LESSON FOUR

I. Taking a History

II. Body Reading

III. Assignment

Lessons two and three have provided information about the horse’s skeletal and muscular anatomy, movement patterns and some of the stresses and problems that can affect horses based on the work they do.

This lesson focuses on the individual horse, evaluating its body and movement, discovering its problems, and formulating a plan of approach for its massage.

Equine massage is much more than just knowing massage techniques and how to use them on the different parts of a horse’s body. The most effective massages are done by people with good powers of observation that have been sharpened by an in-depth education that allows them to see where the problems are and how these problems spread out and affect other parts of the horse’s body.

I. TAKING A HISTORY

To be the most effective, you will need to start with as clear a picture of a horse’s problems as possible. To do that you will need as much information as you can get about a horse’s past history—even events and injuries from years before can affect what you’re seeing today.

Here is a list of important information to secure.

1. What are the age, breed and gender of the horse?

2. How is the horse used?

3. What kind of problem does the horse have?

4. How long has the problem been apparent?

5. Was there a precipitating factor that the owner knows about, or did the problem come on gradually?

6. Were there any past injuries or illness that could have contributed to the problem?

7. Has the horse been examined by a veterinarian? If “yes,” what was the conclusion and recommendation of the veterinarian?

8. Is the horse on any medications?

The age, breed and gender of the horse will have an affect on the horse’s reaction to massage and body work. The horse’s age can have a bearing on how easily the muscles respond to massage. Older horse’s bodies find it more difficult to let go of holding patterns and muscle tension than the bodies of younger horses. Sometimes younger horses are not as easy to handle as an adult horse.

Breed characteristics can affect muscle density and sensitivity to touch, and this will affect which massage techniques will be the most effective.

Gender will often determine how tractable a horse may be to being touched on various parts of its body.

The kind of work a horse does will have a significant influence on the types of injuries and muscle problems a horse may have.

You will want to encourage the owner to give you as much information as possible, not just about the immediate problem. You’ll want to know anything they can think of that might relate to the problem, even if it happened a number of years earlier. I have often been surprised at how some small piece of information about something that happened years before can make perfect sense for what I’m seeing in the horse today.

How long the problem has been going on will give you some idea of how far out from the original injury site the compensations have extended into the movement patterns, and set up muscle tensions in other parts of the body. (I will go into the time it takes for muscles injuries to affect other areas of the body in a later lesson.)

Any information the owner can give you about how the problem started will help your understanding of the complexity of the problem. A simple muscle pull or strain that the owner saw happen or noticed almost immediately will be far easier to resolve than something that came on gradually and the owner can’t remember any precipitating incident. If the owner feels that the injury came on gradually, you can be fairly certain that the problem had been present and building for some time and will have set up compensations in other parts of the body that will also have to be released. All of this will take longer to resolve.

You’ll want to know of any recent injuries or illness of a veterinary nature. Often, with veterinary problems, getting a horse through a serious injury or illness is the major concern; at that time no one is thinking about muscle spasms and compensation that have almost certainly occurred. The horse recovers, but never seems to move as well as before. This can be a classic signal that the horse has muscle problems and needs body work.

Any time you are asked to look at a horse that is not moving well or seems quite sore, it is always possible to misinterpret what you are seeing. I am always more comfortable if a vet has seen the horse first and ruled out any problems that require veterinary care. If I do work on a horse that seems particularly sore or stiff and has not been seen by a vet, I have a basic rule that I follow: if the horse shows improvement with each massage, then I’m reassured that massage is the appropriate approach for the horse’s problem. If, after one or two massages, there is no improvement or the horse actually seems worse, I immediately suggest that the owner have a vet look at the horse before proceeding with any more massage.

It is important to know if the horse is being given any kinds of medications. Often, vets will prescribe muscle relaxants for horses that are sore. There are times when a horse may be so sore that immediate relief is crucial, but muscle relaxants are not the final answer.

Muscle relaxants relax all of the muscles in the body, not specific muscles, and when they wear off all of the muscles return to their prior state of tension. The acute pain may have abated, but the tensions and spasms that provoked the acute pain are still there and could flare up again at any time.

In addition to muscle relaxants, any medication that masks or relieves inflammation or soreness, such as “bute” or Banamine, presents you with a problem of reading the body tensions and soreness correctly. I do not believe it is appropriate to do massage on a horse that is on these kinds of medications for a veterinary problems, or even medications that an owner has given a horse on their own.

II. BODY READING

Once the basic history has been taken, you will want to do a “body reading”.

We know that the different breeds of horses have recognizable characteristics, many of which have come about by selective breeding to produce the type of horse the breeders are looking for. We get accustomed to looking at these horses and judging their conformation by a “breed standard”. But there is another standard - a biomechanical standard. It is this standard that I’m asking students to see in their evaluations of a horse’s skeletal and muscular conformation.

A horse’s balance, both longitudinal and lateral, is dependent upon its bony skeleton and how those bones are held together by the muscles. This is “anatomical balance; this is the standard I want students to use when they evaluate, not a breed standard. (Review lesson two.)

Let's talk about anatomical balance in relation to a horse’s lateral balance. It is easy to understand. The body has identical muscles on the two sides of its body. To be balanced laterally, these muscles must have the same degree of capacity for contraction and extension. This is the standard with which I judge a horse’s capacity for lateral balance.

Longitudinal balance is more complicated. In lesson two I described a horse as having two legs and two arms (the front legs). In human, our legs are longer than our arms; this is also true of horses – their legs (hind legs) are longer than their arms (front legs). Because horses use their arms (front legs) for support and movement rather than grasping and holding, they are actually moving with two of their “legs” (the front legs) shorter than the other two (hinds). It is upon this fact that classical training is based. It is why we attempt to get more bend in the joints of the hind legs, allowing us to “shorten” these hind legs and move weight to the hindquarters while working to maximize the stretch of the forehand.

So, when I’m asking students to evaluate a horse’s longitudinal balance, I’m asking them to first look at the difference in the length of hind and front legs. When doing this, I measure the front leg height from the elbow joint to the ground and the hind leg height from the stifle joint (the little dip just below the point of the stifle) to the ground. There is always going to be a difference; how much difference is what will affect the horse’s balance from front to rear (longitudinal balance).

This leg difference is also going to have a major affect on a horse’s top line – the longer the hind legs, the more difficult it will be for a horse to contract its abdominal and chest muscles and support its top line.

Horses have their own ways of adjusting their bodies to accommodate to this imbalance. Sometimes a horse will simply allow its weight to settle into its lower forehand. The average western pleasure quarter horse, with its heavy, dense muscles, is an example of this solution to the forehand/hindquarter imbalance. This solution will restrict forward movement and shorten a horse’s stride.

Horses with lighter muscle density (Thoroughbreds and Arabs are the usual examples) will often raise their head and neck in an attempt to balance their forehand with the hindquarters. When this happens, they create an imbalance between the muscles of their belly line and their top line. The flexors of their belly/chest line extend when they should be contracting and the extensor muscles of their top line contract when they should be lengthening. When this happens, there are problems that occur and interfere with correct training. Some common ones that we may see are ewe neck, sway back, flat croup, a “dip” in front of the withers, a sharp angle behind the withers, or lack of poll flexion. There are some other ways that horses may organize their bodies to accommodate for this imbalance in leg length. One of these will see horses stand with their hind legs behind the vertical; in this way they shorten the distance from the stifle to the ground.

These adjustments will put stresses in various areas of the body where stress wouldn’t occur if the horse’s body was in better balance. (Review anatomical balance in lesson 2.) So, when we look at aspects of a horse’s conformation (skeletal and muscular), these adjustments will give us important clues as to where a horse’s body will experience stress and strains. These shifts in body posture caused by conformation can also be compounded by the type of work we ask horses to do as well as residual effects from prior injuries.

If we can understand how a horse deviates from “anatomical balance”, we can address our massage work to areas of the body that are the most susceptible to balance problems. In this way we see the horse’s body in biomechanical terms and we can help keep the horse comfortable and prevent injuries. This is why it is important to judge a horse’s conformation against the “anatomical standard”, not a breed standard.

As you go through the lists of various aspects of conformation to notice and evaluate, remember that evaluating them is important, but equally important is using all of this information with reference to anatomical balance in order to give you a picture of the “whole” horse. You will be doing your massage work on specific areas of the body, but your goal is to affect the whole horse and bring it back into anatomical balance. It is this concept that sets this massage course apart from other equine massage courses.

How a horse organizes its body as it stands and moves will give you a great deal of information about the kinds of stresses and imbalances that you will find in the horse’s body. The way the horse looks, the way its muscles have developed, the way it carries itself and moves will provide information that will have a bearing on a horse’s problems.

EVALUATING THE HORSE STANDING STILL

Throughout this portion of the lesson, I’ll be posing questions for you to think about. I am not expecting that you give me answers. The intent is to get you thinking about a subject so later we can have a conversation about these things. It will be beneficial to review the portions of lesson two that discuss anatomical balance and agonist/antagonist pairs.

Before you begin your evaluation, stand back and look at a horse’s over-all outline and conformation. Do the different parts look like they belong together, or do some parts look like they could belong to different horses? Does the muscle development of the forehand and hindquarters match, or is one more developed than the other? Which do you see as the more developed?

Does the length of the legs harmonize with the length and size of the horse’s body, or is it a long-backed horse with short legs or a short-backed horse with very long legs? How do you think either of these would affect movement and choice of job for a horse?

Does the neck harmonize with the rest of the horse, or is it too short and heavy, or too slender and under-developed for the rest of the horse’s body? Is the head in proportion to the rest of the horse’s body?

Keep your first impressions in mind as you begin to look at specifics of conformation.

SIGNPOST FOR LONGITUDINAL BALANCE

First, and most important, note the difference between front leg and hind leg lengths. You do this by noting the length of the front legs from the point of the elbow to the ground, and the hind legs from the stifle joint (where the femur and the tibia meet) to the ground. The front legs are going to be shorter than the hinds (remember, they are really arms), but this difference will vary from horse to horse, and often there will be enough of a difference to make more than the normal weight and stress placed on the forehand.

The greater the difference between the leg lengths, the greater the stress on the forehand. Try visualizing the horse you are looking as if it had longer or shorter front legs. Can you think of ways that this difference could affect movement and performance? Rather than the front legs being unusually short, leg length difference could also come from hind legs that are longer than average, especially in the length of the cannon bones. Whatever the reason, the greater the difference in length between the two, the harder it is for the front and rear of the horse to balance.

This discrepancy will usually result in additional weight being put on the forehand, but there is a way in which a horse can adjust this balance. A horse can position its hind legs out behind its body – this will lower the stifle joint and bring the hindquarters into a better balance with the forelegs. Can you think of ways in which this stance would affect the horse’s body?

Does the bottom of the rib cage appear to be level with the ground, or does the front of the rib cage tilt downward? If this is the case it can indicate a lack of strength in the pectoral muscles that support the front of the rib cage. Do you think this could be another way in which the forehand weight would be increased?

Notice the basic body build of the horse. Is it tight and compact with heavy muscle development, or long and lean? Is this consistent with the kind of work the horse does?

A tight, compact look indicates the muscle’s capacity for contraction is greater than for extension.

A long, lean look indicates that the muscles have a greater range for extension than contraction.

Think of the western pleasure horse as compared to the Thoroughbred race horse. Each muscular configuration has its own problems, but the muscle development should be consistent with the work the horse is asked to do. If not, it is the equivalent of trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Do you think this could produce stress and soreness in muscles?

Is there a consistency to the over-all muscle development throughout the horse’s body, or do the parts look like they could have come from different horse? Is one part of the horse more developed or less developed than other parts? Do the forehand and haunches look like they belong together? Variations of this kind will be a good indication of which parts of the body are working harder than the others. This difference in development will produce muscle tension in the over-developed areas and the under-developed areas will be weak.

Have you ever notice that one common combination is a well-muscled forehand with weak hindquarters. How do you think this could affect movement?

Now look at the relationship between the shoulder angle and the hip angle. (The spine of the scapula will define the shoulder angle, and a line from the point of the hip (tuber coxae) to the hip joint will give you the hip angle.) The closer these angles match, the better will be the balance between the front and rear portions of the horse. However, it is not the norm for these two angles to be the same, so the degree of variation between these two will be a good indication of the horse’s front to rear balance.

Try to visualize a horse where these angles are the same; then visualize one where they are very different? How do you see these different angles affecting a horse’s balance? Try visualizing extending these two lines above the horse’s body until they intersect – could this point be an indicator of where a horse’s center of balance is?

Do the legs support the shoulders and haunches correctly?

The fore legs should be perpendicular to the ground, under the shoulder and fully supporting the shoulder weight.

The hind feet should be under the hip joints – allowing them to support the weight of the haunches correctly.

Can you visualize how deviations from these positions could put strains on the surrounding muscles and cause soreness. What do you think could happen to stifle joints if the hind legs are positioned out behind the horse’s body? What happens to the forehand weight if the horse’s forelegs are behind vertical – or if they are out in front of vertical?

Now look at the back muscles – are they long and “stringy” or round and “meaty”?

Does the back dip or perhaps even look really sway-backed?

Poorly developed back muscles are over-contracted muscles that are tight and can be quite sore. This contraction of the back muscles is called hyper-extension and will be accompanied by weak abdominal muscles that are long and extended and do not contract properly. An important part of correcting this problem of tight back muscles will be the strengthening of the abdominal muscles after the contractions of the back muscles have been released.

What kinds of things can you imagine doing that would help strengthen the abdominal muscles?

A different problem that you may see with back muscles is over-development. Can you see how such a horse could be stiff both laterally and longitudinally?

The best back conformation will be somewhere between the extremes. A good back will be supported by good abdominal muscles and will provide a good support surface for a saddle.

Horses that are difficult to fit with saddles are ones that have problems with their back muscles.

Notice how the withers tie into the horse’s back. Is this a long, gradual connection, or is there a sharp dip or angular look to the connection? Do the withers seem to “drop off” suddenly? Can you see how a sharp angle where the withers and back muscles merge could indicate a serious restriction between the forehand and the back? Could this make the long back muscles stiff and tight? How do you think this type of connection could affect longitudinal balance and movement? Can you imagine how a horse with an angular junction between the withers and back muscles could have difficulty lifting both its chest and the portion of its back that is under the saddle?

Notice the condition of the loins. In a horse that has good back muscles, this area should be smooth and flat and merge smoothly with the thoracic portion of the back. Is this true of the horse you are evaluating? The loins should have the same muscle development as the rest of the back. Sometimes, however, they look under-developed and angular in relationship to the rest of the back, or may even have a “dip”. How do you think a dip in the loins could affect the raising and stretching of the long back muscles?

Perhaps the horse you are looking at has lumbar vertebrae that are “bony” and prominent – what do you think this might say about flexibility in the loins? Do you think tightness in these loin muscles could inhibit the lowering of the haunches and affect the ability of the hind legs to reach under the torso to give support and facilitate engagement?

The muscles over the top of the haunches should look round and well developed if they are being used correctly; flatness of the areas above the hip joints (gluteals) will indicate that the horse’s hind legs are not coming up under the haunches to sufficiently support the hindquarters. “Fat pads” on either side of the base of the tail will indicate that the horse’s hindquarters are tight and the hind legs do not have a good range of movement.

There are two serious problems that you may see in the haunches. One is a croup bone that is very prominent and angular. This is often referred to as “goose rump”. It is actually a case of the sacrum having been pushed up and out of position at the joint where it connects to the last lumbar vertebra. This makes it almost impossible for the lumbar/sacral joint to work correctly.

Many horses have a steep croup angle, but a steep croup angle is not a “goose rump” unless the joint between the last lumbar vertebra and the sacrum is jammed together.

The other serious hindquarter problem you may see is a “dropped hip”, or “knocked-down” hip.

To evaluate this condition, stand behind the horse. From this position you will be able to see if one side of the haunches is lower than the other. You will also see a lack of muscle development on this lowered side so that it looks flat and angular in contrast to the other side which will have a rounded contour.

Both conditions are serious and should be considered a chiropractic or veterinary problem.

Notice how the horse carries its tail? What kind of information do you think tail carriage can give you about the muscle tone of the hindquarters? If the tail is held high and stiff, would you suspect stiffness and nervous tension in the horse? How do you think this tail carriage would affect the horse’s use of its hind legs? How would this position affect the horse’s ability to lower its pelvis as the hind legs swing forward; would the legs just swing from the hip joints?

If the tail is held tight and clamped down close against the buttocks, what would this indicate to you about the muscle tone of the rest of the buttocks? Could this be an indication of tight muscles in the hindquarters that will affect the length of hind leg stride?

If the tail hung limp and weak, with little response to your touch, what would this tell you about the strength or weakness of the hindquarters? If a tail is consistently cocked to one side, this should give you some information about the horse’s lateral as well as longitudinal balance; how do you think this would affect the balance in the hindquarter muscles?

Good tone in tail muscles will allow you to move it around, but it won’t feel weak and floppy. When watching a horse move at a walk and trot, you should see the tail move softly from side to side as the hind legs swing forward.

Notice the set of the neck – is it high, low or average? Muscle development and stresses in the body will differ depending upon whether the horse’s neck is set unusually high or low. Can you visualize how the way a horse’s neck comes out of the forehand can have an effect on its balance? Do you see how this can give you indications about the kinds of muscle tensions and stiffness you may find in the neck and the back?

Do you think that a low neck set could be a component of the problems that affect horses that are heavy on the forehand? Do you think a low neck set could constrict shoulder movement? What could be the results of a neck set that is too high? Do you think this could stiffen a horse’s back?

If there are hollows on the sides of the neck just in front of the shoulders, what do you think this could tell you about the condition of the cervical serratus muscles. Can you see how tightness here could make it difficult for the neck to stretch properly through the crest line?

Is there an arch to the crest line of the neck, or is it flat and straight; or perhaps it has a downward curve (ewe-necked)? A sharp dip in the crest line, just in front of the withers, indicates a horse that braces its neck in an upward arc (ewe-necked, above the bit). Can you see how a horse with this kind of neck constriction could have difficulties stretching and arching its neck outward and downward? Can you see how this would affect acceptance of the bit and how it would make it difficult for a horse to lift its back?

Is there poll flexion? A stiff poll can stiffen a horse throughout its entire body. It is even possible that areas in the back and hindquarters that show a lack of muscle development could be a result of stiffness in the poll.

Test for this by standing in front of the horse, put your hand on its nose and push lightly. It the horse pushes back against your hand or backs away from the pressure, it means that the poll is tight and the horse cannot yield at the poll to pressure. If the horse yields its head softly and nods to your pressure, then poll flexion is present.

Horses that crib will almost always have problems with poll flexion because the muscles in the throat are tight and rigid. Massage cannot cure a horse of cribbing, but bodywork in the throat and poll areas can loosen these constrictions and allow poll flexion on a temporary basis.

If all of the longitudinal balance indicators are good, there should be a “flow” to the top line of the horse’s body, without sharp angles, depressed areas or other interruptions of the line. Interruptions in the flow are indicators of where you can expect to find tight or sore muscles.

SIGNPOST FOR LATERAL BALANCE

In this portion of your evaluation you will be comparing the two sides of the horse.

In the evaluation of longitudinal balance you looked at the body’s muscle development and stance from the relationship of the front legs to the hind legs. In evaluating lateral balance you will look at the relationship of a leg to its counterpart on the other side, comparing forelegs to each other and hind legs to each other.

All muscles that are part of lateral pairs should have the same size, density and muscle development. Uneven lateral muscle development indicates that a horse is asymmetrical (crooked); sometimes only mildly, sometimes quite severe. The following suggested observations should give indications of the degree.

In evaluating lateral balance the most important thing you should notice is how a horse positions its legs when standing at ease.

Can you see that how a horse habitually stands can give you information about how the legs support the body’s weight? If a horse stands “square”, what do you think that would tell you about its weight distribution?

If one front leg was positioned in front or behind the vertical, how do you think this would affect the weight distribution of the shoulders? If one hind leg is in front or behind the other, how do you think this would affect the balance and weight distribution of the hindquarters?

Do all of the horse’s legs and feet point straight forward or is there an outward or inward rotation? How do you think the turn-out of a leg (front or hind) would affect a horse’s lateral balance? Do you think this would throw more weight onto that side; or do you think it might force more weight onto another leg?

Can you visualize how a rotation, either inward or outward, could alter the balance and muscle tension of the shoulders (if a front leg) or a haunch (if a hind leg)?

In the forehand, if one front leg turned out from the top of the leg (at the elbow) how do you think this would affect the elbow joint? Do you think this could affect the movement of the shoulders? If both front legs turned out from the elbow joints, can you see how this could set up tension in the chest and around the elbows? Do you think this could restrict the forward swing of the front legs?

In the hindquarters, how do you think weight distribution would be affected if one hind leg turned out? Do you think this kind of asymmetrical leg placement could have any affect on muscle balance in the torso? How do you think this would affect the horse’s ability to bend to left and right?

If both hind legs rotate outward, can you see how they will swing along the outside of a horse’s barrel as they come forward? Think about how this might affect the use of the abdominal muscles. Would this allow or prevent the horse from bringing its hind legs up under its torso (engagement/collection) and support the rider’s weight? How do you think this will affect lateral flexibility?

Notice if the horse shifts its weight from one hind leg to the other while it stands, or props one hind leg up. This is common in many horses. It may be common, but it is not normal for a well balanced horse to do this. What do you think this shifting of weight can tell you about muscle balance and tension in the hindquarters? Do you think it is more likely that a well balanced horse will be comfortable when standing square and not feel a need to shift its weight around?

If a shifting of the horse’s weight is in the front legs, what would be your first thoughts? Is it possible that this could indicate some kind of serious problem in the front feet?

Since the rotation of a leg/legs (inward or outward) will affect the balance of the muscles above it, do you think this could set up lines of imbalances that could travel through the body to areas further away? To get a feel for this try duplicating with your own body some of the things you are seeing in the horse’s stance and conformation as was suggested in the lesson 3 assignment.

Look at the muscle development on the sides of the withers and shoulders. Feel the two sides. Does one seem bigger than the other? Differences in wither and shoulder development will usually be associated with a tilt of the rib cage. It is common for the rib cage to have a tilt to one side (usually the withers will tilt to the right); this tilt is normally slight, but sometimes is quite noticeable. When this tilt is present, usually the muscles on the right side of the torso will be contracted and those on the left side will be in extension. How would you be able to recognize this problem in a horse? How do you think this would affect a horse’s ability to bend to the left? How do you think it could affect a horse when going to the right?

Looking at a horse from the front, ask yourself if the shoulders appear to be the same size and shape. Are the shoulder joints (point of shoulder) on the same level, or is one lower than the other? What kinds of problems could you expect to see in a horse’s lateral balance and movement if these are different? Is it possible that the shoulders could be different because the rib cage is not level? Do you think the shoulders could be different if there is a difference in the length of the front legs; or could a difference in leg length be caused by differences in the feet? If the feet are the same size and shape, but the knees are not the same distance from the ground, what would that suggest about the length of the cannon bones?

Feel the two sides of the neck. Do the vertebrae on one side seem more prominent than on the other side? Do you think that an imbalance here could affect lateral balance; could it also affect longitudinal balance?

Notice if the horse’s head faces straight forward or does it turn slightly to one side? If a horse tilts its head so that the ears are not level, what do you think this could tell you about imbalances in the muscles of the poll, jaw joint and throat? Can you see any correlation between uneven head placement and imbalances in the rest of the body?

As you evaluate the horse from the rear, two important things to notice are the size and shape of the hindquarter muscles and the position of the point of the hip on the two sides. Are the muscles across the top of the haunches (gluteals) even in size and shape, or is one side smooth and round while the other is flat and angular? Can you think of some reasons why these muscles could be different? Could imbalances in the muscles here be related to the placement of the hind legs and the way they support the hindquarter weight?

Does one hip appear to be lower than the other? If the hindquarters are not level, can you visualize how that could affect the straightness, balance and movement of all parts of the horse all the way to its nose?

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS IN BODY READING

Look for abnormalities in the bony structure, especially in the legs.

If there are any, ask the owner about them – what happened to cause them? Do you think that all “lumps” and “bumps” will be of equal importance or would lumps and bumps around joints be more important than those in other places? Could any abnormalities around joints be a cause of movement problems or pain? (If you are not sure how the abnormalities will affect movement, this should become clearer to you when you do the movement evaluation.)

Are the legs straight or crooked? Do all of the bones of the legs line up vertically or are some off-set at the various joints, especially at the knees and fetlocks. Try to visualize how any deviations in the “line-up” of the leg bones can affect movement. Can you see how these could create muscle tensions or soreness in the body?

The shape and condition of the feet will be a major contributing factor for horses being sore in many areas of their bodies. Lesson 5 will deal with the feet in more detail, but you will want to notice them in your body reading.

It is common for horses that are hurting to also show mental tensions, so as you are looking at the physical aspect of a horse, you will also want to be aware of its disposition and attitude. Does the horse seem nervous, fearful, uncomfortable or defensive? My experience has shown that much of the time these negative traits will improve or even disappear as the horse’s body begins to feel better.

I’ve asked you to think about many different things in your body reading of a horse and all of this information may seem like a lot to absorb, but I think that you will find that one area flows into the next. Eventually you see most of it in a glance and evaluate problem areas quickly.

Simply try to notice what looks out of place and interrupts the flow, or doesn’t seem to match. As you practice, you will find that the things that cause a break in the flow or catch your attention are the places where you’ll find the problems.

Evaluating the Horse As It Moves

Once you’ve finished your evaluation of the horse standing, you’ll want to see it moving. In describing how you evaluate a horse as it moves, I’ll be describing what you would want to see if the horse was moving correctly, trying to give you a picture of the “ideal”. Compare the idea with what you’re actually seeing. I will also describe a number of deviations from this ideal because they are quite common, but some times what you’ll see doesn’t fall into a neat category. When this happens, you’ll know something is wrong and you’ll have a pretty good idea of where you’ll need to start your massage. You will see that many of the things you noticed in your evaluation of the horse standing, will manifest themselves even more as the horse moves.

When the appointment to massage the horse was first made, you should have requested that the horse not be longed or exercised ahead of time. Muscle problems usually improve as the muscles warm up, and you need to see the full extent of the problems. You need to see the horse at its “worst”. Also, ask that the horse not be bathed; and no Show Sheen or coat conditioners applied. If the coat is too soft and slippery, your fingers will just slide over the surface.

Your first decision will be what method to use to see the horse moving. Many veterinarians, when doing a lameness exam, watch the horse moving on a straight line, usually going away from and coming towards them. But I want to see the over-all movement of the entire horse. I’m not just looking at leg soundness; the things I want to see can best be seen by looking at a horse from the side. My preference is to see a horse moving on a circle. This gives me a chance to see a continuous line of movement and by standing on the outside of the circle I can see both the outside and inside of the horse as it circles.

My first choice would be longeing on a longe line or moving free in a round pen. Seeing the horse ridden is not ideal because it puts too many constraints on the horse and makes it difficult to separate the horse’s problems from what may be the rider’s problems. SOME WORDS OF CAUTION! There are times when it is not appropriate to ask a horse to longe or move on a circle. If you’re looking at a gaited horse, the size of a longeing circle could break up the gait and obscure the problem. Gaiting on a straight line would be your best approach. Also, you do not want to ask a working cow horse to go on a longe line, just longe free in a round pen. And, you DO NOT ask saddle seat horses, or any horse with long, built-up feet, to longe. This is one time when you ask to see the horse ridden. You do not want to be responsible for accidents that might happen to those feet on a longeing circle.

If the owner says the horse doesn’t longe on a line and there is no round pen, I ask to see the horse walk and trot on a lead rope, rather than being chased around a ring. It is not productive to have a horse run around loose in a rectangular ring; they are usually tense and excited and you don’t get a good picture of how they normally move. Sometimes an owner will say that the horse longes, but not very well. I’ll ask them to longe anyway and explain that the things that the horse does, or doesn’t do, on the longe line will give me important information about its problems.

Once in a great while you will see immediately, with just a few steps, that a horse is very sore and even walking is uncomfortable. That’s all you need to see; don’t force the horse to move any more than that. At later sessions, after you’ve relieved the acute soreness, you’ll be able to evaluate the horse’s movement patterns.

Let’s assume you’ll be seeing the horse on a longe line since many people will not have a round pen. Many horse owners are not well versed in longeing a horse correctly, and in your massage work there will be times when longeing will become an important part of the rehabilitation process. Here you have an opportunity, at the very beginning, to help the owners learn more about this important part of the process of getting their horse back to full working condition. Below is a list of situations you may encounter, and some suggestions about how to handle them.

1. If at all possible, you do not want to be the one doing the longeing. You want to be able to stand back where you can see both the inside and outside of the horse as it goes around the circle. If the owner says that they don’t know how to longe a horse very well, and there is not a round pen available, encourage them to try anyway because they will be more familiar with the horse and what signals it responds to. If it doesn’t work, you can try to longe the horse, or just look at it move on a lead line.

2. What do you do if the horse races around hysterical and out of control? If you are concerned for the horse’s safety, stop and try another approach—maybe walking and trotting on a lead rope.

3. If the horse just has excess energy, but you’re not really concerned about safety, try letting the horse work off some of the energy. Reversing directions frequently will often defuse some of this energy. As the horse gets tired, it will slow down and allow you to see its problems. This is a time when a round pen would be helpful.

4. If a horse shows a very low energy level and just plods along, it could be the horse’s way of avoiding discomfort. This can make it difficult to see what is going on in its body. In this case, you would ask the owner to push the horse forward—out of its comfort zone. This will allow you to see any problem that the horse, by going slow, may have been trying to avoid.

5. Another thing you need to know is what kind of equipment is appropriate for this kind of longeing. Many riders and trainer use various pieces of training equipment when they longe, but you want to see the horse moving in the way that is most comfortable and natural for it, not the way a trainer wants it to move. You want to see how the horse wants to organize its body to compensate for its tightness, soreness and tensions. My preference is to longe the horse in a halter without any training equipment. On a few occasions, with very strong, difficult horses, I’ve agreed to longeing with a cavesson for control. In general, the less equipment used, the more you’ll see the horse moving the way that is most comfortable for its body. If the horse is longeing free in a round pen none of this is an issue.

6. Another aspect to think about is how to attach the longe line to the halter. My preference is to hook it to the ring under the chin, but there are times when it is advantageous, it the horse pulls on the line, to hook to the rings on the side of the halter. I do not like to see a longe line that goes over the poll and attaches to the outside ring. I believe it teaches horses to head tilt. Try to encourage an owner to do it another way if that is their usual method. I prefer that the line not go over the nose for control; try going under the chin and attach to the outside ring if the horse pulls.

7. You will want to see the horse longe in both directions, so, if the horse seems to have a preference, let it chose the direction. You may see, later in the longeing, that the horse had a reason for its preference.

For purposes of talking about what you may see when the horse is moving, let’s assume you’re seeing it on a longe line or in a round pen. You won’t be able to get nearly as much information if the horse has to be on a lead rope. You will want to see the horse walk, trot and, if possible, canter. If the horse cannot give a canter, don’t persist, but know that the lack of cantering is important information.

You will want to see each gait in both directions before the next gait; watch the walk in both directions before going on to the trot and the trot in both directions before the canter. In this way you’ll get a clear picture of each gait without the next one causing changes in what you’re seeing. If, however, the horse seems to have a need to go at the faster gaits, let it; it will eventually settle down. This longeing is not about control, it’s about seeing what the horse prefers to do with its body.

Much of what you will see will be basically a confirmation of what you saw when the horse was standing still, but now you have a chance to see how all those separate pieces produce a moving whole.

The three most important things that you want to look at, regardless of the gait:

1. The correctness of the foot falls for the gait. Evaluating these will be your first priority. Any deviation from the correct gaits will signal problems that will have repercussions throughout the horse’s entire body.

2. The major joints of the legs (hip, stifle, hock, elbow, shoulder and fetlock) and then the over-all movement of each leg, all the joints working together as a unit.

3. The look of the top-line—how the forehand, back and haunches connect and if the movement flows from one area to the next throughout the body as it moves. You will want to see a harmonious flow to the horse’s movement. If something catches your eye and looks inconsistent with the flow—stiff, awkward or jerky—you’ll know that you are looking at areas where there are problems. I look for areas of the body that look stiff when everything else has smooth movement.

Evaluating the Walk

In lesson three I described the walk sequence as starting with a hind leg even though the first thing you see is the front leg moving. However, when I’m actually evaluating the walk and counting the beats, I start my count with a hind leg. Doing it this way, I watch as the inside hind leg comes forward. Just before it lands, the front foot on that same side will lift off and take its forward stride (for one moment they almost form a V), then the outside hind and foreleg will do the same thing. Doing it in this way I can just watch the pair on the inside of the circle. I don’t have to shift my eyes back and forth from the inside to the outside. The major gait abnormality that you might see in the walk is the pace, where both legs on a side go forward at the same time.

All gaited horses have a four-beat walk, so any abnormalities that you see will indicate problems. It is in the trot phase that you will see variations if the horse is gaited.

In a good walk the body will swing with the movement of the legs and you should see an “over-reach”—the hind foot should step at least up into the foot print of the front foot, and preferably beyond it.

If there is a problem you may see something different, and there are some patterns that are fairly common. If a horse is very stiff in its body, especially in the joints of the hindquarters, the hind legs will not come forward enough to reach into the foot prints of the front legs. In another instance, one hind leg does not reach forward under the body to the same extent as the other; it appears to trail out behind. Sometimes a horse may seem to land heavier on one foreleg than on the other. I’ll discuss these in more detail in evaluating the trot because all of these variants, if present in the walk, will also occur in the trot and are easier to see.

Muscles must cross joints in order to produce movement. Any stiffness or soreness in the muscles is going to affect joint movement. So along with evaluating the gait, I will also pay special attention to how all of the joints are working, and I will especially be looking at the leg joints.

In the hind legs, at the walk, the two joints that I will look most closely at will be the stifle and hip joints; in the forelegs it will be the elbow joint.

In the walk there should be a smooth backward/forward motion in both the hip and stifle joints and the elbow joint should swing forward freely.

I’ll also notice the movement of the hock and the joint at the point of the shoulder. All of these major joints should look “well-oiled”, moving smoothly—not cramped or restricted in their movement.

The fetlock joints should sink smoothly toward the ground as the horse’s weight passes over each foot. Some stiffness in the fetlock joints is common in horses that have seen hard use; however, if you see any attempt on the horse’s part not to let the foot stay on the ground long enough for the fetlock to sink toward the ground, this could signal a lower leg or foot problem. If you see this in a front foot, the horse may “nod” or raise its head as the foot hits the ground and it will lift the foot quickly off the ground, not allowing the fetlock to sink.

If it’s a hind foot, you will see a “jerky” motion in the hock as the horse tries to get the weight off the foot.

The top line is the next aspect of the horse to examine. A good top line will show good muscle development through the neck, back and haunches. As the horse moves, there will be a smooth flow of movement through its entirety. Any stiffness or lack of movement will indicate problems.

In a good walk the neck will stretch outward and downward and there should be a soft, rhythmic downward motion of the neck with each stride. If there is an upward motion with each stride, or no movement at all, this will tell you that there are restrictions in the way the neck and front of the torso connect, especially in the serratus muscles.

As each hind leg swings forward, you should see movement in the muscles along the horse’s back. If you do not see this movement, this is an indication of tight, or possibly sore, back muscles. Rather than being tight, the back muscles could lack strength and be hollow or sway-backed, and again, you won’t see movement in them.

The top of the haunches will not show a lot of movement in the walk, most of the motion will come from the hip joints down, but there should be some movement as the hind legs swing forward. If the hind leg strides look short and restricted, it may be the result of restricted movement in the leg joints, but it could also be an indication of tension or tightness in the haunch muscles that is the result of tight, stiff or over-developed muscles across the top of the haunches.

Tail carriage can also give important information about the muscle tension in the haunches. There will not be as much side-to-side swing of the tail in the walk as you will see in the trot, but there should be a softness to the tail carriage. A horse that holds its tail clamped down against its buttocks is one that is extremely tight in its rear. If the tail is held stiff and straight out or elevated, it indicates a lot of nervous energy. Also, notice if the tail is held straight behind the horse or is it pulled off to one side.

Though not part of the horse’s top line, there is another area of the horse that will give important information about its stiffness and muscle tension—this is the lower edge of the External oblique along the sides of its torso. The External oblique covers most of the horse’s side. When a horse is supple and fluid in its movement, you can see movement along the entire lower edge of this muscle from the point of the hip to its rib attachments that are near the elbow. Any stiffness, soreness or tension in the torso will interfere with this muscle’s movement. You can get some idea of the extent of the problem by noticing how much of this muscle’s lower edge shows movement.

At first, you may only see some movement in the part of the muscle that comes off of the point of the hip. As the horse warms up, this movement will extend further down the length of the muscle, and the muscle will show contraction and extension throughout its entire length in a horse whose torso muscles are working without restrictions. This same movement pattern of the External obliques will be present in the trot as well as in the walk, and is as good an indication of the suppleness or stiffness of the torso.

A summary of the walk evaluation—look for:

1. Correct gaits

2. Joints swinging freely—“well oiled”; important joints to watch are stifles, hip joints, elbows, shoulder joints and fetlocks

3. The various areas of the horse, from nose to tail, blending smoothly into each other. You want to see curved lines joining these areas of the top line, not sharp angles

Evaluating the Trot

The trot is the gait that will give the greatest information about any stiffness, soreness or balance problems. I’ll look first at the correctness the gait, the quality of the joint movement and the top line. Basically, you will see much the same as you saw in the walk, but because of the diagonal gait pattern and the speed of the trot problems will be more obvious.

There is another observation to make as you watch the horse trotting--that is how the horse carries it body in relationship to its line of travel. It will take practice to notice this, but you must become aware of any deviations.

Watching the trot for the correctness of the gait pattern, you should see a diagonal pair of front and hind legs coming forward together, then the other diagonal pair coming forward. There is a moment of suspension between these two strides, but it’s not always as obvious in some horses as in others, so be primarily concerned with seeing the legs of the diagonal pair working together.

When a horse is trotting there are two major gait abnormalities that interrupt this diagonal gait pattern. The first is a horse that is trying to alter its gait in order to relieve pressure on some part of its body; when this is the case, the diagonal pair of legs may not come forward together.

The other is a horse that trots in front and walks behind (it will very probably also trot behind while it canters in front). This is usually a product of training, particularly western pleasure training. If you see these types of break-up of the trot you will know that there are going to be some major muscle imbalances.

Other gait abnormalities can interfere with a horse’s performance, and these are signs of an imbalance between the muscles on the two sides of the horse. They will interfere with the horse’s ability to carry its body straight.

There are two I see frequently. In both, one hind leg does not come up under the horse’s body to the same extent as the other; it trails out behind (it is usually the right hind that does this). There are two possible reasons for this. In one instance, the horse’s haunches are not in alignment with the rest of the body. The head, neck and torso may be in a straight line, but the haunches are pulled off to one side. This might seem to be a problem in the position of the legs, but it is almost always a problem of an imbalance between the torso and haunches. In this case, much of your massage work will need to be in the flank, loins and groin.

In the other instance, all of the horse’s body parts may be lined up, but the body is positioned at a slight angle to the direction of movement. The average horse will do this in two ways. It could carry its haunches to the left of the line of travel, or to the right. If it’s to the left, the horse, when moving on a straight line, will give the appearance of moving slightly sideways as it goes forward. If it’s on a left circle, the haunches will be to the left of the line of the circle regardless of which direction the horse is going. If the horse is on a right circle, the haunches will be to the outside and the horse will fall heavily onto its right foreleg, possibly turn its head to the outside of the circle and will want to make the circle smaller. If the horse is on a circle to the left, it may seem to move better, but will not be able to make the circle smaller.

If the horse carries its haunches to the right of the line of travel while on a straight line, he’ll have a tendency to move off to the left, with its left shoulder leading. On a circle to the right it will do the same thing, having a tendency to make the circle larger. On a circle to the left, it will want to travel with its body bent to the outside of the circle.

These two configurations of the horse’s body are really indications of the horse’s basic asymmetry—an imbalance between the muscles on the two sides of the horse’s body--affecting the forehand balance. It will also involve a tilt of the rib cage to one side. Your massage work for the problems described above will first have to involve releasing all of the muscles on the side where the muscles are in the short, contracted state. Then work on the extended muscles of the other side. This will prepare the contracted muscles to lengthen and the extended muscles to contract in order to bring the two sides of the torso into balance.

Another problem you’ll see is one where one front or hind leg turns out rather than swinging straight forward. This does not necessarily affect the correctness of the foot fall pattern of the trot, but does cause an imbalance in the movement. If it is a hind leg that rotates outward, you will see it quite clearly in the position of the stifle—it will point outward and the leg will have a sideways swing as it goes forward. Your massage work will be primarily around the hip and stifle joints, and then with balancing the haunches and loins. If it’s a front leg that turns out, it will throw the forehand out of balance. Your massage work will be primarily in the muscles around the elbow joint and in the chest muscles that attach the leg to the chest.

There is one situation that comes up occasionally in which the horse you’re evaluating looks “off” enough at the trot to make you wonder if you’re looking at a veterinary problem rather than simply an indication of muscle tightness. This horse may seem to be landing so heavily on one front leg that it appears to be lame.

How do you decide if it’s muscular tightness somewhere or a lower leg/foot problem? Remember, in evaluating the walk I talked about watching the fetlock movement—how the fetlock would sink towards the ground as the horse’s weight passed over it? It’s in the trot that this movement in the fetlock will be the most obvious.

As the horse takes a stride with a front leg and puts the foot on the ground, the fetlock normally sinks as the horse’s weight passes over the foot, but if the horse is sore in its lower leg or foot, it will not want to put weight on the foot and will get the weight off as fast as possible, not giving the fetlock a chance to sink.

If the problem is tight muscles higher up in the leg or shoulder, the horse will land heavy on that leg and may look “off”, but won’t make an effort to get off the foot quickly and you will see the sinking of the fetlock toward the ground as the horse’s weight passes over the foot, rather than the foot lifting as quickly as possible.

If there is a problem in the lower leg or foot of a hind leg, you will see a quick jerk in the hock, as well as the fetlock not sinking, as the horse tries to get the foot off the ground as quickly as possible.

Just as you did in the walk, you’ll want to look at the major leg joints while moving at the trot. You want to see smooth movement in these joints. In the hindquarters, you’ll look at the hip and stifle joints, but now you’ll also look at the hock—it has more movement in the trot than it did in the walk. Watch for any abrupt, jerky movement in these joints. These three major joints should all be working together in a smooth rhythm. If one of these joints seems less flexible than the others you’ve detected a problem. Watch the fetlocks, do they sink and rise in a smooth motion as the feet land and lift?

Some horses have naturally big movement in their leg joints (warmbloods are noted for this) and some have a smaller, tighter movement. The important thing is that the joint movement, whether quite large or smaller, has a smooth, round motion (like ball bearings) rather than a restrictive up/down motion (like a piston).

In the trot, a correctly moving hip joint allows the leg to make four motions—it goes up, forward, down and then back—and produces that round, ball bearing-like movement.

The types of work a horse does and the training it receives can have a great effect on this movement.

Think of the way the western pleasure horse uses its hip joints in contrast to the Thoroughbred race horse. The western pleasure jog uses primarily the up/down motion while the race horse uses primarily the forward/back motion.

The hock and stifle joints, following the lead of the hip joint, should also have a smooth, easy motion to their movement. If there’s any constriction in any of these major joints of the hind legs, including the fetlock, there will be restriction in all of them. If any one of them doesn’t work correctly, the rest cannot work correctly.

When looking at the front legs you will want to assess the elbow and shoulder joints. These joints operate primarily in a forward/back motion, but you should still see a smooth, well-oiled opening and closing of these joints just as you did in the hind leg joints.

The elbow joint swings forward as the leg comes forward and this motion opens the shoulder joint, thereby pulling the lower portion of the shoulder blade forward. If the swing of a front leg seems restricted, it could be because of tight Triceps behind the shoulder, or possibly the muscles (Rhomboids) attaching to the top of the shoulder blade.

After evaluating the movement of the leg joints, you’ll want to look at the over-all top line of the horse as it trots.

Let’s start with the head and work back to the tail. The neck should stretch out and downward from the withers just as it did in the walk, but, in the trot, the head and neck should be still and steady, with none of the rhythmic downward motion that you saw in the walk. You should not see any side-to-side or up/down motion. Any dip in the crest line in front of the withers will indicate stiffness in the lower neck and the area of the back under the saddle.

An upward arc of the neck will tell you that the muscles and ligaments of the crest line are overly contracted and the horse will have difficulties lowering and stretching its neck and accepting the bit.

Looking at the horse’s back, you want to see good muscle development and movement. A dropped or sway back not only shows poor development in these muscles, but is indicative of poor abdominal muscle tone. With this kind of back, you will see that the horse’s pelvis does not swing down and the hind legs cannot come up under to body to give support. In this case the back, loins, tops of haunches, abdominal muscles and the groin area will all be quite tight and there will be soreness or sensitivity in those areas.

When the haunches are working correctly, you will see movement in the muscles on the top of the haunches (the gluteus muscles); a lack of movement will tell you that this area is tight and could be sore.

When you’re watching a horse on a circle, tightness through the torso and haunches can cause the horse to lean to the inside of the circle rather than bend along the line of travel. This leaning to the inside will allow you to see a portion of the horse’s back and haunches on the far side of the spine. How much of the other side can be seen is an indication of the extent of the tightness. The greater the horse’s lateral flexibility, the less it will lean to the inside.

The tail should have a soft arch to it, not flat and clamped tight against the buttocks, nor straight up in the air. It should swing softly in time with the hind legs as they swing forward. A tense tail will tell you that there is very probably tension in the sacrum attachments of the hamstrings, in the tail muscles themselves, in the ligament attachments just under the tail on either side of the rectum, or in the adductor muscles between the hind legs.

Finally, just as in the walk, you want to see movement in the External obliques from the point of the hip to the elbow. How much, or little, of this muscle that is working will give you important information about the tightness or flexibility of the sides of the torso. It is only when the External obliques are working in properly that the horse can breathe fully. Tightness in these muscles restricts the expansion of the ribs and the diaphragm.

Summary of Evaluating the Trot:

1. Is the foot fall pattern correct for the trot?

2. Are the major joints working correctly?

3. Is there harmonious movement and flow through the entire top line of the horse?

4. The neck should arch out and downward from the withers and the head and neck should be steady and without movement.

5. Is there movement in the long back muscles?

6. What is the condition of the back?

7. Does the pelvis swing down as the hind legs swing forward?

8. Can you see the outside of the horse’s back and haunches when it’s on a circle?

9. Do you see movement in the top of the haunch muscles?

10. Does the tail swing in time with the trot?

11. How much of the external obliques do you see working?

Evaluating the Canter

I don’t always ask to see the horse’s canter. Whether I do or not depends on a number of factors. One would be how much of the problem I was able to see in the trot—I may not feel it is necessary to watch the canter. Another reason not to ask for the canter would be how sore and uncomfortable the horse appears to be. In that case, if I can see what I need at the trot, I don’t want to ask a horse to keep going when it’s obviously uncomfortable. However, if the owner indicates that something about the canter is part of the problem, then I will definitely want to see it, or see what happens when it’s requested.

The mechanics of the canter involves the stretching of one side of the horse’s body in front of the other. When pushing off with one hind leg and landing on the diagonal fore leg, the horse’s body gets a good diagonal stretch that is not possible in the walk or trot. A horse that can canter equally well on either lead shows an ability to stretch its body equally. So if a horse has muscular problems that inhibit movement in some areas of its body, it could also affect the canter in various ways. If you are able to watch the canter, the first thing you will want to notice is the correctness of the gait pattern. There are a number of incorrect canter patterns that you may see, but I will wait until the end of this section to describe them, along with some other canter problems.

Important Joints in the Canter

In both the walk and trot I stressed the importance of good movement in the hip and stifle joints. In the canter these joints are still very important, but there is another one that is equally important. This is the lumbar/sacral joint. It is underneath the croup bone and connects the last lumbar vertebrae of the loins to the sacrum (the fused, triangular bone in the back of the pelvis). It is the working of this joint that allows the pelvis to make a big downward swing as the hind leg comes forward. In the canter, every time the hind leg on the leading side comes forward, it pulls the pelvis down, and it is the flexing of this lumbar/sacral joint and the stretching of the muscles in the loins, as well as the incredible stretch of the hamstrings at their attachments to the sacrum, that allows this to happen. The movement of the lumbar/sacral joint is a major contributing factor to a good canter.

Top-line in the Canter

As in the walk and trot, there should be a flow to the horse’s body as it propels itself forward. As the horse pushes off with a hind leg, you should have the feeling that the body rises, and as it lands on the leading leg it will move downward. This same pattern will be repeated with each canter stride, and a good canter will give you a sense of an upward and downward undulation. The neck should arch out and downward, and the head should be steady, just as in the trot. Any upward motion of the neck, especially as the leading leg lands, is an indication of a on the forehand with tight back and shoulder muscles; it lifts its neck in an attempt to bring its forehand up because it cannot elevate the chest and back.

Irregularities in the Canter

Now we’ll talk about some of the things that can be wrong in the canter—things that will indicate tension and stiffness in various parts of the horse’s body.

1. A four-beat canter is an aberration of the correct three-beat canter. In the four-beat canter, the feet of the diagonal pair—inside hind/outside fore (the second beat of the canter) do not land at the same time; instead, the outside fore leg lands before the inside hind. This produces an awkward “hobbling” movement that can make the horse look “off”. It is often seen when a rider tries to get a very slow canter.

2. A problem that you’ll see frequently is a horse that can’t get into the canter—it just keeps trotting faster and faster. This could occur if there’s some kind of stiffness, weakness or restriction in the hind leg that has to push off to produce the canter. If the restriction is only in one hind, the horse should be able to make a canter depart when going in the other direction. A horse with a flat croup angle and legs that do not come up under the pelvis will have difficulty getting a canter depart in both directions—the flat croup angle makes it difficult for the horse to get good leverage for a good push-off with the outside hind. When this is the problem, the position of the croup and hind legs is the visible symptom of a problem, but the major portion of the problem is in the loins, flank and groin.

3. Another common problem is bucking as the horse goes into the canter. With a young horse, this could just be high spirits, but if it is persistent in a more mature horse, it could be a sign that the horse is very tight and out of balance in the loins. It is this imbalance that makes it difficult for the horse to have its legs in the correct position for the canter depart. If this is the case, a horse will often give a quick buck in order to get its haunches and legs into the proper position to give the canter lead requested. If a horse is consistently giving big bucks in the canter it is more likely that it has a sore back, a bad saddle fit or is hurting someplace. If this is the case you will see other signs of discomfort such as the ears pinned, tail swishing, etc.

4. A horse may cross-canter or counter-canter on the longe line. A cross-canter is one in which a horse will be on one lead with the front legs and the hind legs will be positioned for the other lead. Young horses just starting their training may occasionally cross-canter and this is fairly normal, but a cross-canter in a mature riding horse is a good indication of a significant imbalance in the loins.

5. The counter-canter is one in which the sequence of foot falls is correct, but the leading leg is on the outside of the circle. It is an important exercise in dressage for balancing and collecting the canter, but persistent counter-canters in one direction on a longe line indicates a stiffness in the horse’s torso that makes it difficult to bend in the direction of the circle. It’s likely that this horse also shows difficulty with lateral flexibility and bending in the trot and walk as well. You can expect to find tightness, and possibly soreness, in the back muscles and External obliques.

Summary of Evaluating the Canter:

1. Look at the foot fall pattern. Is it correct for the canter or does it exhibit any of the variants described?

2. Are the major joints of the haunches (lumbar/sacral, hip, stifle, hock) working correctly?

3. Is there a noticeable dropping of the pelvis as the inside hind leg comes forward?

4. Does the horse’s top line appear to round and undulate as it goes forward, or does it flatten out and rush forward on its forehand?

5. Is the horse’s neck and head quiet and arched downward, or does the neck arch upward as the horse lands on its leading leg?

We’re finally at the end of the many things you should be training yourself to notice, and you should also have some idea of what they mean in terms of how they affect the muscles, balance and movement of the horse.

I’ve tried to point out the many ways in which the horse’s body may be operating poorly. Some of these movement patterns and body tensions can come from their innate conformation, some from training, some from accidents and injuries, but they all put stresses on the body that will be readily apparent and readable to someone trained to be observant.

All of this may seem like a lot to take in, but with this new awareness of what you’re looking at I think you’ll find it easier than you may be anticipating.

Some of the things you’ll notice will indicate major problems, some may only be indicative of minor imbalances. But even the small stresses and imbalances, if not addressed, can gradually tighten a horse’s body in ways that can eventually impair performance and make a horse uncomfortable or sore.

Your job is to be able to the read the subtle signs as well as the obvious one and understand what you’re seeing and make an educated assessment of what could be causing the problem.

ASSIGNMENT:

Lesson 4 is one of the most important lessons of this course. The skills you gain from this lesson, along with your knowledge of equine anatomy, will give you the tools to “read” what a horse’s muscle development and movement can tell you about how it will use its body and will show you what problems there will be and where they will be located.

I want to emphasize that what I am asking you to do in this assignment is not intended to criticize any one type of breed or conformation – all types of horses deviate from “perfect balance” depending upon what job they are bred for or asked to do. The purpose of this assignment is to help you become more aware of how a horse’s skeletal structure, muscle development and movement can affect its comfort and health and give you the tools to see how these aspects of a horse’s body can set up stresses and soreness that we can help with our massage.

For this assignment it might be helpful for you to review the portions of lesson 2 on anatomical balance, how muscles work and agonist/antagonist muscle pairs.

Part 1

In a short report describe what you understand to be attributes and benefits of a balanced agonist/antagonist muscle pair.

Part 2

Choose one of the following agonist/ antagonist muscle pairs and in a short report discuss some things that you might see that would indicate that the pair (or pairs) is either in balance or not in balance.

a. muscles of the crest line and the under-neck muscles

b. long back muscles and abdominal muscles

c. flexors and extensors of the front legs

d. hamstrings and quadriceps

Part 3

Choose one horse on which to do a full body reading and movement evaluation using the following guide lines. DO NOT use your own personal horse for this part of the assignment.

Take a history using the format I’ve suggested in the lesson. Include any other information you think is pertinent.

Body Reading

Your evaluation of the horse should be organized around information in the portion of the lesson on anatomical balance and its effects on muscle structure as well as the discussion of the individual aspects of a horse’s body I suggested you notice. Discuss the horse’s muscle and skeletal conformation within the context of this information. Discuss where you might expect to see stress develop because of a horse’s balance and muscular conformation.

You will do this using photographs or video of the horse standing still. These photos should include one of each side of the horse, one from the rear and one from the front. They should all show the entire horse from the feet up. The one of the front should be taken from a distance and height that shows the feet and legs, chest and under neck of the horse – not just the head. If there are any particular aspects of the horse that you want to call attention to, you may add close-ups of those areas.

The photos must be of good quality and must meet the needs of the assignment. I can only evaluate what you are learning by being able to clearly understand what you are seeing. Make sure that the light is good and the background gives a good contrast to the horse. The horse needs to be standing on a level, cleared surface. The pictures must be taken “straight on”, not from an angle, and the horse should be standing still with its attention on the handler – not walking along eating grass.

How a horse stands for these photographs is very important. The way a horse positions it legs gives a great deal of information about its problems. You should notice how a horse prefers to stand and take your photographs with the horse in that position. You should not try to get a horse to stand square if that is not natural for it. If you turn or move the horse around between pictures, let the horse walk forward a few steps or take a moment to adjust so that it doesn’t get into an awkward foot placement that is not its usual one.

Movement Evaluation

You will send photographs or video of the horse walking and trotting, preferably on a longe line or in a round pen. DO NOT chase a horse around in a large arena. If possible, also include pictures of the horse cantering. Show the horse moving in both directions. If you are doing photographs, it helps to show more than one phase of the movement – show a number of pictures of each movement. Evaluate the horse’s movements for correctness of the gaits as well as lateral and longitudinal balance.

Bring together in a report all of the information you have gathered from the history, body reading of muscular and skeletal conformation and your evaluation of movement for this horse. Discuss where you believe it may experience stress, soreness and muscle strains. Send this report to me and wait for my comments before going on to part 4 of this assignment.

Part 4

Send pictures of three horses – one of a horse you really like, one of a horse you do not like, and one of a horse that is “ok”. DO NOT use your own horse for this portion of the assignment. These pictures may be from photographs, magazines, internet, etc. You will only need one full side view of each horse (no angle shots or saddles). Discuss the skeletal structure and muscle development of each horse. Speculate about what you see in the skeletal structure and muscle development that might influence movement and where you think stress, tightness or soreness might occur. Wait for my comments before going on to Part 5 of the assignment.

Part 5

For the last portion of this assignment do a second full body reading and movement evaluation as you did in #3 above. YOU MAY use for own horse for this portion of the assignment.

Send report, with pictures, to: eleanorblazer@horsecoursesonline.com

The original instructor, Betty Lindquist, retired Dec. 31, 2015. Eleanor Blazer is finishing her students.

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