LESSON EIGHT
Introduction
When
soreness and tightness in muscles go unrelieved for extended periods, the body will
adapt and develop movement patterns that deviate from the anatomical norm in
attempts to compensate and find comfort.
When
dealing with poor movement patterns and injuries, just restoring balance in the
muscles isn’t always going to be enough to return the body to full function.
Gradually,
these abnormal patterns become set in the subconscious; they become habitual
use patterns and they feel “right” to the body.
In these situations it may require more than just massage to achieve
permanent relief. The horse may still
want to use the muscles in the way that has come to feel “right” to it.
You will
need a way of re-training the muscles to return the body to correct
movement. There are remedial exercises
that will do this.
This
lesson could be thought of as an appendix to this course. It contains descriptions of some basic,
simple-to-do movements and exercises (from the ground and under saddle) that
will re-train abnormal movement patterns and help bring a horse back to correct
movement. It also describes a number of
the common imbalances and gait abnormalities that can be caused by pulled
muscles, strains, injuries, compensations, incorrect use of the body, poor
riding and training and general innate sidedness. There are suggestions for specific exercises
that can be used to help alleviate these problems. The exercises would be done
after the appropriate massage work has loosened all of the involved muscles and
they are ready to make adaptations to better ways of moving. These exercises
will gradually re-develop correct muscle memory and rebalance the horse’s
body. They are effective in addressing
the majority of movement problems, and they are also simple and basic enough
that you can explain them to novice and fairly inexperienced riders.
Remedial Exercises on the Ground
I have a
series of six simple movements that can tell me where the horse’s body is tense
and stiff. They can be asked for prior
to a massage to give you information about where the tension is located, or you
could have the owner do them as part of a regular grooming routine. I also use them as part of the massage;
giving me feedback as I go. They can be
used at times when it is not possible or appropriate to use the exercises under
saddle.
These
movements will confirm the horse’s ability to move away from pressure on its
sides, raise its back, elevate its forehand, lower its haunches, free its
shoulders and relax its neck. Refer to
diagram A as you read the descriptions of these six movements.
1. Asking the horse to move away from pressure
on its sides
Tie the horse
with a single lead in a place where it can move from side to side. Since the average horse is usually somewhat
stiff at the base of the neck and you would like to encourage that area to
soften as the horse moves back and forth, do not use cross-ties. (Cross-ties would be appropriate if the horse
bends its neck too much.) Apply pressure
to the horse’s side to get it to move away.
When it does so, go to the other side and ask it to move back. Find the place on the horse’s side where the
pressure will cause it to move. It may
not be exactly where you expect it; the spot might be anywhere from behind the
girth to the flank. It could also be in
different places on the two sides. Move
the horse back and forth a number of times.
2. Raising the horse’s back
You did
this maneuver when working on the abdominal muscles in lesson 7. Stand on the left side of the horse and reach
under its belly with both hands, crossing over to just on the other side of the
center line. With your finger tips, push
upward into the abdominals and then pull towards you. This will cause the horse
to raise its back and stretch its long back muscles in the area behind the
saddle and in the loins. Go to the right
side and repeat with your fingers on the left side of the belly line.
3. Elevating the forehand
This is
essentially the same maneuver you did when massaging the pectoral muscles of
the chest in lesson 7—you might want to review that. You will push upward into the chest muscles
with your fingertips. When doing this
you can either cross the centerline of the chest or use your fingers on the
same side as where you’re standing. Do
whichever gets the best results.
Applying pressure along the breastbone (sternum) in front of the
forelegs is also effective. The aim here
is to lift the withers and the portion of the back just behind the withers.
4. Mobilizing the hip and lumbar/sacral joint
Run your
thumbs upward (not downward as you see chiropractors do) in the space between
the hip joints and the points of the buttocks—this will cause the horse to drop
its haunches. Usually the spot will be
just behind the hip joint, but it could be any place in that space. This ‘tucking’ of the haunches flexes the hip
joints as well as the joint between the sacrum and the last lumbar vertebra of
the loins. It is most effective if both
sides are done at the same time, but this means that you would have to stand
behind the horse. If it’s a horse you
don’t know well or there is any question about a horse kicking, be safe and do
one side at a time—or you might put some hay bales between you and the horse.
If
the horse can give good responses to these first four movements, you will have
activated the muscles on the horse’s sides, raised and stretched the horse’s
long back muscles, elevated the forehand and engaged the hip and lumbar/sacral
joints. The next two will open the
horse’s shoulder joint, stretch the shoulders and forelegs and release tension
in the base of the neck. For these, the
horse should not be tied. I usually put
the lead rope over my shoulder or have the owner hold the horse.
5. Opening the shoulder joint/stretching the
shoulder and foreleg
Stand in
front of the horse with your feet wide apart.
Lift a foreleg with your hand that is closest to the center of the
horse’s chest until the upper portion of the leg is parallel to the ground. The lower part of the leg, below the knee,
should be hanging down. With your other
hand reach back and grasp the elbow and pull it forward. Pulling the elbow forward opens the shoulder
joint and stretches the shoulder. As the
horse straightens the leg (which it will do), allow the horse to return the
foot to the ground. As it does so, the
horse’s forehand will stretch and rise.
Repeat with the other front leg.
6. Lowering and stretching the neck
In lesson
7 I described the pectoral muscle that lies in front of the shoulder blade, the
one I called the 4th pectoral.
When a horse carries its neck high and stiff (braced in the base of its
neck) there will be tension is this pectoral.
Use finger tip pressure in front of the shoulder blade, pushing and
compressing this muscle from the point of the shoulder upward toward the
withers. Somewhere along this line you
should find a spot where your pressure will cause a release of this tension and
the horse will lower and stretch its neck.
Stretching and Joint Releases
I do
fewer stretches in my massage work than most people who do horse massage. I believe that the type of intensive body
work I do, combined with my specific intent of bringing the entire body into
anatomical balance, works as well as stretching and avoids some of what I see
as disadvantages.
I rarely
show horse owners how to do stretches because it is easy to do them poorly and actually end up tightening the muscles rather than
stretching them. If you pull too much on
a foreleg, it will exert a downward pull on the horse’s spine and long back
muscles; or, if the horse resists the pull on a front leg, it will stiffen its
back.
Many
people routinely do front leg stretches after they tighten the girth; even this
can tighten a horse’s back if the pull is too much.
Neck
stretches (stretching the neck around for carrots) can be effective and they do
not have the disadvantages that I see in leg stretches because they invite the
horse to stretch on its own rather than having the head and neck pulled around;
done in this way the horse has nothing to stiffen and pull back against.
I believe
that joint releases are a good alternative to leg stretches and are more
effective at releasing tension in the legs than stretching that pulls on them,
especially with horses that stiffen and resist against the pull.
Joint
releases for the hind legs will loosen the muscles around the hip joints and
this will, in turn, release the other joints in the hind legs.
Lift the
leg 6-8 inches off the ground, positioning it under the haunch (not out behind)
and begin to make SMALL motions with it.
These motions can be either circular or back and forth. You want to see movement all the way up to
the hip joint. Keep the foot just a few
inches off the ground and swing it GENTLY.
The
tighter the hip joint, the more the horse will resist lifting the leg high or
swinging it wide. If you lift the leg
too high or try to swing it more than the hip joint is comfortable with, the
horse will feel threatened and struggle to put the foot back on the ground.
Over time
you’ll find that a horse will allow you to move the hip joint to a greater
degree.
A stretch
that works well on the hind legs and is a nice finishing touch to the joint
release is to gently stretch the leg forward, under the horse’s body. Only go as far forward as the horse is
comfortable with. Keep the foot
low. At the end of the stretch you could
do some light vibration or back and forth rocking.
Joint releases
for the front legs will loosen the elbow and shoulder joints and swing the top
of the shoulder blade.
With both
hands, lift a front leg until the upper part of the leg is parallel to the
ground and then gently swing the lower leg (below the knee) back and forth at
the knee.
Next,
with one hand supporting the elbow, start moving the elbow joint forward and
back with both of your hands. You want
to get enough back and forth movement so that you can see the top of the
shoulder blade (at the withers) moving.
If the horse starts to resist the movement of the shoulder, you are
doing too much, ease back a little.
Next,
still holding the leg as above, move the elbow up and down, watching to see the
whole shoulder lift. This releases
tension in the wither portion of the rhomboid in an up/down direction. A
finishing release could be to lift the foot off the ground a few inches and
GENTLY swing and rock the leg backward, under the body, moving the shoulder
joint (the point of the shoulder) back and forth.
Exercises under Saddle
Common Movement Problems and
Appropriate Remedial Exercises
This part
of the lesson will describe some of the most common gait and movement problems
that you are going to deal with in your massage work and the appropriate
exercises to be done under saddle to re-train these abnormal movement patterns. These problems may be the result of injuries
that have changed the gait patterns or they could be long term compensations
and adjustments that a horse has made in order to be more comfortable. Over time, these abnormal movement patterns
become set in the subconscious (they become habitual use patterns) and then
they require specific re-training exercises after the massage has released the
muscle tension and soreness.
At the
end of this lesson, in Appendix A, you will find complete
descriptions of all of the remedial exercises that I will be recommending. Familiarize yourself with them before going
on.
There are
numerous ways of doing most of these exercises.
Ask the rider to do them the way they are described first; but the most
important thing about any of the exercises is that they accomplish the task, so
sometimes some riders may need to make adjustments. If the result is what we’re trying to
accomplish with an exercise and it does not upset or agitate the horse then go
with it.
I will be
using the terms “inside” and “outside” when describing the execution of these
exercises. Some of the rider’s you will
work with may not understand what these terms mean. They do not refer to the inside or outside of
a ring or arena. They refer to the
direction in which the horse’s body is bent or turning. If a horse is bent to the left or turning
left, then his left side is the “inside” and his right side is the “outside”.
I will
specify whether an exercise is to be done at the halt, walk or trot; some can
be done in both the walk and trot. I do
not have riders do any remedial exercises in the canter. Though the canter is an important gait in
remedial work, it should not be done under saddle, only in longeing,
where it has great benefits for stretching the horse’s body in the warm-up.
When you
are choosing remedial exercises for specific movement problems, there are
certain questions you need to ask yourself.
Before going into these, there is one important generalization I would
like to make. I would like you to notice
how a horse chooses to stand when it is tied and nothing is being asked of
it. How a horse places it feet will tell
you a great deal about most of its major body problems. You will see that this foot placement will
correlate with many of the movement problems I will be describing.
Next, ask the following questions:
1.
What exactly is the problem? What
part of the horse’s body is not working correctly?
2. What needs to happen in the horse’s
body to correct the problem? What does
that part of the body need to do differently?
What changes have to be made to enable it to move correctly?
3. Does the problem involve too much
stiffness in the horse’s body or too much bend? Does the horse need exercises that induce
bending or those that require that the horse hold its body straight?
4. Which exercises will make the
necessary changes?
The
following is a list of some of the most common problems you will see, starting
with the hindquarters and working forward through the horse’s body. Following this I will describe these problems
in detail, going through the process of evaluating what the problem is, what
needs to change and the best exercises to bring about the change.
Hindquarter
Problems
1. one hind leg trails
2. one hind leg takes a shorter
stride than the other
3. horse takes short strides with
both hind legs
4. legs stretch out behind the horse
as it stands and moves
5. stifle of one hind leg turns out
Torso
Problems
1. both loin muscles are contracted
2. muscles of the loin/flank area
more contracted on one side of the horse
3. muscles over both sides of the
rib cage are stiff
4. “dip” in the horse’s back under
the saddle
5. rib cage tilts to one side
6. forehand and haunches are pulled
toward the same side of the horse’s body
7. shoulder blades have unequal
mobility and length of stride
8. both shoulder blades are tight
9. one front leg turns out
Neck
and Head Problems
1. neck is stiff and braced
2. too much bend in the neck to one
side
3. head tilts in one direction
4. stiffness in the jaw and mouth
The
following are complete descriptions of the problems and suggested remedial
exercises for each. When there are a
number of possible exercises for a problem, have the rider try them all and
then work from the easiest for the horse to do to the more difficult. It is common for a horse to have more than
one movement problem at the same time; they tend to come in groups. Start with the most obvious. Often, the exercises that are appropriate for
one will also help the others.
HINDQUARTER
PROBLEMS
1. One hind leg trails
This is a
very common deviation; you will see it frequently.
The
length of stride of the hind legs is the same, but one leg does not come
forward under the horse’s body to the same extent as the other; this leg swings
from a position more behind the haunch than under it. The pelvis may tilt
because of the pull of the hind leg out behind the horse. All of this indicates a weakness in the
muscles that pull the leg forward (primarily the quadriceps and Tensor fascia latae), and often there are also spasms and constrictions
in the loin and flank that interfere with the forward swing of the leg.
So, let’s
answer our first question—what is wrong?
Answer--the hind leg does not come forward properly and may be pulling
the hip down with it (the leg does not always pull the hip down).
Second
question—what needs to change?
Answer—the leg needs to be strengthened in its forward swing.
Third
question—does this problem need exercises that bend the body or those that hold
it straight? Answer—this problem
requires that the torso be stabilized and held straight in order that the leg
can be drawn straight forward, not swinging off to one side. Usually, in this situation, the torso wants
to fall in on the side which has the trailing leg and it puts a pull on the
other side of the torso, over-extending those muscles.. Fourth question—what exercises would you
use? Answer—let’s assume (as our
example) that it is the right hind that trails.
This will cause the left side of the torso to over-extend. First, at the walk, you need to take the
extension out of the left side in order to straighten the torso. This straightening of the torso would be done
by the horse yielding to, or moving away from, the rider’s left leg. Good exercises to start with would be:
#4 (Ranging the
Haunches) – away from rider’s left leg
#5 (Walking the
Square) – away from rider’s left leg
Once the
horse yields its left side and straightens its torso, the rider’s other leg,
the right in this case, would ask the horse’s right hind to take a stride
forward. (You would have the rider
either hold or move the horse into straight position with their left leg and
then send it forward with their right leg.)
Once the horse is comfortable with this exercise in the walk, the trot
can be introduced. In this case the
rider would move the horse into a straight position with their left leg and
then ask the horse to go forward into a trot on a straight line. The push into the trot will build correct
muscle strength in the leg.
In the
trot work, you would recommend that the rider use straight lines and LARGE
circles to the left until the leg is repositioned and strengthened. They should avoid small circles to the right
and left lead canters. As the muscles
strengthen and hold the horse’s body in a correct position it can resume its
normal training routine—but would return to this exercise any time the hind leg
started to trail. If it was the left hind that trailed, you would have the
rider reverse these exercises and start by stabilizing the right side of the
horse.
2.
One hind leg takes a shorter stride than the other.
This is
another common problem. In this case the
leg will be up under the haunch, it’s not trailing, but its stride is not as
long as the other. In most cases, the
leg taking the short stride will be the right hind, so I’ll describe the
correction for that leg. This problem
will usually cause a horse to fall in on a circle when going in the direction
of the short stride.
In this
example, it would fall in on a circle to the right and have difficulties
bending on a circle to the left.
Visualize a child’s toy car with one rear wheel that’s not turning as
much as the other and you’ll get an idea of what is happening.
What
causes this? Very likely this hip joint
is tighter than the other—it lacks mobility.
Your massage will have already loosened this hip joint and it is ready
to be taught to take longer strides.
What exercises would do this? The
hip joint, as you have learned, is capable of movement in multiple directions,
so loosening stiffness in the joint will involve both forward/backward motions
as well as sideways motions. Your choice
of which to do first would depend upon whether the horse is stiff in its torso
or has too much bend (extension on one side).
If the
horse is STIFF, use exercises that involve bending the horse’s body as the hind
leg is brought forward. Good choices
would be:
#9 (Turn on the Forehand into Trot out onto a Big Circle)
My
example is of a short stride in the right hind, so these would all be done
moving the horse away from the rider’s right leg.
If the horse
had too much BEND in its body, causing the leg to cross under the torso rather
than being able to take a good stride forward, you would suggest exercises that
hold the torso straight and just move the leg.
Again, if it’s a short stride in the right side, have the rider
stabilize the left side and then, with the right leg try:
Follow
these by asking the horse to go forward into a “big” walk or trot. Avoid having the horse do circles to the
right until the joint regains its mobility.
Again, if it were the left hip that was tight, you would have the rider
stabilize the right side and do these exercises from the left side.
3.
Horse takes short strides with both hind legs.
You will
frequently see horses that “mince” along, unable to drop their pelvis or swing
the hip joints. These horses will
usually have lumps on either side of the tail many refer to as “fat pads”—they
are really an indication that the upper attachments of the hamstrings are tight
and not lengthening as the horse moves.
This tightness inhibits or prevents the dropping of the pelvis. It is a major restriction to a horse’s
movement, and because this tightness occurs on both sides, the horse will be
stiff on both sides. You want to suggest
exercises that BEND the torso, bringing a hind leg forward and drawing the
pelvis down. These exercises should be
done in both directions.
One of
the best is: #2 (Double)
Others
would be:
#9 (Turn on
Forehand/Trot Out onto Circle)
After
doing these bending exercises, the rider should ride the horse forward, asking
for big strides in both the walk and trot.
4.
Legs stretch out behind the horse as it stands and moves.
The
problem is the hind legs cannot provide proper support for the horse’s
hindquarters. This stretched out leg
position flattens the angle of the pelvis, stiffens the horse’s back, puts
stress on the hocks and creates tension and pull in the groin. (I am not talking here about the exaggerated
“parked-out” stance that is an integral part of the training of Saddleseat horses—that’s a whole different issue.) I’m talking about horses that just don’t
bring their hind legs far enough forward under their body to offer good support
to the haunches.
What
needs to happen? Answer—both hind legs
need to come forward. For this to happen
there is a combination of problems that must be addressed with the remedial
exercises. They are: the hamstring
attachments, the range of motion in the hip joints and a lack of strength in
the quadriceps. You want to have the
horse do exercises that bring the hind leg forward with a bend in the body
(this will relieve stress on the hocks and groin).
Because
this is a bilateral problem, the exercises you recommend should be done on both
sides. The first ones to try are:
After the
horse is comfortable with these, their effectiveness can be increased by
combining the following:
Double into Spiral
Out (#8)
Trotting Out of the Turn on the Forehand (#9)
If the
horse has been trained to “park out”, as in Saddleseat,
you’ll have to take a somewhat different approach. Such horses will be extremely tight
throughout their backs and pelvis. It
can be very difficult for them to give any kind of bend in the torso, so I
suggest starting with exercises that just bring the legs forward—the bend can
come later.
Try:
When the
horse can do these, you can introduce the Turn on the Forehand
(#3) and then Leg Yield (#6) out from that. Leave the Double and Spiral Out for last.
5.
Stifle of one hind leg turns out.
This
problem is actually more common than you might think. The turn out is
usually slight, and normal training routines generally take care of it. But any time one leg turns out more than the
other (hind legs or front legs) it will create problems in all gaits.
In the
hind leg, the turn out occurs at the hip joint and the entire leg turns
out. It is the easiest to see when
looking at the stifle, so I will discuss it from that point of view. And although I have said the rotation occurs
from the hip joint, it happens when the muscles that hold the stifle in
position are out of balance. The muscles
on the outside of the stifle are shorter and tighter than those on the inside.
When
analyzing a horse’s movement, this gait abnormality won’t be as noticeable if
the horse is going in the direction of the turn out (example: going on a right
circle when the right stifle turns out).
It will be noticeable when the horse is moving on a straight line; when
going in the other direction (left) it will look as if the horse wants to go
one way and the leg wants to go in a different direction. The push from this hind leg will send the
horse’s body off in the direction of its left shoulder, and when you’re leading
a horse with this problem, you will always have the feeling the horse is
“crashing into your space”.
You will
first need to choose exercises that rotate the leg so it points straight
forward. (Let’s assume that it is the
right hind that turns out.)
First, the torso has to be
held STRAIGHT; so the rider’s left leg must keep the torso from bending. With the torso held straight, the rider asks
for a leg yield (#6) moving the horse away from the right
leg. This will draw the leg forward and
over to the left.
If the
horse is allowed to stretch its left side and bend to the right, it will do a
turn on the forehand, and this will allow the leg to rotate even farther.
If the
torso is held straight as the horse moves left it will compel the leg to rotate
and begin to point straight forward. If
it is difficult to keep the left side straight and it wants to “bow” out, the
rider must use the left leg to straighten that side. The rider might have to
“play” with some leg yields from both right and left until the horse’s sides
begin to loosen up. Once the leg is
pointing forward, walk the horse forward a few strides, stop, and repeat the
exercise.
This is a
problem of rebalancing the tone between the muscles on the inside and outside
of the stifle. You could also have the
rider do: #4 (Ranging the Haunches) and #5
(Walking the square).
But the
horse must keep its body straight. Once
the muscles around the outside of the stifle begin to stretch and are allowing
the stifle to come straight forward, you can have the rider do exercises that
begin to bend the horse to the left. In
this way, you are actually asking the stifle to begin to point to the left, and
this will involve strengthening the muscles on the inside of the stifle. Ask for the easiest exercises first and work
toward the more difficult.
Start by
having the rider trot the horse on big circles to the left. After that, you can have the rider do any of
the exercises that bend the horse to the left and stretch the outside (right
side) of the body. Have them try: #3 (Turn on the Forehand) and #2 (Double).
#7 (Spiral Out)—from both the Double and the Turn on the Forehand.
TORSO PROBLEMS
I will
discuss problems in the torso in three sections:
I. Loins
II. Rib cage
III. Forehand/shoulder area.
I.
Loins
1. Contracted Loin Muscles
The most
obvious indication of contracted loin muscles is a “dip” in the horse’s back
just behind the saddle. That dip tells
you the horse has weak abdominal muscle tone and cannot raise its back. It is often seen in conjunction with hind
legs that are out behind the haunches.
This
problem affects both sides of the loins to the same degree, so the exercises
will be done on both sides of the horse. The exercises you choose need to be
those that help contract the muscles in the groin area and stretch the muscles
in the loins. The ones I would recommend
are the same ones I use to bring the hind legs under the horse’s body. They are: #2 (Double) and #3 (Turn on Forehand).
After the horse can do these easily, they can be combined with: #8 (Spiral out) and #9 (Trotting Out of the
Turn on the Forehand).
2. Muscles of the Loins, Flank and Groin
Contracted on One Side.
One side
of the loins, flank and groin will be over-contracted and the other will be
over-extended. I use a 3-step approach
for this problem.
Step
1 involves
having the rider do exercises that loosen the contracted side. Use the concept of “contract to loosen” that
I’ve described in earlier lessons.
Step
2 will use
exercises that begin to stretch the contracted side and release tension on the
extended side.
Step
3 will use
exercises that contract the over-extended side and ask for greater stretch on
contracted side. In this way balance and
mobility will be restored to both sides of the loins. If the rider simply started with exercises
that contracted the extended side, it would be more difficult for the horse,
and not as effective as the 3-step approach.
STEP 1
For the
side with the contracted loin muscles (let’s call this side A) try any of the
exercises that bring the hind leg forward under the horse’s body with a
bend.
Try:
Which of
these will work best depends on how strong the contraction. The Double is for a strong contraction and
the U-Turn for the mildest. Because
these exercises are working with the preferred position of the body, the rider
doesn’t have to do a lot of them; you can think of it as a short warm-up.
STEP 2
The important thing is to get side A
(the contracted side) to start to stretch after the loosening of step 1. To accomplish this, the exercises will now be
done from the extended side, (side B).
This first stretching of side A should be modest stretching. Have the rider try: #6 (Leg
Yield). In this, the rider will use
the leg on the extended side (side B) to move the horse over to the right and
forward at the same time. Other things
movement that provides a modest stretch of side A are circles to the left (not
too small) and some wide U-Turns (#10).
STEP 3
I will
ask for greater contraction of the over-extended muscles of side B and a
greater extension of the contracted side (side A). This will restore full contraction and
extension of both sides. I suggest
having the rider do the easiest of the exercises first and work toward the more
difficult.
Try, in
order:
Smaller circles
II. Rib Cage
Problems
in the Thoracic (rib cage) portion of the torso
1. Muscles over both sides of the rib cage are
stiff.
2. Dip in the horse’s back under the saddle.
3. Horse’s body not aligned with the direction
of travel—the rib cage tilts to one side.
4. Horse’s body not aligned with the direction
of travel—forehand and haunches pull to the same side.
1. Muscles over both sides of the rib cage are
stiff.
It is
common for many horses to be very stiff and tight in the torso muscles over
both sides of their rib cage. These
horses cannot bend laterally and cannot stretch longitudinally. I suggest riders start with exercises that
address lateral flexibility first, before those for longitudinal
stretching. These will be done on both
sides of the horse.
The basic
bending exercises I use are:
#9 (Trot out of Turn
on Forehand)
2. Dip in horse’s back under the saddle.
I have
already discussed a dip in the loin portion of the back and the remedial
exercises. The rest of the back (the
portion under the saddle) can also have a dip that is caused by tight,
over-contracted long back muscles. This
can be caused by a number of things, but bad saddle fit, poor riding and poor
tone in the belly/chest muscles are common reasons.
Many of
the exercises described will help back muscles.
Any exercises that bring the hind legs up under the body and get a bend
in the torso will help loosen the back and prepare the muscles to stretch. These would include:
#9 (Trot out of Turn
on Forehand)
While thinking
about remedial exercises for back problems, evaluate the saddle and the
rider. Saddle and poor riding negate any
benefits of correct exercise.
Frequently
you will see horses that are not aligned with the direction of travel; the
horse is crooked.
There are
two ways in which a horse’s body may not align itself with the direction of
travel. The most common is the one in
which the hind feet are to one side of the line of travel and the rib cage and
the horse’s forehand weight will be thrown to the other side. (If the haunches were to the left of the line
of travel, the forehand would lean to the right).
The other
deviation is not as common. It is one in
which the shoulders and haunches are both pulled toward the same side of the
horse’s body.
3. Horse’s body not aligned with the direction
of travel—the rib cage tilts to one side.
In this
deviation both hind feet are to one side of the line of travel and the rib cage
and the horse’s forehand weight are thrown to the other side. The muscles of one side of the torso are
going to be more contracted or tighter than those of the other side, and the
top of the rib cage will be pulled in the direction of the more
contracted. This can be thought of as a
“C” curve asymmetry. The withers will
lean to the side of the contracted muscles and the bottom of the rib cage will
swing to the side of the extended muscles.
This, as
the one-sided contraction in the loins, requires exercises to first loosen the
contracted side and then exercises to get the extended muscles on the other
side to contract.
This
approach goes back to the idea of contracting a tight muscle in order to
release it. Loosening the contracted
side first will make it easier for the extended side to begin to contract, and
it is the contraction of the extended side that will bring the rib cage back to
level.
Start
with exercises on the contracted side—in this example, the right. Use exercises that “contract to loosen”. These don’t have to be done for any long
period of time; think of them as warm-up exercises. These would be done only in the direction of
the contracted side.
I
suggest:
#9 (Trotting Out of
Turn on Forehand)
Once
a rider feels a loosening of the contracted side, have the rider do exercises
that both stretch the contracted side (in this example, the right side) and
begin to contract the extended side (left side). These exercises will have the horse moving
and bending away from the rider’s left leg.
Start with something that just moves the haunches to the right, bringing
the hind feet more under the hindquarters, such as #4 (Ranging
the Haunches). Then do exercises
that ask for a bend to the left and have the horse moving away from the rider’s
left leg:
#9 (Turn on Forehand/Trot Out)
#11 (Outside Bend on a Circle)
Number 11
is a very good exercise for balancing a crooked horse once the major loosening
has been done. Have the rider do this by
going on a circle to the contracted side (right) with the horse bent to the
left (to the outside of the right circle).
4. Horse’s body not aligned with the direction
of travel—forehand and haunches pull to the same side.
This deviation is not as common as the
one in which the rib cage tilts, and it is also somewhat more difficult to
correct. The shoulders and haunches are
both pulled toward the same side of the horse’s body. This produces a strong contraction on that
side and a corresponding strong pull on the muscles of the other side because
these muscles must work hard to keep the body upright. Most horses with this asymmetry will, in an
attempt to balance themselves, turn their neck and head in the direction away
from the contraction. This produces a
configuration that can be described as an “S” curve.
If both the shoulders and haunches of a horse
were pulled to the right, the neck would turn to the left. With its body in this position most of a
horse’s forward motion will be directed from the hind legs, which are to the
right of the line of travel, toward the left shoulder. These are the horses that, rather than being
able to go straight, move diagonally off to the left, “popping” their left
shoulder, and they will have difficulty turning to the right; often they will
bring the head around to the rider’s right knee and still be going left.
For
purposes of describing the corrections for this problem, let’s assume the
haunches and forehand are pulled to the right.
When working with this type of asymmetry, what makes it more difficult
than most is, in addition to releasing and balancing the torso, you will also
have to deal with the asymmetry in the neck.
Getting the neck straight will be a major portion of getting the body
straight.
STEP
Release the contracted side (in this
example, the right). You will use the
technique of “contract to release”, preparing the right side to lengthen. You can have the rider do any of the
exercises that emphasize contracting and bending on this side—just enough to
get this side to start to give and yield. This contraction will probably be a
strong one, so I suggest using the exercises that ask for the greatest bend,
such as:
STEP TWO
Once the muscles on the contracted
side begin to release and are now capable of lengthening, start “playing with”
exercises for contracting the extended side and those that straighten the neck. I say “playing” because the rider will very
likely have to alternate back and forth between exercises for both of these
problems. The aim is to get both sides
of the torso (contracted and extended) to work evenly and to also bring the
head and neck from their position to the left around to center. The rider has to get the sides working
evenly, straighten the neck, and send the horse forward following its neck.
Exercises
for releasing the tension on the extended muscles ask the rib cage to just move
into a straight position. Good ones for
that are #4 and #5 (Ranging the
Haunches and Walking the Square) and #6 (Leg Yield). These are done moving the horse to the right,
away from the rider’s left leg. (Remember that our example is contracted and
pulled to the right of a center line.).
Once the horse can do these, use exercises that bend and contract the
horse to the left (the extended side), such as:
Neck
Releases (#13) and Poll and Jaw Releases (#14) are appropriate for straightening the neck.
III. Shoulder/Forehand Area
Though
the forehand is technically the front part of the rib cage, it has its own
separate problems and imbalances because the shoulder blades move and change
position over the surface of the rib cage.
In a well balanced horse, the shoulder blades will be positioned
directly across the rib cage from each other and swing equally when the horse
is traveling on a straight line.
As
a horse bends on circles, the shoulder blades need to adjust their swing—the
shoulder on the outside will have to make a longer swing than the shoulder on
the inside. Any tightness in the muscles
that support the shoulder blades can restrict this movement.
1. Shoulder Blades Have Unequal Mobility
and Length of Stride
The
majority of shoulder imbalance problems occur when one shoulder blade has more
restriction of movement than the other, causing it to stride shorter than the
other. When this is the case, a horse
will put more weight on the shoulder with the shorter swing when the horse is
going in the direction of that shoulder, and will have difficulty bending in
the opposite direction. (As an example;
if the right shoulder has the restricted swing, the horse will lean and land
heavy when going to the right and have difficulties bending and doing small
circles when going to the left.) This
problem is often compounded by a tilt of the rib cage that positions one
shoulder forward of the other. The
correction for this problem will be exercises that increase the swing of the
restricted, short-striding shoulder and shortening the stride of the shoulder
with the greater swing.
There
are exercises that will do both, but they require a higher degree of skill than
many of your clients may have, so I will describe exercises that approach the
two sides separately.
Have
the rider begin with exercises that loosen both shoulders, and then exercises
that advance the short-striding shoulder and restrict the swing of the opposite
shoulder.
My choices, in order of use:
#1 (Wandering Bend
Changes) This is a good warm-up and
general loosening for both shoulder blades as it advances and restricts
shoulder movement alternately. In this
exercise there will be a bend in the whole body.
#12
(Alternating Shoulder Tucks) This is
another general loosening exercise for the shoulders. In this exercise the horse’s body behind the
saddle remains straight, only the shoulder portion of the rib cage changes
position, thereby changing the position and swing of the shoulder blades.
#11 (Outside
Bend on a Circle) This is a good
exercise for bringing the advanced shoulder back and advancing the shoulder
with the short swing. It is essentially a Shoulder Tuck
(#12) This
is done with the horse traveling on a circle, but bent to the outside. (As an example; if you’re trying to advance
the right shoulder and increase its swing, you would have the rider bend the
horse to the left when going on a right circle.)
# 6 (Leg Yield)
This exercise would only be used to affect the tight, retracted right
shoulder. In this example, it would be done
by moving the horse to the left, thereby moving the horse away from this
short-striding shoulder blade.
Once
the exercises have loosened both shoulders, increased range of motion and made
them capable of changing their position on the rib cage, you can have the rider
do any of the bending exercises going to the left, in order to confirm the
ability of both shoulder blades to swing freely.
2.
Both Shoulder Blades Are Tight.
When
both shoulder blades have restricted swing it creates short strides. This is common in western pleasure horses;
also, some horses that cannot swing the shoulder blades forward may move the
front legs in a circular motion rather than straight forward. In both cases, lengthening the stride
primarily involves stretching the triceps.
You prepare the muscles to stretch with massage and the stretching
exercises described in an earlier portion of this lesson.
The
“under saddle” work involves having the horse ridden energetically forward on
long, straight lines in both the walk and trot.
You can also have the rider do alternating leg yields (#6)
at the walk and, if possible, the trot; also Shoulder Tucks (#12)
will help loosen the shoulders and allow them to take longer strides.
3. One Front Leg Turns Out
Often
you will see horses that have one front leg that turns out. This turn-out would be one that happens at
the top of the leg (at the elbow joint), not shifts that occur at other joints
in the leg. This type of turn out
usually occurs because the muscles that attach the elbow to the rib cage are
too tight. Your massage will have
already loosened these muscles; now your recommendation for exercises will be
those that rotate the leg to a straight position.
Let’s
use as an example a horse whose right foreleg turns out. You would have the rider start with exercises
that send the leg straight forward, and then those that draw the leg around to
the left.
For
sending the leg forward, the simplest is to walk the horse forward on long
straight lines, pushing for the biggest strides the horse can give without
breaking into a trot. Then have the
rider ask for a leg yield (#6) in the walk—this will move
the leg over in front of the chest.
In
the second phase, have the rider do exercises that bend the horse in the
direction away from the turned-out leg (in this example, to the left). You could choose almost any that are done to
the left and pull the right leg around to the left.
You
would NOT want any exercises that
bend the horse in the direction of the turned-out leg. In this example, that would be to the
right. If it was the left foreleg that
turned out, you would reverse the sides on which you have the rider do the
exercises.
If
both front legs turn out (from the elbows), have the rider first do bending
exercises in both directions in order to loosen both sides, and then send the
horse forward in the walk and trot on long straight lines. Repeat the bending when the legs lose their
forward stretch.
NECK
Any
stiffness or tension in the neck, poll and jaw can have an effect on a horse’s
entire body and many of the remedial exercises that have been suggested for
other problems will have been beneficial for this stiffness.
There
are some exercises that specifically address neck and head problems.
I. The neck is stiff and braced
II.
Too much bend on one side of the neck
III.
Head tilts to one side
IV.
Stiffness in the jaw and mouth
I.
The neck is stiff and braced
Stiffness
in the neck can occur at a number of different places along its length. The most common is the base of the neck. When this is the case, the neck is braced
throughout its entire length and does not turn easily in either direction.
Stiffness and restrictions also occur in the
joint between the 1st and 2nd vertebrae (the Atlas and
Axis) where the very different shape and function of these two vertebrae and
the muscles that move them can cause problems.
Another problem area is in the middle of the neck, close to the 3rd
and 4th vertebrae. There are
two large superficial muscles that support the neck, one is the Splenius; the
other is the cervical Serratus. The
Serratus attaches to the lower neck vertebrae and the Splenius attaches to the
upper neck vertebrae. The junction where
they meet is a common place for stiffness in the neck, especially at the place
where the Serratus attaches to the 4th cervical vertebra.
Exercise #13 (Neck Release) can be used effectively for
any restriction along the entire length of the neck, but especially at the
junctions I’ve described.
II. Too much bend on one side of the neck
Just
as the muscles along one side of the torso can be more contracted than the
other, this is true of the neck as well.
The horse will have difficulty holding the neck straight or bending it
in the other direction. “Steering” is
difficult—somewhat like riding a bicycle with crooked handle bars. The horse may pull or lean on one side of its
mouth. To correct this, have the rider
do exercises that loosen the contracted side.
The most effective are those that contract these muscles--“contract to
release”. Starting with the easiest,
good exercises are:
#10 (U-Turns), #3 (Turn on Forehand)
These
would all be done on the contracted side.
Once they have loosened on this side of the neck, have the rider do
exercises (any of the above) that bring the head and neck around to the
extended side.
III. Head tilts to one side
You’ll
often work with horses that hold the neck straight, but the head will turn off
to one side. It will be difficult to get
the horse to take even contact on the reins and it may be fussy with its mouth. This is often a chiropractic problem, but it
will also involve unbalanced muscle tension in the muscles that control the
poll.
If
the horse is ‘touchy” about its head, suggest a chiropractic exam; but you will
still need to deal with the imbalance in the muscles. I use a system of very subtle rein actions to
gently rock the poll side to side and up and down. (See exercise #14 (Poll
and Jaw Releases).
As
with a neck that goes off to one side, I suggest first using these flexions to
release the contracted side; and then the rider can use them to bring the
horse’s head around in the other direction.
IV. Stiffness in the jaw and mouth
Stiffness
in the poll and jaw are common problems.
In an earlier lesson I described some of the problems and appropriate
methods for correcting them (massage and dental and chiropractic work), but
there can also be habitual use patterns here that can be improved with remedial
exercises. As with a head tilt, I use some very subtle, gentle movements with
the reins to induce a horse to release its jaw and mouth. Exercise #14 (Poll and Jaw Flexions)
describes how to do these.
This completes the section of
exercises done under saddle. While I
have described the use of exercises for specific movement problems, they will
also have positive effects on other parts of the body. This is because the body is a unit and
anything (good or bad) that is done to one part will affect the whole body (the
entire unit). When you are choosing
remedial exercises, start with those that address the most obvious problem
first—what appears to be the “source” of the horse’s problems, but appreciate
the fact that these exercises will actually benefit
the whole horse.
APPENDIX A
– REMEDIAL EXERCISES
Click on exercise names for picture.
This
exercise can be done at the walk and trot.
It starts the loosening of the horse’s shoulder blades and torso muscles
and is a good warm-up exercise for any remedial work. It also helps riders understand how their
body position can affect the horse’s use of its body, and it introduces the
concept of the “outside aids”.
The
object of this exercise is to obtain passive bending on the inside of the torso
by actively stretching the outside of the torso. This is achieved by stretching the outside of
the horse around the inside without asking for specific contractions of the
muscles on the inside. The advantage of
this is that it circumvents the problem of a horse stiffening and pulling back
against the pressure of inside aids.
These
alternating bend changes are initially done with big turns in a long, low frame
and are easy for a horse to do; this alternate stretching and bending loosens
the tension on both sides of the torso.
They can also be useful in a horse’s more advanced training.
Execution
The rider should:
1. Sit level with even pressure on both sides of
their pelvis, using the broad surface of the buttocks rather than the
concentrated points of seat bone pressure.
2. Sitting upright (no leaning), the rider would
push the outside of the horse around with the outside of their body—leg, pelvis, torso and head turning together in
the direction the rider wants the horse to go, shaping the outside of the
horse. Other ways of expressing this
could be to push the outside of the horse around the inside, push the outside
hip forward on the circle, or (my favorite) push the outside of the saddle where
they want the horse to go.
3. Look in the direction they want the horse to
go.
4. After a certain number of strides, the rider
(without leaning) would reverse their aids and go in the other direction. The rider would push the horse around in the
new direction with outside aids.
5. Continue walking and changing directions
until the horse’s shoulders move smoothly and evenly in both directions.
This
exercise is done at the halt. It is an
active bending exercise that uses inside aids in its execution. It is a powerful exercise that affects the
entire body and is especially effective for very stiff horses. This one exercise combines the elements of
all the other active bending exercises.
It obtains flexion on the entire inside of a horse from its nose to its
inside hind leg and causes the inside hind to swing under the center of the
horse’s body. It will engage a hind leg,
flex the rib cage, soften the base of the neck, and obtain a mouth flexion all
at the same time. It is the one general
exercise to return to anytime a rider feels a stiffening in a horse.
Execution
1. The rider puts their seat weight on the side
to which they want a horse to bend and then pivots their entire body around
this point until they are looking around to the horse’s tail. This is the one time when they can let their
weight come off the outside of the saddle as they “curl” around to the inside.
2. The rider will use the inside rein to bring
the horse’s nose around toward their knee.
The rider’s hand must be held low (knee level) for this exercise to
work. If the rider’s hand is held at
thigh or hip level, it cannot activate the lower torso muscles that are
necessary for this exercise. With a very
stiff horse, the rider might need to anchor their hand someplace behind their
knee (perhaps on a part of the saddle).
3. The closer the horse’s nose is held to the
rider’s knee, the tighter the turn will be and the more effective the exercise
will be, but this must be tempered by the horse’s degree of stiffness.
There
should be NO tension on the outside rein.
The
rider applies pressure to the horse’s side with the inside leg, compelling the
horse to come around in a small, tight circle.
The horse’s inside hind leg must pass in front
of the outside hind and across the horse’s body toward the outside
shoulder. Any backing up nullifies the
exercise.
When
the horse softens the inside of its torso, releases tension on the inside rein
and circles easily, the rider would release the inside rein and allow the horse
to walk forward.
This exercise is done from the halt. It is a more advanced form of a Double. Like
the Double, the turn on the forehand moves the horse’s hindquarters sideways,
engages a hind leg, flexes the loins, flexes the rib cage and softens the
neck. Unlike the double, the head is not
brought around to the rider’s knee to compel the horse to move its body. It relies on the rider’s leg aid to indicate
the horse should move. There is less
encouragement from the rider’s seat and hand than in the Double.
Execution
1. Rather than “curled around” on the inside
seat bone, the rider should sit level and balanced in the saddle, without
leaning or dropping onto the inside seat bone.
2. The horse’s nose is brought slightly to one
side, giving the horse a bend in that direction.
3. The rider’s leg on that side pushes the
horse’s haunches around in the other direction and the rider’s outside leg
catches this movement and moves the outside of the horse around the
inside. In this way the hindquarters
circle around the forehand, which moves around in one place, but does not move
forward. The inside foreleg should
either step in place or make a small circle while the outside foreleg steps in
a circle around it.
4. After the horse circles around 3 or 4 steps,
the rider should then walk the horse off onto a large circle.
This exercise is done from the halt. Where the intent of the Double and Turn on
Forehand is to get a stiff horse to bend its body, this exercise is useful for
horses that have too much bend in their bodies; it requires the horse keep its
body straight. With the horse held
straight at the halt, one hind leg is asked to come forward under the horse’s
body and move the haunches sideways. This
exercise can be used to move the haunches 90, 180 or even 360 degrees. I use it to move the haunches just 90 degrees.
Execution
1. The rider should be level and centered in the
saddle (equal weight on both seat bones).
2. The rider holds the horse’s neck and head
straight with the reins.
3. With the horse at the halt, the rider brings
one leg back enough to push the haunches 90 degree. The forehand should turn or rotate in place.
4. Once the horse has made the turn, the rider
walks the horse off on a straight line.
#5 WALKING THE SQUARE
This is a variation of Ranging the Haunches
(#4) in which the horse moves its haunches 90 degrees, walks forward, halts,
and again moves its haunches 90 degree in the same direction until they have
completed a square. It has the advantage
of not only bringing a hind leg forward under the body, but then also requiring
that it push the horse’s body straight forward.
Execution
1. The
execution of this exercise is same as #4 (Ranging the Haunches). Once the 90 degree turn is complete, the
rider asks the horse to walk straight forward a certain number of strides, halt
and then, again, move the haunches 90 degrees, repeating this until they have
completed a square.
2. A
variation of this would have the rider alternating the leg that moves the
horse’s body sideways, producing a left/right zig-zag type of movement.
The purpose of this exercise is two-fold—it
brings a horse’s trailing hind leg forward and then uses that leg to push the
horse sideways on a diagonal line. The
horse’s body is held straight in this exercise as it moves forward and
sideways. This is a good exercise for
bringing a hind leg straight forward in a horse that has too much bend in its
body. This exercise can be done in the
walk and the trot.
Execution
Because
a rider will be moving the horse sideways as well as forward, the rider sits
level, but weights the inside seat bone just enough to indicate to the horse
(along with inside leg pressure) that it should also move sideways as well as
forward. The horse must be held straight
by the rider’s outside rein and leg. The
inside rein will be responsible for placing the horse’s nose ever so slightly
to the inside without letting the horse pull on this rein. If the horse’s head is brought too far to the
inside, the rider will have difficulty keeping the horse’s body straight.
The rider’s legs will work alternately, the
inside one will move the horse to the side and the outside one will send the
horse forward. It is essentially “one
stride over/one stride forward”.
This is an exercise that is similar to the
leg yield in that it engages a hind leg and has the horse going sideways as
well as forward. However, this exercise
requires a bend in the body and is good for horses that are stiff in the
torso. It is an exercise that moves a
horse outward from a central point (small circle, Double, Turn on Forehand),
enlarging the circle as it goes. The
important aspect of this exercise is that it is the horse’s rib cage that must
lead the outward movement; neither the shoulders nor the haunches should lead.
This exercise can be done in the walk and trot.
Execution
This exercise needs to be started from some
movement that puts a bend in the horse’s body; a small circle, Double or Turn
on Forehand will do this. The rider
positions her body as if riding a circle, but her weight is more on the inside
seat bone since the rib cage should bend, or “bow out”, as the horse goes
sideways away from the pressure of the rider’s inside leg.
The rider’s inside rein holds the horse’s
head to the inside; the outside rein supports.
The rider’s outside leg, moved back, keeps the haunches in the bend.
#8 DOUBLE INTO
This is essentially a combination of two
exercises and works well with a horse that is very stiff in its torso, rather
than just moderately stiff. The Double
gives help in getting and holding a bend in the rib cage before asking for
sideways movement. If the horse loses
the bend as it starts to move sideways out of the Double, it will give a Leg
Yield. If it can keep the bend, it will
do a Spiral Out. Either is acceptable in
the first stages of remedial work, but, ultimately, you want the rider to be able
to hold the horse in a bend as it moves sideways. This exercise is done at the walk.
Execution
Once the horse has circled three or four times
in the Double with the inside hind leg crossing in front of the outside hind,
the rider will feel the horse soften its mouth and chew. When this happens, the rider will bring her
hand back to correct position above the saddle.
The rider should keep the horse’s nose slightly to the inside as she
moves the horse outward from the pressure of her inside leg and inside seat
bone. If the horse stiffens its mouth,
ceases to cross the inside hind leg under its body and walks straight forward,
the rider has lost the exercise. Have
the exercise repeated starting with a Double.
#9 TURN ON FOREHAND, TROT OUT
ONTO A BIG CIRCLE
This is a very effective exercise for
bringing a hind leg under a horse’s body and building strength in that hind leg
as it pushes off into a trot. With this
exercise the horse will go into the trot with a bend in its body and be
encouraged to stretch its neck and relax in the transition. This is a very good exercise for horses that
stiffen and raise their heads in the transition from the walk to the trot.
Execution
The Turn on Forehand is done in the same way
as in Exercise #3. After the rider feels
the horse cross a hind leg under its body two or three time, the rider times
the aids for going into the trot for the moment when the inside hind leg has
lifted off the ground, but before its comes back to the ground. In that way the horse will push into the trot
with that leg as it lands. As the horse
pushes into the trot, the rider guides it out onto a large circle without
losing the bend in its body. (This
circle is in the same direction as the forehand turn.) It’s the timing for the trot that is
important in this exercise. At first,
the horse may not be able to push right into the trot, there may be some walk
steps, but gradually the horse will build the strength to push straight into
the trot.
U-Turns are NOT turns on the haunches. (A turn on the haunch is a more advanced
exercise and one that I have not found to be appropriate for beginning remedial
work; their usefulness comes later.) The best way to describe this exercise is
as if you were driving down a road in your car, missed your turn and did a
U-turn in the middle of the highway.
It’s a tight 180 degree turn that stretches the outside of the body
around the inside; and is useful for very stiff, tight horses. It, like the Wandering Bend Changes, achieves
passive bending of one side of a horse’s body by stretching the other side
around it. These turns are very
effective at achieving definite, significant bends in the rib cage of horses
that are stiff in their torsos.
Execution
This exercise can be done in the walk or
trot. As in doing the Wandering Bend
Changes, the rider uses her outside aids (leg, hip and torso) to turn the
horse. The rider first moves the horse
forward on a straight line. The rider
sits level—equal weight on each seat bone.
The rider starts the turn with her head, allowing it to draw the outside
of her body around in the direction she wants to turn. The tighter she rotates her body, the tighter
the horse’s turn will be. (I tell riders
to turn until they are looking over the horse’s tail.) The rider does not weight the inside seat
bone—that would give the horse a signal to move sideways and that would
conflict with the purpose of the exercise.
When the rider’s head has drawn her body (and the horse’s body) around
180 degrees and they are facing in the opposite direction, the rider moves the
horse forward on a straight line and then repeats the exercise. For horses that are stiff turning in both
directions, you would have the rider alternate the directions in which they
turn the horse. If a horse had
difficulties turning to just one side, you would have the rider do this
exercise in just that one direction.
This is a very effective exercise for horses
that fall heavily onto one foreleg and are not able to bring that shoulder up
and balance it with the other shoulder.
The rib cage will tilt to one side (the side of the low shoulder) and
the haunches will usually swing to the other side. In this configuration of the body, the
shoulder blades are out of balance, with one more advanced and the other
retracted on the surface of the ribs, and the horse falls onto this retracted
shoulder. This exercise moves the horse’s
haunches back to the line of travel, balances the positions of the shoulder
blades, elevates the dropped shoulder and sends the horse forward. This exercise can be done at the walk and
trot.
Execution
To explain this exercise, I’ll describe it
for a horse that drops its right shoulder and the haunches swing to the left.
The rider starts the horse on a large circle
to the right. The rider rotates her body
to the left (the outside) and brings the horse’s head and neck to the
left. The rider’s body and the horse’s
head and neck will be positioned as if riding a circle to the left. The rider puts extra weight on her outside
hip and stirrup and then use the left leg and hip to
drive the energy of the left hind leg (the outside) toward the right (inside)
shoulder. The combination of the rider’s
position and the drive from the left (outside) hind to the right (inside)
foreleg will swing the haunches back to center, release the stiffness along the
outside of the horse’s rib cage and elevate the inside shoulder. When the rider feels that happen, she should
hold the horse’s body in that left bend.
The horse should be able to keep this right shoulder elevated for a few
strides. When the shoulder again drops
and the haunches swing to the outside of the circle, the rider should repeat
the exercise. This exercise, if used
consistently, will gradually rebalance the shoulders and straighten the horse.
#12 SHOULDER TUCKS (bend changes behind the shoulders)
Some riders may recognize this exercise as
one similar to a Shoulder Fore often used in training dressage horses. It is similar and much of its intent is the
same. Read my directions for its
execution carefully—they are different from those commonly given for Shoulder
Fore by dressage instructors.
Shoulder Tucks are used to achieve muscle
releases and improved mobility for horses that are stiff in front of the
saddle. Normally, a horse traveling on a
straight line should have its shoulders positioned directly across from each
other, but that is often not the case; or both shoulder blades could be tight,
with restricted mobility. In a Shoulder
Tuck the shoulder blades will be asked to change their position on one side, then
the other, as the muscles in the forehand alternately contract and extend. The contraction of these muscles over the
front portion of the rib cage, combined with the shifting of the shoulder blade
positions, will release tension in these forehand muscles. These Shoulder Tucks, using alternate
shifting of the shoulders from left to right, will release this area of the
shoulders laterally, increase the mobility of the forehand and prepare for
longitudinal stretching of the horse’s body.
This exercise can be done at the walk or trot.
Execution
Shoulder Tucks are done on a straight line
and it will probably be easier for many riders to first do them along a fence
line. The portion of the horse’s body
behind the saddle will be held straight by the rider’s legs. The rider’s weight remains equally
distributed as she rotates her body (pelvis, torso and head) in the direction
away from the fence line—toward the inside of the ring. The rider brings the horse’s nose in that
direction—the horse’s neck being stretched around to the inside. With the back portion of the horse held
straight and the front of the horse bent to the inside, the rider’s outside leg
and hip will push the horse’s body straight forward along the fence line. The rider should not put extra weight on the
inside seat bone; this extra weight on the inside seat bone would have a
tendency to push the horse’s body sideways, making it more difficult for the
rider’s outside aids to push the horse forward.
The rider’s body rotation turns the horse’s shoulders to the inside
while the rider’s outside leg and hip keeps the back portion of the horse
(behind the saddle) going forward. The
exercise should be done in both directions along a fence line. Once the horse and rider can do this along a
fence line, have them do it away from a fence, where they can alternate the
shoulder bends.
This exercise loosens various stiff areas of
a horse’s neck, especially the base of the neck where it joins the
shoulders. In addition to loosening the
muscles that join the shoulders and neck, this exercise will also mobilize the
joint that connects the last neck vertebra to the vertebra of the first
rib. This is the most mobile joint in a
horse’s body and, when fully flexible, can enable a horse to move its neck in a
complete circular motion. Though there
can be restrictions in any of the joints of the neck, there are two other
places where major restrictions can occur.
The first is at the poll where the 1st vertebra (Atlas) joins
the skull. The other occurs between the
3rd and 4th cervical vertebrae. This is the junction between two major
muscles that control and support the neck vertebrae—the Splenius and the
cervical Serratus.
Execution
This exercise is done at a halt. The rider sits square and balanced in the
saddle and her legs hold the horse’s body straight.
For poll restrictions:
1. The
rider takes contact with one rein in order to stabilize and support the horse’s
neck. This becomes the outside rein.
2. The
rider’s other hand moves outward, away from their body, just enough to bring
the horse’s head around to where the rider can see the horse’s eye. The outside rein gives enough to allow the
horse to turn its head in response to the movement of the inside hand.
3. The
rider will hold the horse’s head in that position for a few moments, and then
allow it to return to center. Repeat
this a few times, and then ask the horse to turn its head in the other
direction.
For restrictions between the 3rd
and 4th vertebrae (the middle of the neck), the rider follows the
steps described above except that the rider’s hand will lead the horse’s head
around to the side a little more, enough to get a bend in the middle of the
neck. The horse should be stretching the
outside of its neck around to the inside without twisting its head. The rider may have to experiment with hand
position in order to achieve this.
To mobilize the joint and muscles at the base
of the horse’s neck where it joins the rib cage, the rider would bring her hand
out and around enough to get a bend at the base of the neck. The other side (the outside) should have a
long smooth stretch to it. You do not
want the rider to bring her hand around to her knee as that would cause the
horse’s head to twist at the poll.
For each of these neck positions, the rider
will alternate moving the head both left and right. Each time the horse brings its head to a
side, it should release tension in its neck and lower its head slightly. By gently moving the neck back and forth in
this manner, the rider should gradually get the horse to lower its neck more
and more.
Tightness in a horse’s jaw and mouth can
stiffen its whole body. This exercise
will release that tension in much the same way that your massage work did on
the jaw, poll and throat.
Execution
This exercise is done at a halt. The rider sits square and balanced in the
saddle and her legs keep the horse straight.
The rider would stabilize the horse’s neck between the two reins, then
gently raise one hand to a position where the corner of the horse’s mouth is
lifted by the bit. Hold the pressure
until the horse yields and moves the corner of its mouth. The moment the horse gives to the pressure,
the rider releases the pressure. If the
horse is so tight in its mouth and jaw that it cannot release to the rider’s
pressure, the rider should release and then try again, perhaps “wiggle” the bit
lightly or try the other side of the mouth first. The release that the horse gives will occur
in the jaw joint as well as in the muscles of the mouth. I call this “making the horse smile”. How high the rider will have to hold her hand
in order to lift the corner of the mouth instead of pulling back on the lips
will depend on how high the horse holds it head.
There is another jaw and mouth release. This one will have the rider lift her hand
and bring it toward her opposite shoulder.
This position tilts the head as the corner of the mouth is lifted. This lift affects the poll as well as the jaw
joint and mouth muscles and is useful for horses that are stiff in the poll as
well as the jaw and mouth muscles.
If a horse is particularly stiff on one side
of its mouth, you might have the rider do more poll and jaw releases on that
side, but when a horse is stiff and heavy on one side of its mouth and leans on
the bit it will usually not want to take enough contact with the other side of
its mouth, so there is a definite advantage to doing this exercise from both
sides.
ASSIGNMENT
I have placed great emphasis on increasing
your awareness of what is happening in a horse’s body; as one student put
it—“I’m learning to “see” what I’m seeing.”
Understanding what is happening in a body
is much easier if we have a good understanding of habitual use-patterns and
muscle memory and how they affect our bodies.
These patterns become so ingrained in a body’s muscle memory they can
close off the possibilities of moving in other ways. In the current vernacular, the subconscious
closes off the ability to “think outside of the box”. When we are unaware of how we do things (on
automatic pilot) we cannot make changes, and this limits our choices.
This is equally true for our horses. An important aspect of remedial exercises is
that they change muscle memory and habitual use patterns as they retrain the
body. Much of what horses do, they do
because “that’s the way they learned to do it”; and horses are just as
reluctant to make changes as people are.
In order to help horses change the way
they use their bodies, it helps if we can recognize habitual use-patterns are
in our own lives.
ASSIGNMENT:
There are two parts to the
assignment.
PART A
This
part of the assignment asks you to do some simple activities, but in the
non-habitual way. I want you to write
reports on each of these, describing your feelings about the change. Describe any physical problems you may have
had. Describe how your mind, as well as
your body, felt about these exercises.
Which were the easiest to change?
Which were the hardest? I also
want you to see if you can recognize some of your own personal habitual
patterns; describe them and how it felt to change them.
Send your
detailed report to: Horsemassage100@gmail.com
In
the following activities, first do them the way you usually do, note how you do
them—think about what you’re doing. Then
go back and do them in reverse.
1.
How
do you lace the fingers of your hands together?
Which thumb is on the outside?
Reverse this, lace your fingers so that the other thumb is on the
outside.
2.
In
which direction do you stir your tea or coffee?
Reverse and stir in the other direction.
3.
Which
eye do you close when you wink? Wink with
the other eye.
4.
Reverse
your knife and fork when you eat.
5.
When
you start to walk, which foot takes the first step? Walk, starting with the other foot.
6.
When
you kneel, which leg goes down first?
When you get up, which leg goes up first? Reverse this.
7.
When
you tie shoe laces, note which lace you loop over the other. Reverse this.
8.
How
do you cross your legs when sitting on the floor? Which leg is on top? Cross them the other way. How do you cross your arms in front of your
body? Cross them the other way.
9.
If
you were walking away from someone and they asked you to turn around, do you
turn to the left or right? Turn in the
other direction.
10.
Mount and dismount a horse from the “off” side.
11.
Put a bridle on a horse from the “other side”.
12.
How did your horse react to #10 and #11?
13. Our most basic habitual patterns are
determined by whether we are right of left handed. Do the following with the “other” hand.
Write your name
Brush your teeth
Beat an egg
14.
Explore some of the simple everyday things that you do. Can you find some of your own habitual
use-patterns? Describe them.
PART B
In
lesson 7 you were asked to do your third massage on a horse that had some type
of obvious problem. I would like for you
to pick out two exercises from this lesson that you believe would help this
horse in its rehabilitation, and explain why you believe they would be of value
Send your
detailed report to: Horsemassage100@gmail.com
Many
of the problems you will deal with will involve making changes in the way a
horse has become accustomed to using its body.
An understanding of how you can use these concepts of muscle memory and
habitual use patterns when choosing and working with the remedial exercises
will enhance your success in your massage work.