Equine Massage

LESSON FIVE

As part of taking a history and evaluating a horse, there are outside factors you need to take into account. I call them “outside factors” because they are not part of the horse’s inherent physical make-up or movement. These are things very important to a horse’s comfort and soundness, and are totally under the control of the handler. They are: 1. saddle fit, 2. hoofs, 3. teeth, 4. over-training.

One of these outside factors is very often the cause of the horse’s problems.

SADDLE FITTING CONSIDERATIONS

Though there has been an increased awareness of the importance of correct saddle fit, poor saddle fit and poor riding are the two most common reasons for a horse’s sore back. (See HorseCoursesOnline Bits, Saddle Fitting and Hoof Balance.)

When evaluating saddle fit as a possible source of the horse’s sore back, view the saddle on the horse without saddle pads. English type saddles have the padding built in, so pads aren’t necessary; a saddlecloth (or light show pad) is used basically to keep the underside of the saddle clean and sweat free. If the rider is using padding to make the saddle fit, then the saddle does not fit correctly.

Western saddles do not have underside padding, so a saddle pad and saddle blanket are the accepted standard, but I still want to see the western saddle in place without pads.

Once you’ve seen the saddle in place without padding, ask the rider to saddle the horse exactly as they would if they were about to go for a ride. Notice the saddle placement. The tree of the saddle should sit behind the shoulder, never on it.

Too many saddles are placed too far forward, often resting on the withers and interfering with shoulder movement, making the shoulders sore.

The two sides of the saddle must be shaped symmetrically, without a twist or curve to one side. To check this, using a level surface, stand the saddle on its pommel and sight from the center back to center front. A correctly made, balanced saddle will be the same size and shape on both sides…you will be surprised how many saddles are not.

The saddle must sit level on the horse’s back. Check to be sure the saddle is not tilted forward or backward. If it tilts forward with the pommel too close to the horse’s withers, then it is too wide. Padding can help correct this problem. If the saddle sits uphill in front, the saddle is too narrow. Many riders try to move the saddle back well behind the withers, or try to level the saddle by putting a pad under the cantle…this causes even more pressure and pinching at the front of the saddle. The only true solution for a saddle too narrow is the purchase of a correctly fitting saddle.

The front of the saddle must fit the shape of the horse’s shoulders behind the shoulder blade. Whether the horse has hollows on each side of the withers, or a smooth back, the saddle must accommodate the form of the horse. Western saddles have two special problems to be considered: leather extension in front of the pommel that can press into the shoulder blade, and screws at the front of the saddle that attach the seat to the tree. These screws, if not set deep enough, become a hard lump against the side of the withers. Correct padding can solve this problem.

Because western saddles do not have built-in padding, the choice of padding and its use becomes extremely important.

There must be enough clearance for the horse’s withers. The saddle must sit level and behind the withers and still not press on the withers. Horse with high withers make saddle fitting very difficult; often a “cut-back” pommel will solve the problem.

If you are concerned about pressure on the withers, have the rider sit in the saddle to be sure the rider’s weight doesn’t push the saddle down on the withers.

The saddle must not put pressure on the spinal vertebrae. The saddle must rest on the muscles on each side of the vertebrae. To check the width of the vertebrae, put your thumb and forefinger on top of the backbone - about where the rider would sit, and then spread your fingers until you feel only muscle—measure that distance. (I measure that distance by seeing how many of my fingers on my other hand I can put into the space.) Check the distance against the space between the panels of the saddle.

Adding padding will not correct the problems created by a saddle that rests on the vertebrae.

This problem is not so common with western saddles which often have a channel built into them. In addition, many western horses have more muscling along the back to protect the vertebrae. There are also western saddle pads with a channel down the middle to protect the backbone.

The saddle must make continuous contact with the horse’s long back muscles—no bridging. A saddle is said to “bridge” if it makes contact with the horse’s back only at the front and rear, but has a gap somewhere in the middle. Bridging causes excessive pressure on the withers and loins and interferes with movement.

Slide your hand under the middle of the saddle to check for even contact.

Some type of foam padding can help with this problem, but often a different style or shape of saddle is needed.

The shape of the panels on the underside of the saddle must conform to the shape of the horse’s back and be free of lumps and irregularities. If there are hollows on each side of the spine, then the panels need to be rounded to fill in. If the back is well developed, then the panels need to be flatter. Rounded panels on a well-developed back make the saddle unstable.

Check flat panels to be sure the entire surface of the panel is in contact with the horse’s back. If only the other edge is in contact, it concentrates pressure and can make the back very sore. This can be seen by sighting from the back of the saddle.

The length of the saddle must be appropriate for the length of the horse’s back. A saddle that is too long, most commonly seen in western saddles with square skirts, can actually put pressure on the hips and across the loins, which may inhibit hind leg movement. Use enough padding to lift the saddle off the loin.

A person needing a big saddle and riding a short backed horse can cause severe back soreness. The only correction for this problem is finding a horse that is big enough to accommodate the rider.

The padding used must protect the horse’s back without changing the fit between saddle and horse.

Watch the rider saddle the horse and notice if the rider pulls the padding or saddlecloth up into the pommel so that there is no “tightness” across the withers.

Some English pads are short and if pulled too far forward the binding of the pad can rest under the back of the saddle. If this is the case, the rider’s weight can put pressure on the binding that will cause a sore back.

Too much padding creates a very dangerous situation as it lifts the saddle off the horse, making the saddle and rider unstable. Such a situation is very uncomfortable for the horse, especially if the saddle rocks side to side.

There are going to be times when you will have to tell the horse owner to purchase a new saddle that fits the horse correctly. Seldom does a horse owner like to hear this. Sometimes it is the only way to solve sore back problems; it is always the best way.

FEET

Sore or poorly balanced feed can be a major cause of body soreness. The discomfort caused by sore feet can negate any good you will be able to do with massage.

Any body soreness caused by sore feet cannot be relieved except on a very short-term basis. You must resolve the feet problems first.

You will get hundreds of different opinions about trimming and shoeing a horse. But even with all the differences, there will be some consistencies.

REMEMBER THE ANATOMY! Plate 27 of Horse Anatomy: A Coloring Atlas gives a good illustration of correct alignment of the bones in the feet. Also, you may wish to enroll in the on-line course “Bits, Saddle Fitting and Hoof Balance".

When a horse is standing squarely, the three bones of the pastern and hoof (long pastern, short pastern, coffin bone) should be in alignment with no lateral or vertical shifts of direction.

To make a visual examination, start by looking at the foot from the side. The line of the hoof at the front should be straight and smooth; any dips or ridges could indicate problems. The key questions to ask yourself are: does the hoof angle support the correct alignment of the three bones? Does the heel angle match the front of the hoof and also support the correct alignment? Are the heels the same length on the inside and outside?

Some disciplines call for the trimming and shoeing to leave the feet long, while others call for a short foot. In all cases, the bones should remain in correct alignment. Too long a toe or under-run heels will cause shifts in the alignment of the bones; this must be corrected.

The cause of such problems can be too long a period between trimming and/or shoeing, or simply the work is being done incorrectly. Allowing the feet to get too long between trimmings can also cause problems with the horse’s longitudinal balance that are caused by the constant shifts back and forth between the feet being long and short.

To keep the angles of the feet consistent, it is best to have the horse shod or trimmed every 30 days; a health horse will grow 3/8 inch of hoof every 30 days and that amount of growth, if not rebalanced, can cause problems with the hoof.

Next look at the hoof from the front. Sight down the cannon bone and allow your imaginary line to bisect the cannon bone and the hoof. The question you should be asking yourself: "Is the hoof equal on both sides of the bisecting line?" If the medial/lateral balance is not correct, the horse will have problems. Also notice if the hoof turns in or out. It is possible the hoof has been incorrectly trimmed, but if the “turn” is due to bone structure, don’t try to have the “turn” corrected.

Compare the left feet to the right feet. The length of feet should be the same, although they are seldom perfectly matched. If one foot is larger than the other…it could be a trimming or shoeing problem, but it is most likely a physical problem that has caused the horse to compensate by using one foot more than the other to support weight.

There is always the question of one leg being shorter than the other; this, I’ve found, is rather rare. To measure the length of leg, I like to use the small bone that sticks out at the side of the knee as my starting point. I measure from this bone to the ground. Of course, the feet must be the same length in order for this length of leg measurement to be of value. If the distance from knee to ground is different, most likely the feet are not even and need to be adjusted. You will frequently find this is the case with a “club-footed” horse. In most cases, the leg with the clubfoot is shorter, and the clubfoot is growing downward at a steeper angle to even the lengths. (There are a number of theories about clubfeet—for in depth information see the course, Bits, Saddle Fitting and Hoof Balance.) Work with a good horse-shoer when dealing with a club-footed horse.

Some people measure leg length by measuring from the horse’s elbow or point of the shoulder to the ground. I don’t agree with measuring from these points as it is fairly common for the horse’s rib cage to tilt, causing the difference in distances. In lesson two we examined the anatomy of the shoulder blades and leg attachment; reexamine that lesson and you can visualize how the rib cage tilt could change the distance measurements.

While imbalances in the hoofs can cause tensions in the muscle structure, the reverse is also true. Imbalances in the horse’s body can cause abnormal hoof wear.

With most horses, the shoer must make constant minor adjustments to keep the horse’s feet balanced. If you look at the horse’s feet and feel there is a problem, don’t automatically assume it is poor trimming or shoeing; it could be a muscle problem that is causing uneven weight and wear patterns in the feet. If the horse has not been shod within 30 days, wear patterns may be evident and it may be a good idea to shorten the interval between trimming and shoeing. If the horse was “recently” shod, then I am concerned the trimming or shoeing was not appropriate for the horse. In that case I explain to the owner what it is about the feet that is bothering me and ask the owner to get the opinion of another trimmer or shoer.

TEETH

There can be problems in the horse’s mouth which will affect the horse’s body and our ability to be of help with massage.

When the owner is telling you about the horse’s problems, focus on the mouth if there is mention of head tossing, head or ear shyness or problems with the horse accepting the bit. Many mouth problems are the result of poor riding, but many others involve the teeth. If the horse has not had his teeth attended to within the last year, start with having a veterinarian who is certified in equine dentistry examine the mouth before you begin massage work.

Mouth pain, or the fear of pain, can cause a horse to tighten his entire body and undo any benefits that may have been derived from massage. Fix the mouth pain first.

If the horse is younger than 5, then the mouth problems may be the result of “teething.” Young horses shed their baby teeth beginning at two years of age and develop their permanent teeth up to age 5 and sometimes beyond. Teeth that are falling out, or teeth that are coming in and cutting through the gums can cause a good deal of mouth discomfort.

Older horses that have not had consistent dental care can have very sharp points and hooks on their molars. Sharp edges along the jaw line on the outside of the lower teeth and the inside of the upper teeth can cut the tongue or cheeks. The discomfort can create tension and soreness in the head and neck. Massage can help relieve tensions created by problems in the mouth, but it is really pointless to do so until after the mouth is pain free.

Teeth can be floated—filed smooth—by the hand use of a “float”, or by the use of a power float. There are some strong opinions about these approaches to dental care; whichever you prefer, be sure that the person doing the work is well trained and competent.

OVER-TRAINING

You are going to meet many highly motivated horse owners. Competitive riders are among this group. These types of horse owners push themselves toward higher levels of performance, and often they push their horses—sometimes too hard.

Over-training is “too much, too soon.” It is a common mistake and is a major cause of breakdowns and injury. It can also be the cause of progressively poorer performance, which generally results in the rider/trainer increasing the horse’s work rather than decreasing it. Deteriorating performance is a good indicator of over-training. Some of the other signs are lethargy, attitude changes, weight loss and colic.

Trying to express your concerns to the “aggressive trainer/rider” can be difficult. I find it is often better not to mention over-training, but to suggest a regular schedule for “maintenance massage.”

There are many physiological effects of over-training. Training or conditioning is the result of the body adapting to stress. Effective stress will be regular enough and strong enough to stimulate the adaptation of muscles and internal body systems to the amount of work. But if the work is too strenuous and too often, a breakdown will occur…it is excessive, uninterrupted stress that plays havoc with the body.

When muscles are worked in new or unaccustomed ways—different movement, longer distances, longer work sessions, great demands for high performance—micro-tears occur in the muscles. As these micro-tears heal, they strengthen the muscles by creating scar tissue within the muscle fibers. If the micro-tears are given time to heal, everything is fine.

If the muscles are not given time to heal before new micro-tears are added, a multiplying effect occurs and eventually you have a breakdown.

Micro-tears need at least 48 hours to recover and repair themselves. Rest is the vehicle that allows recovery and repair.

Rest doesn’t mean the horse has to stand in his stall; it means the damaged tissue doesn’t have to repeat the work that caused the micro-tears…the muscles are given relief from intense, repetitive movement.

There are many ways to deal with over-training…the most obvious is to work the horse every other day. More practical is the alternating of tasks and types of training. Working in multiple disciplines is a good way to avoid over-training…trail ride one day, lunge one day, work in a collected frame one day, then give a day of rest. On the fifth day use a completely different way of stressing muscles…such as lengthening and shortening strides or working over ground poles. Such exercises are good for every horse, no matter what his special discipline.

To complete this lesson I want to describe how a muscle injury in one part of the body can begin to affect movement in other areas.

When a horse has suffered a muscle injury we know that using massage can significantly reduce the time needed to return the horse to full performance capacity. I want to give you an approximate time line for the process in order that you have some idea of the scope of the problem and the number of massage sessions that may be necessary.

Knowing when to start the massage is very important. If the problem is simply sore muscles from over use or poor use of the body, massage can, and should, begin as soon as the problem is noticed.

The types of injuries that I am going to focus on here are bruised, pulled, wrenched or torn muscles (without open wounds) which are most likely the result of falls, kicks, bites collisions, bad saddle fit or chronic imbalances in the feet. Open wounds that require veterinary care will increase the time factor.

With the use of massage simple muscle injuries of the type listed above have a very good chance of complete recovery, but it they are left unattended they can evolve into more complicated problems. Some could even become serious enough to eventually require veterinary care.

The more time that passes after an injury, the more the tightness and soreness in the muscles will increase interference with the horse’s movement and performance.

The sooner massage is started, the better – but that is only true to a point! When an area is injured, small veins and capillaries can be damaged or torn and blood will leak into the surrounding muscle tissue, causing bruising. The immediate response should be to drive the blood supply deeper into the body and away from the injured area. Applying ice or cold water are effective methods for slowing bruising at an injury site. Applying cold to an acute injury is always a good rule.

Until the initial swelling, heat, inflammation and acute soreness have subsided, nothing should be done that increases the blood supply and circulation to an injured area. Heat, liniments and massage are not appropriate at that time.

Simple trauma caused by a blow or fall with no tearing of muscles will take about two weeks for healing to occur.

Injuries that involve pulled or torn muscles will need four to six weeks to heal before any kind of massage and rehabilitation can begin.

Tendon injuries usually take about six weeks to heal, and ligaments can take up to six months. Tendon and ligament injuries will normally be under veterinary care and no massage should be done until the veterinarian signals that these have healed.

If an injury is of a severe enough nature that a horse will have to be stalled or inactive for an extended period of time and massage is not appropriate for the injured area, massage could still be useful. Light massage to other areas of the body where compensations could develop could help keep those compensations to a minimum.

Once the acute symptoms of an injury have had time to subside, heat and pressure are appropriate methods for correcting the resulting muscle problems. Heat from external sources such as hot water, hot packs or liniment can be used, but the best heat is body heat that will be built up as a response to the pressure and friction of massage. This type of heat will separate stuck together muscle fibers and increase circulation to the areas better than anything else.

Residual effects of injuries to muscles can include small knots of tightened muscle fibers (trigger points) or scar tissue within the body of a muscle, or the entire muscle may be contracted in spasms. There could be coagulated blood trapped within the muscle fibers (bruising) or lymph, a sticky fluid whose circulation throughout the body is dependent upon the contractions of working muscles, can pool in an injured area, sticking the muscle fibers together.

Newly healed injuries that receive body work and massage in a timely manner have the best opportunity to return to full function, but massage can also be of great value when dealing with old injuries and long-standing movement problems. Even problems from injuries that are years old can show remarkable improvements and often full recovery. Massage can give these horses the best opportunity to return to full function; however, working through all of the compensations and distorted movement patterns of old injuries may take considerable time – but it can be done.

If muscles remain tight and sore for too long after an injury, habitual use patterns and “muscle memory” will be affected, causing the body to look for alternate ways of achieving the desired movement. For example, a horse with an injury that affects the hip joint muscles that normally bring a hind leg straight forward may begin to swing this leg out and around in a circular motion instead.

If left untreated, alternate movement patterns will begin to affect and change the way other parts of the body work. In the example above, the alternate movement pattern of one hind leg will eventually affect and change the way other parts of the horse’s body work.

When this happens, massage will need to be done on these other parts of the body as well and it may take several additional sessions to identify and follow these distortions throughout the body and correct them if proper movement is to be restored.

The longer abnormal patterns remain in place the more they will begin to feel normal to the horse. Even with massage to loosen and re-balance the muscles, once an incorrect movement “feels right” to the body, the body will want to stay in that movement pattern. When this happens the horse will also need special exercises in addition to the massage in order to re-establish correct movement patterns.

If an injury is severe and not treated, the resulting imbalances and altered movement patterns can pull the skeleton out of alignment. If this happens, the horse may very possibly need chiropractic work as well as massage.

Injuries can cause stress to joints that can eventually damage the joints and diminish the chances for a complete recover; however, many joint problems do not actually involve damage to the structure of a joint – rather, they start as a constriction of the joint capsule by the tightening of the muscles that surround and cross the joint. This type of constriction is often referred to as “arthritis”. I do not agree with the use of that term for muscle constriction around a joint.

What I would call true arthritis involves changes in the structural make-up of the bones that form the joint. As long as there have been no changes in the articulating surfaces of the bones, such as spurs, calcium deposits or fusion, and the cartilage and joint fluid are intact, I don’t believe the joint suffers from arthritis. If there is a loss of mobility and discomfort caused by muscular constrictions, I think of it as a pre-arthritic condition that can be reversed. If massage starts soon enough, the loosening of the constriction can free the joint and restore mobility and comfort. Left untreated, stress on a joint can eventually damage the joint and diminish chances for a complete recovery.

In Summary:

1. If a horse’s problem is old chronic soreness, massage can start as soon as you evaluate the horse.

2. If an injury is new and the muscles are still inflamed and acutely sore, wait at least two weeks – longer if there were muscle tears.

3. Muscle injuries that are less than six months old are relatively easy to resolve.

4. After six months, there can be compensations and changes in movement patterns that require more time and, very possibly, special exercises to correct.

5. Tight muscles can bring about possible chiropractic problems.

6. Tight muscles can cause constrictions around joints, impairing mobility and causing discomfort.

Click Here to Take the Quiz

ASSIGNMENT:

1. Find and read at least two articles on saddle fit. Discuss the important points of these articles, adding any personal remarks you may deem appropriate. If you have taken or are enrolled in the on-line course “Bits, Saddle Fitting and Hoof Balance”, you may use this as one of your articles.

2. Examine five saddles, western and English:

a. Look at them off the horse, checking for defects in the saddle.

b. Ask the owner to show his/her placement of the saddle on the horse and explain this placement. Ask them to discuss the padding they use and why.

c. Photograph the saddles on the horses, without padding, and discuss the fit. A photo from the side will be sufficient unless there is a problem that cannot be seen from this view. In that case, include additional photos that show the problem.

d. Show photos of the saddles with padding and discuss the fit. Write reports on these saddles.

3. Make arrangements with a farrier to watch four horses being trimmed or shod. Ask the farrier to explain what he/she is doing and why. Discuss the pertinent aspects of what you learned. If you’ve taken the course “Bits, Saddle Fitting and Hoof Balance” you may discuss the information it contains to satisfy this part of the assignment.

4. Examine the feet of five horses. Ask the owners about the problems their horses have. Discuss these in your reports.

5. Show photos of the front feet of these five horses, side and front views, and discuss their lateral and longitudinal balance and any other pertinent aspects of these feet that you think are important. If you feel that there are problems in the hind feet, photograph and discuss these as well.

6. Ask ten horse owners about the dental care their horses receive. Write a report on each horse.

Send a report, with pictures, to: Horsemassage100@gmail.com