Equine Massage: A Practical Guide (35 page)

Using light muscle squeezing moves between the thumb and fingers of your right hand, gently work each vertebra from the base of the tail down. Keep stretching with the left hand. Reverse hands if that suits you better. Make note of the tail’s flexibility, looking for sore spots and possible inflammation. Release the stretch progressively and then stroke the hindquarters and sacrum area for a few seconds.

Warning:
If when you start stretching the tail it feels “loose”

and has a “give” of one quarter to half an inch, stop immediately.

The horse has a joint problem, not an uncommon condition.

Stretching would trigger pain and could result in a strain of the tail attachment site.

If the horse shows discomfort, inflammation, or abnormal symptoms with palpation of this area prior to stretching, then stretching is contraindicated. Check with your veterinarian.

Regular stretching exercises will contribute greatly to the animal’s
overall flexibility and fitness. They should be part of his exercise
program. Done individually, stretching will assist you in the application and success of your massage treatments. Also, the reaction of
your horse to the stretch is a great source of feedback on how he
carries himself.

9

CONFORMATION CHECK-UP

ROUTINE

In general, the better the conformation, the better the movements. Poor conformation will predispose a horse to injuries.

Before giving a thorough massage to a horse, it is important first to evaluate his conformation, action, and soundness. The ground check routine will accomplish this.Train your eye to assess the horse’s posture and body parts in relation to each other: size, proportion, and alignment. Observe the fitness of the muscular structure. Get a general impression of the horse’s state of health. Is he alert, with ears moving back and forth? Is his coat glossy and lying flat? Does he have good muscle tone? Appreciate the overall quality of this picture.

Ground Check Routine

Check all body parts with a light palpation (2 to 5 pounds of pressure) from front to back on both sides. The skin should be loose and supple; it should move easily over the underlying structures.

Remember the four T’s: texture, tension, temperature, and tenderness (chapter 3).

Pay attention to any abnormal swelling, heat, muscle knots, or abnormal reactions. Note that many animals show varying degrees of sensitivity to handling, so make a distinction between a reaction to pain and an objection to being handled.

Head and Neck

❖ The head should be proportional in size to the rest of the horse. The head influences balance. A somewhat oversized head could unbalance the animal, leading you to suspect deep muscle tension in the neck and withers.

187

188

Equine Massage

❖ The neck should be strong and flexible in all directions.

❖ The position of the head at the neck and throatlatch should be well-angled, with a good width between the throatlatch and lower jaw so that no restriction of movement or breathing will occur.

❖ Palpate the underside of the head to check the glands, larynx, and trachea.

❖ Palpate the neck at the first cervical vertebra to check for any obvious misalignment that would cause neck muscle tension on both sides of the neck.

❖ If there is heat over the poll area, suspect poll evil, or it could simply be an inflammation caused by a bang.

❖ The neck should feel solid and have a convex crest line through to the withers.

Withers

❖ The withers should be clearly defined and approximately the same height as the high point of the croup.

❖ If the withers are too high or too low, an ill-fitting saddle or harness may cause muscle tenderness.The withers may then become inflamed and eventually transfer muscle tension over the front end as well as over the back muscles.

Chest, Girth, and Ribs

❖ If the chest is narrow, you might see interference of the legs.

❖ If the chest is too wide, there will be difficulty when galloping (rolling in center).

❖ The girth should be wide and deep, with a well-developed rib cage giving room for the lungs. A horse with good conformation will have a girth measurement greater than his height.

❖ If the rib cage is not flexible, suspect intercostal muscle tension.

❖ Look at the horse’s flanks during exhalation. Contraction of the flanks twice every time the horse exhales signifies a possible case of heaves.

Shoulders

❖ Well-muscled shoulders with a forward 45-degree slope (ideally) give the horse freedom of movement when he moves.The shoulders also act as shock absorbers.

Conformation Check-up Routine

189

❖ Shoulders that are too wide will cause poor movement; the condition is known as “loaded shoulders.”

❖ If the scapular muscles (supraspinatus and infraspinatus) are under-toned or atrophied compared to the rest of the body, suspect a “sweeney” condition—suprascapular nerve damage.

❖ If the point of the shoulder is inflamed, suspect bicipital bursitis.

Forelegs

❖ The forelegs should be well muscled, squarely set, and fairly straight from the top of the leg to the hoof.They should not toe in (pigeon-toed) or toe out (splayed feet), or be too close (base narrow) or bowed (base wide). Such defects will affect movement, leading to sore ligaments, tender joints that will eventually swell, and muscle tension throughout the leg and chest.

❖ When viewing the horse from the side, run an imaginary plumb line from the middle of the scapula down past the front of the knee to the back of the foot and the ground. If the conformation is correct, a straight line will run through the middle of the leg, ending up at the heel of the foot.

When viewed from the front, the bone of the forearm (radius) and the cannon bone should be in a straight line with the knee centered between them.

❖ The elbows should be clearly defined, standing clear from the ribs.

❖ An inflammation at the point of elbow is called a capped elbow.

❖ If the triceps and the extensor muscles are atrophied, suspect radial nerve paralysis.

❖ Weak forearms show lack of muscle tone and tendon weakness.There is therefore a greater risk of strain.

Knees

❖ The knees should be broad and flat, showing a clean outline with no bony lumps.

❖ If the knees point in different directions, suspect underlying problems in all parts of the leg.

❖ If the knees are swollen (popped or sore knee), suspect inflammation, the formation of bone spurs, arthritis, or capsulitis.

190

Equine Massage

❖ If when viewed from the side the knee seems to sit behind the straight line (calf-kneed or back at the knee), there is a serious conformation fault. This makes the horse more prone to tendon strain and severe problems in the joint itself.

❖ If when viewed from the side the knee is in front of the center line (buck-kneed or knee-sprung), there is a risk of tenderness at the joint. This is an acceptable condition, not to be considered a serious conformation fault.

Cannon Bones

❖ The cannon bones should be short and strong, with clearly defined tendons behind them.

❖ If there is any inflammation in the upper third, suspect splints (green splints); if in the middle third, suspect sore shins (bucked shins); if in the lower end, suspect epiphysitis and wind puffs.

❖ If the cannon bone is narrower below the knee than at the fetlock joint, there is a risk of weakness in the bone and the tendons (known as “tied in below the knee”).

❖ If the tendon at the back of the cannon bone is inflamed, suspect a bowed tendon.

Fetlocks

❖ The fetlocks should have a clean outline with no bumps or swellings.

❖ If the fetlocks are swollen, suspect wind puff or sesamoiditis.

❖ If there is a bump on the inside, suspect brushing from interference.

❖ Very tender fetlocks may indicate an inflammation of the suspensory ligament, the deep flexor tendon, the sesamoid bones, or the navicular bone.

Pasterns

❖ The pasterns should slope at an angle of 45 to 50 degrees, the same as the shoulder blade angle. The length of the pastern bones will vary with the breed. However, a pastern bone should be proportional to the rest of the leg without being too long (resulting in strain on ligaments and tendons) or too short (producing a choppy stride that results in much concussion and jarring of the leg structures).

Conformation Check-up Routine

191

❖ If you feel a bony growth on the pastern bone, suspect ring bone (usually in the front leg).

❖ If the back of the pastern is tender or swollen, suspect inflammation of the suspensory ligament or of the superficial flexor tendon.

Feet

❖ The hooves should face forward and be large, dense, and wide at the heels. There should also be a continuity in the slope (45 to 50 degrees) from the pastern.The coronet band extends around the top of the hoof; this is where the insensitive, protective lamina originates.

❖ If there is some inflammation on the coronet, suspect a quit-tor condition. Check with your vet.

❖ If the heels are contracted, there are underlying problems.

Check with your farrier or blacksmith.

❖ Feet that are not properly aligned with their toes, splaying in or out, can lead to stumbling and brushing, causing undue strain on the structures of the foreleg.

The Back

❖ The back should be well-muscled with its length proportional to the body; if it is too long it might be subject to strain or inflammation (cold back).

❖ A weak or hollow back (sway back) might indicate arthritis or weakness in the structures.

❖ Arching upwards (roached back) may indicate a predisposition to arthritis.

❖ Starting at the withers, run your fingers firmly along the spine down toward the tail. Normally, a horse dips its back when pressure is applied as you run your fingers over the muscles of the back. If the animal tenses against your pressure, this is an indication that there may be a problem (muscle inflammation, tightness, cold back), or this may simply be indicative of a horse with a high-strung, sensitive nature.

Loins

❖ Because they have the least structural support, the loins should be short and well-muscled. If they are poorly muscled, a weak back or cold back results.

❖ If the loins are short but are well-developed compared to the rest of the body, excessive muscle pull may be transmitted to the back, causing it to become tense.

192

Equine Massage

Hindquarters

❖ The hindquarters should be well-developed, muscular and strong, with a broad hip showing a good length from the point of the hip to the hock with proportionally well-muscled gaskins.

❖ An imaginary line sighted from the back of the rump should run through the hock and cannon bone to the ground.

❖ If the back of the rump is very tender, suspect a torn hamstring.

❖ A horse normally tenses his hindquarters upwards when you run your fingers on the croup. If the animal sinks downward and away from pressure, this would be an indication of underlying problems such as serious muscle inflammation or a sacroiliac luxation.

❖ Heat with an associated bump over the sacrum can indicate sacroiliac luxation (hunter bump).

❖ If there is tenderness over the head of the femur, suspect trochanteric bursitis.

Stifles

❖ The stifles should be well-defined, with no bumps around the joint.

❖ If the stifle feels hot or swollen, suspect either arthritis or patellar problems.

❖ The gaskin should be strong since it originates most of the muscle action needed for hock and foot movements.

❖ If there is swelling or heat over the tibia (gaskin), suspect a tear in the peroneus tertius.

Hocks

❖ The hocks should be strong with a clean outline and flat on the sides with a rounded point at the back (tuber calcanei bone).

❖ A bony growth at the front of the hock indicates
spavin
(a degenerative joint condition causing lameness).

❖ If there is swelling and heat behind the hock, suspect: a)
Curb
(tearing of the ligament, especially with young horses).

b)
Thoroughpin
(inflammation of the synovial sheath of the deep flexor tendon).

c)
Capped hock
(inflammation of the bursa between the skin and the tuber calcis).

Conformation Check-up Routine

193

❖ Hocks might be close together (cow hocks) or wide apart (bowed hocks); both conditions indicate a slight weakness in the structure.

❖ Straight hocks might cause excessive strain on the stifle joint, which in turn could cause undue strain on the Achilles tendon.

Check the lower aspect of the hind leg as you did for the foreleg.The conformation points and characteristics are essentially the same.

Evaluation of the Horse’s

Weight Distribution: The

Float Line

Draw an imaginary line between the center of oscillation of the foreleg (upper third of scapula) and the center of articulation for the hind limb (point of hip). This is called the
“float line”
and it should be close to horizontal (see figure 9.1).

However, it would be more desirable if the point of the foreleg were slightly higher than the point at the hind leg than if the reverse were true.When the point at the hind leg is slightly higher than the point of the foreleg, the weight of the horse would tend to be distributed more toward the front end, causing it to be out of balance and therefore apt to develop stress, leading to more serious problems such as inflammation of the muscle fibers, or worse, in the tendons or ligaments of the front quarters.

Action and Soundness

The Walk

When evaluating how a horse moves, have the horse walk in a straight line away from you, turn around, and walk back toward you.To assess the walk, stand where you can watch the front and rear of the horse and then position yourself so you can see the side.The horse should move easily and freely, balanced equally in front and behind and evenly in the shoulders and hips. Check the length of stride, the rhythmic cadence of the four-beat gait at the walk, and that the feet are lifted clear off the ground; watch for whether or not he “tracks up.” Pay attention to the flexibility of the joints. The movements should flow easily, showing ease and strength. A horse that is a little sore will be slightly “off,” moving his legs unevenly.