Equine
Massage
LESSON
SEVEN
PART
THREE
P.
HEAD, JAW, POLL AND UPPER NECK ATTACHMENTS
A Coloring Atlas—plates 43 and 47
The
head, jaw and poll are usually the last areas I work on in a massage. I
also include the upper neck muscles in this section because they have
attachments in the poll area.
Stiffness
in this area can cause stiffness throughout the horse’s entire body and negate
the major benefits of a massage.
If
an owner indicates that the horse has head problems such as head tossing,
stiffening in the mouth and poll, refusing to accept contact, twisting its
head, grinding its teeth or any other head/mouth problems, you will want to get
as complete a history as you can—there may be clues to the problem in this
information.
The
problems in this area can come from numerous sources. Dental problems are
one of the first you should consider. Others could be fear of rough
handling around the head, chiropractic problems from injuries, falls or pulling
back when tied, ear twitching, and riders with rough or unsteady hands.
Young horses could be teething. Trigger points may develop where two
muscle groups cross each other at the joint/junction.
The areas
of the head that will be covered in this section are:
1.
Upper Neck Attachments
2.
Throatlatch*
3. Zygomatic Muscle
4. Zygomatic/Masseter Junction*
5. Masseter Muscle
6. Jaw Joint*
7. Forehead and Muscles between the Ears
*Before
working in these areas, you will first do the described techniques on your own
throat and jaw. These are sensitive areas to work on and I want you to
feel what the horse will be feeling.
Before
getting into specifics of these areas, I am going to make a statement that I
want you to think about because it should have a bearing on how you approach a
common problem in the head. I’m speaking of “poll flexion”. Flexing
at the poll is not really flexion of the poll—it’s throat flexion and poll
extension.
What
we call poll flexion is really the muscles in the throatlatch contracting and
the muscles that cross the poll extending. Good “poll flexion” involves
the contraction (flexion) of the muscles in the throat. If these throat
muscles are tight in extension (the horse’s nose “poked out”), it is very
difficult for a horse to yield at its poll. If a rider demands that the
horse do so, the only place the horse can yield is in the joint between the 2nd and 3rd
vertebrae (what you will hear referred to as “over-flexed at the 3rd
vertebrae”). This it can do even if the throatlatch muscles cannot
contract.
One
of the things you will learn in this section is how to balance the tension between
flexors and extensors in the head in order that the horse can give “poll
flexion”. This balance is as important as the relationship between the
extensor long back muscles and the flexor abdominals. In both cases, the
lengthening of the extensors is very important, but will not happen without the
contraction of the flexors.
UPPER
NECK ATTACHMENTS
1.
Splenius
2. Brachiocephalicus
3.
Rhomboid
4.
Atlas
5.
Base of the ear
6.
Depressor of the ear (groove between jaw and Atlas)
The
work you do on the upper attachments of the Splenius, Brachiocephalicus
and Rhomboid will release tension so that these muscles can both contract and
extend at their upper attachments. Sometimes these muscles will be
over-extended at this point and will have lost their capacity for contraction.
This can happen if a horse is forced to “flex” in the poll; perhaps by
hard, unyielding hands, or the poor use of devices such as draw reins.
These
muscles can also be tight and contracted. In this case the poll is held
rigid with the horse’s nose poked out.
If
the horse has a history of problems with bridling or having its ears touched,
there could be a problem with the joint between the poll and the Atlas (C-1) or
a problem in the jaw joint.
Techniques
1. You
will work on the surface of the Atlas (C-1) from its lower edge upward to the
poll. If the area is not sore, you can use vigorous strokes of broad back
and forth friction with your fingers or a rubber curry. Horses usually
enjoy this work unless the area is sore. If the area is sensitive or
sore, use your fingertips and do the Compress and Release technique, adjusting
your pressure for what the horse can handle.
2. If this
area is extremely sore and the horse gets defensive (throwing its head, backing
up, etc.), there could be a misalignment of the joint between the skull
(occipital bone) and the Atlas (C-1). If the sensitivity continues and
there is no release of tension when you have finished your work on the head,
this is a good indication that a chiropractic adjustment may be necessary.
3.
Assuming that the horse is not showing signs of severe discomfort, continue
with the following technique. Massage the area between the crest line and
the Axis (the second neck vertebrae—C-2). This will release tightness
where the Splenius attaches to the Axis. You can use fingertips or curry
comb, depending on the horse’s level of sensitivity. Do both sides of the
neck before going on to #4.
4. Now,
stand facing the horse’s neck. With finger tips, heel of your hand, or
curry comb put pressure on the Atlas, pushing it away from you, as you bring
the horse’s nose around toward you. This will release tension where the
Splenius attaches to the skull. This is a modified version of Positional
Release.
5. With
your fingertips, work around the base of the ear. (Plate 43 of A Coloring
Atlas has a good diagram of these muscles.) Next, go down the space
between the jaw and the Atlas. The muscle in this groove is the depressor
of the ear (Parotidoauricular). You will use
mostly static pressure with thumbs or fingers down this groove; bringing the
horse’s nose around toward you makes working in this area easier.
6. Using
fingertip compression and friction, work on the muscles on the inside edge of
both the jaw and the Atlas.
THROATLATCH
The
superficial muscles in the throat may need massage.
1.
Sternohyoid
2.
Omohyoid
3.
Mylohyoid
Plate
47 in A Coloring Atlas shows these very well.
These
throat muscles are the flexors that work with the extensors of the poll—the
agonist to the antagonist of the poll.
Place your hand in the horse’s throat at
the point where the head and neck come together. You will feel a
“lump”—this is the hyoid bone plus a covering of lymph tissue. (A
Coloring Atlas calls this bone the Basihyoid bone.)
The three muscles listed above attach to this bone.
Tightness
in the muscle attachments here interferes with the mobility of the poll.
If these muscles are tight, they hold the hyoid bone in a tight, stiff
position that feels like a tennis ball stuck in the throat, causing the horse
to keep its nose poked out.
Uneven
tension in the mylohyoid muscle, where it attaches to the sides of the hyoid
bone, can pull this “tennis ball” off to one side and interfere with lateral
movements of the head. You will probably be able to feel this uneven pull
in your own throat when I describe working in this area on yourself, and you’ll
quickly learn to feel it in a horse’s throat.
Horses
that “crib” develop heavy muscles around the hyoid bone that will make poll
“flexion” difficult. Massage can loosen these constricted muscles and
allow a horse to give poll flexion on a temporary basis, but will not cure a
horse of cribbing; the cribbing will keep these muscles tight and
over-developed.
What you
can do for the owners of horses that crib is explain what is happening in these
throat muscles and show them a few massage techniques that will give improved
head carriage and bit response during a ride.
DO THIS
ON YOURSELF FIRST. The throat is a sensitive area. Before I describe
techniques for loosening and balancing the throat muscles in a horse, I want
you to experience this work on yourself. I want you to know what this
feels like before you do it to a horse.
Find this
place in your own throat and, with your thumb and fingers, move the hyoid bone
back and forth, going side to side. If you have no restrictions in this
area, the hyoid bone will slide easily from side to side. But you may
find that it seems stuck and doesn’t move. Using your fingers, work
around the mass, gently pushing and rocking it.
If it
feels off to one side, work on the muscles that go from the hyoid bone to the
edge of the jaw. Use fingertip pressure.
It may take
you a while to get comfortable working this area; with practice you’ll soon
find it easy.
Techniques
for Working on the Horse’s Throatlatch
1. The
technique described above for working on your own throat forms the basics of
the techniques for releasing tightness in the horse’s throat.
2. You
will stabilize the horse’s head with one hand on the halter. With your
other hand, hold the hyoid bone between thumb and fingers and push from side to
side.
3.
Sometimes, if the hyoid bone is very stiff, you may have to use direct finger
pressure against the side of the bone.
4. Often,
a horse will cough before the tightness releases. This is caused by the
hyoid bone being pushed against the windpipe. It is not something to be
concerned about; the horse won’t do this once the tension releases around the
hyoid bone.
5. Next,
using your fingers, work on the muscles that go from the hyoid bone over to the
inside edge of the jaw. Do this on both sides.
6.
Lastly, use muscle combing with your fingertips from the hyoid bone down toward
the mouth. You will be working on the Mylohyoid muscle. Try to draw
the horse’s nose out with your fingertips. This will extend the
throatlatch and contract the muscles over the poll. With the nose poked
out, use fingertip compression and friction on the poll. This helps
separate the muscle fibers over the poll. This is a form of the technique
I called “contract to extend” in lesson
7.
Remember, it is easier to release contracted muscles than extended ones.
ZYGOMATIC
AND MASSETER MUSCLES
Zygomatic (tooth line) muscle
This is
a long, thin muscle that goes from the corner of the horse’s mouth up the side
of the face (following the tooth line) and merges into the cheekbone (facial
crest).
Massage
on this muscle, especially at its junction with the Masseter muscle, is the
first step in preparation for releasing tension and stiffness in the jaw joint.
Pressure here will cause the horse to open its mouth; any time the horse
opens its mouth, the jaw joint will move. A horse may even yawn from this
first step.
MASSETER/AYGOMATIC
JUNCTION
These two
muscles work in opposite directions, and this forms a major trigger point where
the zygomatic muscle crosses the edge of the Masseter muscle. The
zygomatic works in a direction from the mouth to the poll and lifts the corners
of the horse’s mouth. The Masseter works to open and close the jaw by
moving up and down. Muscles working in opposite
directions is what sets up the trigger point. Pressure here will produce
a big release in the jaw joint. The masseter can be loosened by
compressing the muscle against the bone behind it. Care should be taken,
however, because dental issues may be present.
DO THIS
ON YOURSELF. With your fingers, find the bottom edge of your cheekbone
(zygomatic arch). By opening and closing your mouth, you will feel the
edge of a muscle going from the cheekbone down to your jaw.
Just in
from of this muscle (the Masseter), and between the cheekbone and your top
teeth, you will find a sensitive spot. Put pressure on this point.
Most people will find this very uncomfortable and will try to move their
jaw to get away from the pressure. A horse will do the same thing at
first, but will quickly learn how to release the pressure by opening its mouth
and moving its jaw joint.
At some point
in this work, most horses, in addition to opening their mouths and moving the
jaw joint, will start to yawn so that the joint opens completely.
Techniques
for Working on the Horse’s Zygomatic/Masseter Junction
1. Stand
in front of the horse (or in a position in which you are comfortable).
Stabilize on side of the horse’s head with one hand on the halter.
With your other hand apply thumb or finger pressure to the Zygomatic
muscle, pressing the muscle against the jaw. Start near the mouth and
work up the muscle to its junction with the Masseter.
2. Once
the horse opens its mouth to this pressure, you will apply pressure to the
junction between the Masseter and the Zygomatic muscles.
3. You
can also hold the horse’s head between both of your hands and work on both
sides of the face at the same time. You will probably find that one side
will be tighter than the other.
4. Next,
with your fingers, use pressure and friction along the edge of the cheek
(facial crest). This will be working on the upper portion of the
Zygomatic and the attachment of the Masseter muscle to the cheekbone.
5. Use
friction and muscle combing with your fingers over the surface of the Masseter.
Work under the edge of the jaw.
6.
Finally, use finger pressure and friction under the jaw joint. Plate 41
of A Coloring Atlas has a good picture of this joint.
JAW
JOINT
When I talk
about the jaw joint, I am primarily interested in the Coronoid process.
Plate 41 in A Coloring Atlas shows this very clearly. You will see
a small piece of bone that sticks up above the zygomatic arch (cheek bone).
This is actually part of the lower jaw, and is the pivot point for the
lower jaw. There are muscles in the forehead and under the ears that
attach to this piece of bone and control its movement. Plate 43 of A
Coloring Atlas shows some of these muscles.
If these
muscles are tight, they will restrict the movement of the jaw (Mandible) in the
same way that tight Rhomboids that attach the shoulder blade to the withers
will restrict the swing of the shoulder blade.
DO THIS
ON YOURSELF. Locate your jaw joint. It will be at the base of your
ear and just in front of the ear. With your fingertips, explore how this
joint feels and how it works as you open and close your mouth; also move your
jaw from side to side and around in a circle. Notice any restrictions in
the movement of the joint. See if you can find a spot just on top of the
joint that, when pressed, will cause you to feel as if the joint “drops away”
from your pressure and your mouth opens and you’ll probably yawn.
Techniques
1. Apply
direct finger pressure above the jaw joint, pressing downward against the
joint. This pressure will be working on muscle attachments to the small
section of the jaw that protrudes above the cheekbone (Coronoid process).
As these muscles release their tightness and lengthen, you’ll feel the
joint “drop down” away from your pressure as the horse opens its mouth and
yawns.
2. If the
jaw feels very tight and is not releasing, I will often go back to the tension
point at the Zygomatic/Masseter junction and apply pressure. As the horse
opens its mouth to this pressure I will apply pressure at the same time to the
area above the jaw joint. In that way, I can usually get a full release
of the joint.
3. If you
are not able to get any movement in this joint, or if the horse shows real
distress—STOP. Ask again about the horse’s dental care and do not
continue if there has not been a recent dental exam that included a thorough
examination of the far back molars. Even if the horse has had consistent
dental care, if it is approaching a year since the last dental exam, it is
possible that hooks have developed on the back molars and these are restricting
jaw movement; actually locking the jaw up. Ask the owner to have the
horse’s mouth looked at before you do any more work on the jaw joint.
FOREHEAD
AND MUSCLES BETWEEN THE EARS
You have
worked on the muscles behind the ears—the ones that attach the skull to the
Atlas—as a first step in working on the horse’s head. You will finish
this work on the head by massaging the muscles of the forehead and between the
ears. Plate 43 of A Coloring Atlas has a good drawing of these muscles.
Diagram 13 (page 45) in Peter Goody’s book shows these muscles from a
front view.
Techniques
Use fingertip
effleurage and muscle combing over this area. Your intention is to
separate the muscle fibers and activate endorphin points. Your pressure
can be more soothing and gentle.
Q.
OTHER AREAS OF THE BODY
1. Ribs
2. Upper portions of the legs
3. Tail
I have
grouped these three areas together because, even though they can sometimes be
the source of problems, they don’t form the bulk of my massage work.
1. Ribs. The rib cage is a static structure; any
movement that it makes is done as a unit. There is no individual movement
of the parts of the rib cage other than a very slight contraction of the thin
muscles that attach the ribs to each other (the intercostals). Very thin
muscles cover the sides of the rib cage, including the External oblique, whose
important area of contraction and extension is along the bottom edge. I
described this in the section on massaging the abdominal area.
The basic technique for loosening
this muscle is circular or back-and-forth friction using some type of
tool—perhaps a rubber curry. This is basically what you would do in a
grooming. The intercostals can be loosened by working up the space between
the ribs with your fingers or your elbow.
2. Upper portions of the legs. I have mentioned that
some massage can benefit lower leg problems, but this massage is not done on
the lower legs; it is done on the muscles in the upper portions of the legs. The
lower legs do not have muscles, only tendons and ligaments. But almost
all of the tendons below the knee and hock are extensions of muscles above
those joints. If there is any constriction in these muscles, their
spasms, adhesions and shortening will exert a pull on their tendons, affecting
how the lower legs work. Plate 19 in A Coloring Atlas shows these muscles
and their tendons in the forelegs. Plates 33 and 34 show those of the
hind legs. These are all relatively long, slender muscles.
Techniques that work well are compression, friction, deep effleurage and
connective tissue.
3. Tail. The muscles of the tail are a continuation of
the extensor muscles of the horse’s top line that start at the poll and end
with the tail.
There
are four major muscles in the tail.
(1.) One pulls
the tail down;
(2.) one
elevates it;
(3.) one
pulls it to the left;
(4.) one
pulls it to the right.
Tension
and tightness in these muscles can have a great impact on the suppleness and
mobility of the horse’s entire body. Usually, the massage work done on
the upper hamstring attachments will have a positive effect on tension in the
tail, but occasionally I have worked with horses whose tails were so tight and
clamped down against their buttocks that I could not get my hand between it and
the horse’s body.
Techniques
that work well on the tail
The type of massage work you do on the tail
will improve lateral flexibility of the tail by releasing tensions that bind
the tail vertebrae together. You will be using the same type of deep
pressure similar to that used on the neck vertebrae. Your aim with this
work is to improve flexibility in the tail by releasing the tightness of the
muscles that hold the tail vertebrae in contact with each other, just as you
release tightness and constriction around other joints of the horse’s body.
First, start by working along the sides of
the tail vertebrae, starting where the tail comes out of the sacrum (the area
where there are no tail hairs). Also work up into the area where the
upper hamstring attachments of the semitendinosus and semimembranosus attach
next to the tail.
If a horse clamps its tail down tight against
its buttocks, you will also do this type of work on the underside of the tail
vertebrae as well as along the sides.
If the horse holds its tail up in the air,
work along the top (dorsal) side of the vertebrae (here you will be working
through the tail hairs) as well as along the sides. You will also do some
deep pressure work where the tail and sacrum connect.
If a horse habitually carries its tail to
one side, do your massage work first on the side to which the tail curves (the
contracted side), then work on the extended side.
As a finish (a stretch), hold some of the
long tail hairs at a place below the tail vertebrae; pull them away from the
body to about a 45 degree angle. (Try to make the tail angle an extension of
the sacrum angle.) With the tail in this position, rock the haunches back and
forth longitudinally. Finally, hold the tail out and set up a vibration
with your hands as you apply traction. In this instance you won’t be
moving the haunches, just vibrating the tail.
This completes a full body massage, as I would
do it on a horse.
GENERAL THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS
To this point,
this course has given you the skill to evaluate a horse’s problems (lessons 3,
4 and 5). Lesson 6 showed you the different massage techniques that are
effective and work well on horses, and finally, this lesson has described the
different areas of the body, the important individual muscles in that area and
the most effective techniques to use to loosen and rebalance them.
Lesson 8 will deal with remedial exercises that can be used to re-pattern poor
gait and movement patterns evolving as a result of injuries and poor use of the
horse’s body.
Professionalism
If it is
your intension to do equine massage on a professional level rather than just on
your own horses, I strongly recommend that you have numerous horse anatomy
books. Each one will give slightly different information, views and
perspectives of the various muscles in the horse’s body. I have nine
horse anatomy books and use all of them consistently. (And only one of my nine
books showed all of the attachments of the Brachiocephalicus
as it went from the poll to the humerus.)
How you
present yourself to a client is important—look neat, workman-like and
professional. Carry with you all of the tools and equipment you think you
will need; the horse owner many not have those things available.
Communication
Any time
you attempt to communicate with another person, it isn’t what you say that is important;
it’s what the other person hears, what they perceived that you have said; that
is what has been communicated. This is particularly true when the
information being given is not familiar to someone, such as using anatomical or
medical terms when giving information to a horse owner.
I find
using horse terms and language familiar to horse owners helps me know I have
explained something in ways the owner will best understand. Imagine the
confusion you could cause if you insisted on referring to the horse’s stifle as
the knee (which from an anatomical point of view it is). Horse owners
will know where the poll is, but maybe not the occiput. If you feel that
you have to use medical or anatomical terms, take the time to explain them.
Take the
time to carefully explain what you are seeing in a horse and answer any
questions the owner may have. You want to be able to explain to a horse
owner exactly what you are seeing and how you anticipate approaching the
problem. Explain at the beginning that it will usually take a series of
massage sessions to resolve a horse’s muscular problems (my average is three),
but assure them that the horse will show improvement after each session.
If you’ve
done two sessions and there has been no improvement at all, or the horse
actually looks worse, this is indicative of something more than a muscle
problem. Suggest that the owner have a chiropractor or vet look at the
horse.
You need
to talk to the owner in ways they can understand; but equally important—YOU
NEED TO LISTEN TO THE OWNER. They know the horse better than anyone else;
they’ll have a lot of information that will be important to you.
Sometimes they won’t think to mention something that will turn out to be
important, so encourage them to talk about the horse.
I worked
on a horse that had not been sound in a hind leg for nine years. When I
mentioned that the hock seemed “locked up”, the owner finally told me the horse
had been in a trailer accident nine years before. She didn’t think to
tell me about it because her vet had told here that
she was lucky that the horse came out of the accident with just a few scrapes
on its face.
I found
that the bones in the hock joint had been pushed slightly out of position and
it wasn’t able to flex correctly. When I released tension in the muscles
and tendons that operate the hock, it allowed these bones to re-adjusted and
the horse was able to begin the process of learning to move correctly again—and
this was nine years after the accident.
Some
horse owners are sensitive to any criticism of their horses. You need to
develop a way of discussing a horse’s problems with tact and sensitivity.
Honesty in talking about what you’re seeing is important, but it doesn’t
have to be brutal and insensitive; practice tact!
Nor will
you endear yourself to horse owners if you walk up to them at shows and other
events offering unsolicited advice and enumerating their horse’s problems.
Keep in
mind: you can’t help the horse if you offend the owner and don’t get to work on
the horse.
It is
very unprofessional to discuss a client’s horses with other people. You
can talk about problems that you have encountered in other horses, but not by
using names or doing so in such a way that the horse or owner are easily identified.
“Name dropping” is bad form in any profession unless you have that
person’s permission to use their name.
What you
charge for your massage session will depend to a large extent
on the area where you live and work, however, there are two things I would like
to suggest.
First, if
you travel a lot to reach your clients (at one time I worked on horses from
Miami to Tallahassee) your charge needs to include your travel expenses, but
some trips are short and some are long. I tell my clients that I charge a
flat rate for the massage and a travel charge that varies, depending on how
long I have to travel. (I don’t charge by the mile; I charge by how long
the trip takes.) In this way all of my clients understand that what I
charge one person could be different from what I charge another, but they will
know why.
Second,
sometimes you may be inclined to charge less than your standard fee. If
you do so, be sure that the owner knows that this is a discounted, or special,
price. Tell them what your usual charge is and that the rate you are
charging them is a discount. This way you avoid having clients wonder why
you charge some people more than others, or why you suddenly seem to raise your
rates.
Organizing
Your Massage Session
I suggest
you have some type of chart to document your massage session, and give this to
the owner. If you want a copy for your own files, have some system for
multiple copies. I don’t make copies for myself. I have a file card
with the owner’s name, address, phone number and directions to their house.
This card also has a description of the horse, some of its important
history and its problem. My reason for doing it this way is that there
will be improvements after each massage and I want to evaluate each horse as
they are when I see them, not as they were one or two weeks before.
I don’t
want any preconceived notions about what I will be seeing (outside of knowing
what the major problem was). I want to see the horse as it is now.
The chart
I use has sketches of a horse in left and right side
views, front and rear views and one of the abdominal area (the horse lying on
its back). There is a section for me to record my initial observation of
the horse—its attitude, conformation and movement.
In the
next section, I describe what I found during the massage. I also make
marks on the sketches showing the places where the horse was tight or sore.
The final
section is for my recommendations following the massage. These would
include when a next massage would be appropriate, when to resume working the
horse and, if appropriate, some remedial exercises, either under saddle or from
the ground, that will help re-pattern the horse’s movement and way of using its
body.
Along
with this chart I also attach a short write-up about the type of massage I do,
explaining the process and what the owner can expect from structural
integration massage.
Unless
you are at a show or event where you are doing basic relaxation massage at the
end of the day, I ask that a horse not be worked the day after the massage.
After that, if the horse is working under saddle I ask that the horse be
worked as usual for a number of times. I ask the owner to note where they
see and feel improvements and where there are still problems.
How close
together should massage sessions be? If you are working on a specific
problem, sessions that are one to two weeks apart seem to work the best.
Changes in a horse’s body will continue for a number of
days after a massage and you want to give that process time to complete itself,
so normally you would want to have at least a week between sessions. But
if the interval between sessions goes much beyond two weeks, the horse’s body
starts to lose some of the benefits of the first massage and you won’t have
that base to work from—some things will have to be re-done.
Horses at
shows and other competitive events can benefit greatly from massage, but it should
be done long enough in advance to allow the horse time to integrate the new
releases into its body. Usually the night before is ideal.
Massage
done at the end of a day of showing will relieve the stress of that day and
ensure that the horse will get a good night’s sleep and be fresh for the next
day’s classes or competition.
Massage
done after a performance should wait until the horse’s body systems have
returned to normal – 2 to 3 hours.
If you
are doing “pre-event” stimulation massage it should be done shortly before the
start of an event. (Review stimulation massage in lesson 1.)
Maintenance
massage for the average horse can be done on any schedule that seems to work
best for the horse. Once a month seems to work well for most horses; but
for horses in heavy competition it should be done frequently and adjusted for
the horse’s needs.
How long
should a massage last? It depends on the purpose of the massage. If
you’re doing relaxation and maintenance massage, without specific problems, I
usually spend about an hour.
If it’s
post-event massage, bringing body systems back to normal after competition, 45
minutes to an hour will usually do the job.
Pre-event
massage to stimulate body systems prior to competition is not usually done on
horses (as far as I know), but if you did so it would be quick and brisk and no
more than 15 to 20 minutes.
Massage
sessions that are being done for injuries, gait abnormalities and structural
balance problems take longer. My average session is 1.5 hours. A
first session may take a little longer. This is actual bodywork time.
I factor in at least another ½ hour for evaluation and getting a history.
Be sure you prepare a new client for the time involved. Many will
seem surprised that you will need at least two hours. I also explain that
one session rarely corrects these kinds of problems and three sessions is the
average.
Explain
that the subsequent sessions will need the same amount of time because in each
session you will be moving outward from the original problem site to adjust any
compensation problems that have occurred in other areas of the body.
Some
Other Thoughts
An important rule to remember in your massage: release the
tight contracted muscles first. In this way they are ready to
stretch when you release the muscles that are “stuck” in extension. A
good example – with a horse that contracts his torso on the right side and has
difficulties bending to the left, loosening the right side first (the concave
side) will have it ready to stretch as the muscles on the left side loosen and
begin to contract.
Another
good example is a horse with a tight back and poor abdominal tone. This horse
will have difficulties contracting abdominals and raising its back if the back
muscles are tight – loosen the contracted back first.
Tranquilizers
and muscle relaxants interfere with effective massage. They relax the
entire body—all of the muscles. Structural massage is not just about
relieving soreness; it’s also about changing relationships between muscle pairs
and groups of muscles in order to rebalance the body and prevents the soreness
from returning.
Tranquilizers
and muscles relaxants will relieve acute pain (mental as well as physical), but
when they wear off there is no change in the relationships; the problem is
still there and will resurface again.
You
cannot get a good evaluation of a horse’s problems if they are on any kind of
pain medication, such as “bute”. Don’t evaluate
or work on them until the medication is out of their system and you can see how
the horse is really feeling about its body. If the medication has been
prescribed by a vet, you should NOT CONSIDER doing massage on a horse without
talking to the vet and knowing the treatment.
I was
once asked to do massage on a horse that was “off” and under a vet’s care.
When I asked the vet about the horse, he told me that the horse had no
joint fluid in one hock. Massage will not help that problem.
I believe
massage works best if you work both sides of the horse, balancing the two sides
as you go. I usually change sides as the horse moves back and forth away
from my pressure.
If you’re
doing massage in an area and you’re not getting results (there are no visible
signs of the muscle relaxing), it could be that you’re simply working in the
wrong place—move to a different spot. You might move a few inches or to a
different area and find a place where you are feeling results. Sometimes
an area or muscle can’t release tension until another muscle lets go. You
may go back to your original spot later and find that you are getting results.
Massage
will generate heat as tight muscles loosen, and you may feel and see an area
start to sweat as the muscles release. The amount of sweat generated is a
good indication of how much tightness there was. I once worked on a horse
at a show that was looking “off” in one shoulder. As I worked on the
shoulder (Infraspinatus) the area started to sweat to such an extent that the
sweat was running down the shoulder. I saw the owner at a later show and
was told that the horse was going very well and had no more problems with the
shoulder. It will be rare that you would see that much sweat as a muscle
loosens, but feeling heat and some dampness is common.
Is
massaging horses in cold weather productive? In my experience, it’s
absolutely pointless to try to do massage on a cold horse in really cold
weather, but you can be effective if the circumstance are right. The most
important thing is to be able to get the horse out of the wind.
Obviously, if you’re in a heated barn there is no problem. If the
barn is unheated, you can keep the horse’s blanket on and fold back sections as
you work; you could even work up under the blanket in some spots.
If the
nights are chilly or cold, but the days warm up, make your appointments for
late morning or early afternoon rather than early morning. If the day has
warmed up, but the horse still appears stiff and cold, 10-15 minutes of longeing will get the muscles warmed up enough for your
massage to be effective.
If there
is no way for you to get the horse out of a cold wind or very cold weather, the
best thing to do is reschedule the massage.
How do
you know if the horse you’re massaging needs a chiropractor? There are
two ways that bones can be out of alignment at the joint where they meet (what
chiropractors call subluxation).
First, they can be pushed out of place laterally—one can be off to the side of
the other. This is the most common type of displacement. Second,
they can be “jammed up” longitudinally—one can be pushed up over the edge of
another.
If a bone is displaced laterally, you may be able to feel that the line of
vertebrae is not straight—one bone will be off to the side. If there is a
longitudinal displacement, the bones will be in line, but there will be a
“lump”.
Both lateral and longitudinal displacements could be caused by tightness of the
muscles around the bones, or some type of trauma or accident could have jammed
the bones out of alignment.
If tight muscles are causing the problem, the bones will settle back into place
as your massage loosens and rebalances the muscles. If the bones are
“jammed” out of alignment, your massage will not change their position; the
lumps or waves will still be there when you’re finished. You may even
find that the area becomes more sensitive or sore as you work on it. This
is a very good signal that it’s a chiropractic problem.
As you gain experience, you will be able to tell after a first massage if a
chiropractic problem is compounding the situation. But if the horse you
are evaluating shows significant movement problems, gait abnormalities or
issues with its head, it can be helpful to have a chiropractor look at it
before you begin your massage sessions. In this way you will know that
what you are dealing with is purely muscular and you won’t have to question
what you are feeling.
There are four places where you will find chiropractic misalignments in a
horse. They are:
1. The joint between the skull and the first neck
vertebra (Atlas)
2. The joints between the rest of the neck vertebrae
3. Along the vertebrae of the back
4. The lumbar/sacral connection
1. Chiropractic
misalignment in the joint between the skull and first neck vertebra is common.
This is often very noticeable to a rider sitting in the saddle; when the
horse’s neck is straight, they will see the head as tilted or turned to one
side. Usually, the horse will be defensive about having its head, ears
and upper neck touched.
2. Neck vertebrae will
frequently be out of alignment, and this can occur anywhere along the length of
the neck. Usually, displacements of the neck vertebrae will be lateral.
To test
for this, hold the neck between your hands, one on each side and across from
each other. Move your hands up and down the neck. If the vertebrae
are in normal position, the bulge of the vertebrae will feel the same under
your hands. If there is any kind of lateral displacement, one side of the
neck will feel bigger than the other.
If there
is a longitudinal displacement (one vertebra pushed up hard against another),
it will stiffen the neck in a “ewe-necked” position.
As I
mentioned when describing the cervical (neck) portions of the Serratus muscles,
loosening the Serratus attachments and doing positional release techniques will
frequently realign the lower neck vertebrae if it is muscle tension that is
responsible for the misalignment. I have not found the upper neck
vertebrae easy to realign with massage or positional release. Usually, I
suggest having a chiropractor look at the horse.
3. Misalignment of
vertebrae in the horse’s back will show as a lump along the spine (longitudinal
displacement) or as a wave or curve in the spine (lateral displacement) that
doesn’t soften and smooth out from your massage, and, in fact, as you work on
the back muscles the horse may begin to show greater discomfort rather than
relief. The back muscles could have tightened up to protect the area
(splinting). As you work on them you are taking away the support and
putting pressure on the misaligned joint.
4. The joint between
the last lumbar vertebra and the sacrum is an extremely important one.
Any misalignment here will throw the horse’s entire body out of balance.
Any significant pull or jerk on the hindquarters is very likely to pull this
joint out of alignment. A fall or hyper-extension of a hind leg could do
this. A stumble or catching a foot over a jump could do it.
Some
problems that can be caused by tension and misalignment in this area are
troubles with one canter depart and one hind leg not able to come up under the
horse’s body. If a misalignment is severe, you could see, when standing
behind the horse, that the hips are not level—one hip will be lower than the
other. If this misalignment is of long duration, you will see a different
development of the haunch muscles—one will drop off straight and the other will
be round.
Click Here to Take the Quiz – Part A
There
are 75 questions.
Quiz - Part B consists of descriptions of actual situations that I have dealt with when massaging horses. From the information that I give you, plus information contained in all of the lessons, I will ask you to come up with an educated opinion about the situation I describe based on all of this information. I’m interested in more than just your answer. I want to know not only what you think is wrong, but what you would do about the situation, how would you handle it. I’m interested in your thought processes—the thinking that brought you to your answer. Each answer will be worth a maximum of 10 points.
Please
send your report to: Horsemassage100@gmail.com Enter Lesson
7 Part B Quiz in the Subject Line.
Assignment:
Lesson 7 is the core of
this course. The lesson has taken you through the horse’s body area by
area, describing common muscle problems in the various areas and talking about
the massage techniques that are the most effective in each area.
Previous
lessons have described the anatomy and movements of a horse, described how to
take a history of the horse, looked at its muscle development and movement and
evaluated where muscle problems may be located. Lesson 6 described and
showed the various massage techniques you can use. You will be bringing
all of this information together in this assignment.
To
prepare for this assignment you should have been practicing massages on
numerous horses following the instructions in the lesson and practicing until
you feel comfortable and are ready to be evaluated.
When you
are ready, you will send videos of you doing massages on three (3) horses.
These will allow me to evaluate your work, discuss your massage
techniques and make suggestions. Please load the videos to a video
hosting web site; for example YouTube. Then send me the link.
• I
would like these massages set up in the following manner. Do horse #1, load this video to the web
and send your video link; wait for my comments and evaluation before doing
the next horse. In this way you will
be able to incorporate my feedback into your next massage. You will be asked to do each horse in a
different way; follow the directions for each. Do not feel a need to rush your
massage sessions. Most massages take between 40 to 60 minutes by the
time you include: * History of the horse * A short body reading * Massage You may need to upload 8 to 10 minute segments of footage on YOUTUBE,
then send to me via email.
As you
prepare to do these massages, there are some suggestions I would like to make.
1.
Do your massage in a quiet place with few distractions.
2.
Find a place where there are no loud noises or fans so that I can hear your
comments.
3.
If it’s a windy day find an indoor or quiet, sheltered place to do your massage
– or re-schedule for another day. Wind, with all its new noises and
smells, can be very distracting to a horse.
4.
Have the horse tied short enough that it can’t get its head down to the ground.
Also, tying short will allow the horse to move sideways, which you want
it to be able to do, but not able to move backward away from you.
5.
Make sure the light is good, without shadows or filtered light; I need to be
able to see what you are doing. If you take a break, check before you
start again to be sure the light and shadow patterns haven’t changed.
6.
If it’s very cold, it’s better to wait for a warmer day unless you have access
to a warm barn. If you try to work under and around blankets it will not
allow me to see all of what you are doing.
7.
Work back and forth from one side of the horse to the other as you massage
rather than doing all of one side before doing the other. You want to
bring balance to each area as you work through the horse’s body.
8.
If there is anything you’re not sure of – if you have any questions – ask for
clarification.
I will
be asking to see different things on each of the three horses:
Horse #1: demonstration of your basic massage techniques (20 min. video)
Horse #2: basic full-body maintenance type massage (likely 40 minutes’ worth of video)
Horse #3: choose a horse with some obvious problem and do an analysis
of the problem and the therapeutic massage that would be appropriate for
helping or correcting the problem (likely 50 to
60 minutes’ worth of video)
HORSE #1
This
will be a demonstration of the various techniques that were described in lesson
6. You will go through the horse’s body in the same sequence as I did in
this lesson, starting with the horse’s back, and demonstrating all of the
massage techniques that were covered. I would like you to show me the
area you’re going to work on and tell me which muscles you’ll be working on.
Describe and trace the outlines of the muscle’s shape with your finger tips. Talk about the direction in which the
muscle fibers go and what kind of work the muscle does. Then demonstrate
all of the suggested techniques for that area, telling me if you are going with
the muscle fibers, across the fibers or in a circular or semi-circular
movement. Talk about the speed and depth of the massage you are doing,
why you have chosen that particular speed and depth and how the horse is
responding. (Review the section on pressure at the beginning of this
lesson.)
Use a
horse that is not extremely tight, sore or hyper-sensitive; choose one that
allows you to demonstrate your skills. Demonstrate your massage on both
sides of the horse.
This
massage may be done in sections rather than all at one time if you wish to do
it that way – seeing the flow of the massage from one area to another is not
necessary in this demonstration. You may, in this demonstration, do all
of one side of the horse before doing the other side.
Send
Horse #1 video to: Horsemassage100@gmail.com Please wait for my comments before
advancing to Horse #2. Demonstration should be approximately 20 minutes –
you will have to make several short videos and upload them to YouTube
separately. Be sure to include your full
name on submission when you send me the links via an email.
After you receive my comments regarding
horse number one advance to horse #2:
HORSE #2
This
will be a full-body massage done in one session showing the techniques
appropriate for each area and the progression and flow from one area to the
next.
In this video,
introduce the horse and give its history. Show video of the horse from
both sides and front and rear. Discuss the horse’s muscle conformation
pointing out areas of tightness and restrictions as were discussed in lesson 4.
If you feel that there are aspects of the skeletal conformation that are
contributing to the horse’s tightness and movement restrictions, mention those.
Show the
horse moving on a longe line or in a round pen.
First, talk about how the joints of the legs (fronts and hinds) are
working. Then discuss the horse’s top line; is there anything that you
particularly notice about the horse’s top line as it moves. Then add comments
about anything else that seems important to you. Do the things you are
seeing as the horse longes confirm what you saw when
it was standing still, or do you feel there are contradictions?
Start
your massage with the long back muscles. As you progress through the
massage, describe the techniques you’re using, discuss what you are feeling in
the muscles as you work. Is this horse primarily the “tight” type or the
“sensitive” type? Comment on the horse’s responses to the work you are
doing. You will do your massage on both sides of the horse. Talk
about the differences in how the horses’ muscles feel and respond on the two
sides of its body.
As in
horse #1, use an easy going horse that will give good responses to the massage.
The horse may have some tightness or soreness, but nothing that makes it
defensive or hyper-reactive. You might want to use that type of horse for
massage #3 where you will be dealing with massaging a horse that has obvious
problems.
Send
Horse #2 video to: Horsemassage100@gmail.com Please wait for my comments before
advancing to horse number three. Demonstration should be approximately 40
minutes – you will have to make several short videos and upload them to YouTube
separately. Be sure to include your full
name on submission when you send me the links via an email.
After you receive my
comments regarding horse #2 advance to horse #3:
HORSE #3
For your
third massage, I want you to choose a horse that has an obvious problem that is
affecting its comfort or movement. Problems might come from one of the
following sources.
1.
Poor conformation (either muscular or skeletal) that interferes with correct
movement and causes soreness – sway back, ewe neck, flat croup, extremely long
hind legs, etc.
2.
Tight muscles that interfere with movement – hindquarter stiffness, imbalance
in the loins, shoulders out of balance, neck stiffness
3.
Body soreness caused by bad saddle fit, hoof or
dental problems
4.
Old injuries
5.
Does it appear that the problem is primarily a physical one, or is there also a
mental component?
Introduce the horse, give its history, do a body reading of the horse standing
still and moving, preferably on a longe line or in a
round pen, but if the horse is not able or comfortable doing this, walk the
horse in big circles on a lead line.
In
evaluating the horse moving, as with horse #2, talk about the leg joints and the
top line, but also talk about how the horse organizes its body longitudinally
and laterally, discuss any restrictions in movement and where the horse may be
protecting areas of its body.
Talk
about what you see as the horse’s major problem and how you are going to
organize your massage to address this problem.
As in
your second massage, describe the muscles you are working on – their shape,
their function, the direction of the muscle fibers, whether they are tight or
sore, the type of pressure you are using, and what changes you feel in the muscles
as you massage. Since this massage is for a specific problem rather than
over-all maintenance as on horse #2, describe your progression from one area of
the body to the next and your reason for doing it that way.
At the
end of this massage talk about what you feel you were able to accomplish and if
you think it will take more than this one session to resolve the problem.
If your
work on this horse leads you to believe that there are dental or hoof problems
that need to be addressed, or you think a chiropractor might be necessary, tell
me why.
Send
Horse #3 video to: Horsemassage100@gmail.com Demonstration should be approximately 50-60
minutes – you will have to make several short videos and upload them to YouTube
separately. Be sure to include your full
name on submission when you send me the links via an email.
If there’s anything you’re not sure of, if you have any questions, feel free to
ask for clarification. Contact me.
I have
one last suggestion. In teaching this course I have become aware that
some students have limited massage experience - or none. They have never
experienced massage for themselves and it is difficult to do something well if
you have never felt it yourself.
Many
people's perception of massage is limited to simple relaxation (Swedish)
massage, but, as you have learned in this course, there are many other types of
massage whose intent goes beyond relaxation and into therapeutic massage that
can relieve soreness and muscle tension on a more permanent basis and is also
capable of restoring correct movement.
All
effective massage involves the use of pressure and the development of
"feel" on the part of the massage practitioner. One of the best
ways of understanding this use of pressure and developing feel is to experience
massage for you. All human massage schools teach massage by having the
students give and receive massages. If you have never had a massage, or
if the only ones you've received were relaxation, I would strongly recommend
that you get some massages for yourself. (This is not a requirement, only
a suggestion.) This would give you an opportunity to experience what it
feels like and how your body responds to the pressure. I would also
suggest that these massages be either sports massage, deep tissue massage,
neuromuscular trigger point, or structural massage. If you've never had
massage, you could get one relaxation massage in order to compare it with some
of the others. Ask the therapist to work on areas of your body where you
have tension, pain or old injuries.