Preparing the Horse for the Show Season
by Lori Neises
As we are all preparing our horses for the upcoming show season, it may be helpful to see which muscles will be affected by the various training and conditioning programs implemented by you and/or your trainer. The illustration below shows the superficial muscles of the front 1/3 of the horse. In the following issues we will discuss the middle and rear 1/3 of the horse.
1. Masseter - The big "cheek" muscle involved in chewing. Tension in this muscle can show up as excessive mouthing of the bit and possibly develop into TMJ issues.
2. Sternomandibular - Flexion of neck and poll, and rotation of head and neck.
3. Cervical Cutaneous
4. Brachiocephalic - This muscle permits the flexion of neck and extension of poll, and moves the shoulder forward, controls the extent of the gait and initiates rear-ward movement of limb.
5. Splenius -Allows the neck to bend up and down.
6. Cervical Ventral Serrated - Attaches to the cervical vertebrae and scapula ( shoulder blade). Supports the base of the neck and rotates the lower cervical vertebrae.
7. Cervical Trapezius - Both the cervical and thoracic trapezius muscles are responsible for extension and lateral movements of neck, but more importantly, movement of the front of
8. Thoracic Trapezius - the scapula at various gaits.
9. Subclavian - Involved in drawing the limb backwards.
10. Deltoid - Flexes the scapular-humeral joint. ( Shoulder joint)
11. Brachial Triceps - Brings together the joints of the shoulder and elbow.
12. Latissimus Dorsi - Permits lateral bending and draws the limb back producing propulsion.
13. Descending Pectoral - Permits the foreleg to extend.
14. Ascending Pectoral -Draws the foreleg back.
15. Carpal and Digital - Draws the knee forward and bends the knee.
Performance horses are athletes and the illustration shows how the muscles are all tied in together. It is important to keep that in mind when developing a conditioning and work program for your horse. For instance, an English horse who has been forced into an English headset without strengthening the rest of his body will probably get sore and very tight in his poll and cervical muscles as well as the brachiocephalic muscle, which may present as a shoulder problem. It may not be a shoulder problem at all, but tightness/soreness in the brachiocephalic muscle because one of its main functions is to move the shoulder forward. If the horse is being asked to move with a high head and exaggerated knee action with weighted shoes before he is physically ready to do it, or even a seasoned show horse that is not being maintained with body work, there is a good chance that the horse will become sore.
We also see problems in the Western horses in the poll and cervical areas as well, but also in the trapezius muscles because it is this muscle group that helps move the scapula forward and produces that elusive slow, rolling lope we are after. If you watch a really good Western horse, they will look very free moving in their shoulders. This look is produced by the trapezius muscles not being tight or impinged by an ill-fitting saddle pinching them in the shoulders. Western horses can also get very sore in the brachiocephalic muscle from travelling with their heads too low so that they become front end heavy in the way they move. This leads to them pulling themselves with their front ends, rather than pushing themselves with their hind quarters. The brachiocephalic muscle is then being overworked, trying to draw the scapula forward, while the horse is moving heavy on his front end and impeding the action of the muscle.
The latissimus dorsi also plays an important role in lateral flexibility. This is experienced in horses who are chronically one-sided. They feel much more flexible one direction than the other. Tightness in the latts can be caused by shoeing irregularities, ie; club feet, ill-fitting saddles, improper mounting, which causes the saddle to be pulled excessively to the left and putting undue pressure on the right side of the wither. (This particular problem is easily remedied by using a mounting block!)
Many of these problems can be avoided or at least maintained at a manageable level where the horse is comfortable so that he can perform his job to the best of his potential by developing a conscientious training/conditioning program that builds his muscular system slowly, and then maintaining it through regular massage therapy.
Lori Neises ESMT
Sport massage therapy is not an alternative to veterinary medicine. It does not diagnose or prescribe.
From the February / March 2005 issue of the MAHA Leader.