses. Gordon spends seven months of the year in Wellington, the winter equestrian capital of the world, so she vowed to give it a try. After an intense period of research and development by her company, the Horse in Motion, Equi-Tape was ready for market in early 2005. Since then, it has been increasingly embraced by horse owners and trainers. “The tape has so much application for performance horses here,” Gordon said. “It really helps horses train harder and stay sounder. It has a lot of applications on injured backyard horses as well.” That is something Gordon has expertise in. Her chiropractic practice includes consulting for a number of veterinary facilities regarding chiropractics and equine movement. Equi-Tape is an elastic cotton, two-way stretch tape with advanced adhesive properties for ease of application, removal and placement longevity. The way Equi-Tape affects the body is completely different from what non-elastic athletic tape does, and is based on its ability to interact with the skin and associated neurosensory and mechanoreceptors. Equi-Tape does not compress the tissue as do other types of taping methods. Its design characteristics and application techniques decompress tissue, allowing for increased circulation. The lifting principle behind the decompression also af-
fects how pain receptors respond to the messages associated with swelling and inflammation. Depending on how the tape is applied, it can decrease pain and swelling; increase circulation; support joints, ligaments and tendons; speed the recovery of injured tissue; and/or reduce spasm and tension in tight muscles. The caveat is making sure that the tape is applied correctly. As with any health aid, a certain degree of knowledge is required to achieve optimum results. To that end, Gordon created Equi-Tape Educational Services, offered through RSB Animal Health, a company headed up by CEO James Ruder that also markets and distributes Equi-Tape. Equi-Tape and its accompanying Continuing Education Unit-accredited educational courses are now available throughout the world. Used in conjunction with other modalities, it can give competition horses an edge. “We’ve been using kinesiology tape for 30 years in humans,” Gordon said. “You can’t watch a tennis match, basketball game or golf tournament without seeing someone with the tape on. It became particularly popular after being seen
“The tape has so much application for performance horses here, it really helps horses train harder and stay sounder.” DR. BEVERLY GORDON, INVENTOR OF EQUI-TAPE wellington the magazine | march 2016
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