Equine Massage: A Practical Guide (47 page)

Restriction in the protraction or retraction of the mandible could be revealing of a disc problem in the TMJ. It could also reveal muscular spasms, restriction of the hyoid bone, or some restrictions at the occiput and first cervical level, as well as a problem with dentition.

Checking the Latero-Lateral

Movement of the Mandible

Stand in front of the horse’s mouth, with one hand on the bridge of the horse’s nose and the other on the mandible.While holding the maxillary steady, move the mandible to one side and then to the other. Do this gently, but firmly. Note if there is any restriction going to the right and then to the left.

Lack of free movement can be revealing of lesions at the teeth level, the disc level of the TMJ, or the occiput and first cervical vertebrae level; or of some muscle spasms.

Checking the Incisive Lines

Examine the incisor teeth and the incisor lines. Gently open the lips of the horse’s mouth. If the TMJs are healthy, the middle of the maxillary incisors should be aligned with the middle of the mandible incisors.The gum line between the incisor teeth should be aligned.

If not, the direction of the deviation reveals the tighter TMJ side.

Massage Guidelines for ETDS

The massage routine presented here is designed for the maintenance of the temporomandibular joint and the prevention of ETDS. The sequencing of the routine is important. Follow it
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12.11 Checking Incisor Teeth

when starting your practice. Later, you can adjust the sequences to your liking, as you develop a feel for the horse, his needs, and what works best for him. Always monitor the horse’s body language for feedback signs, especially his eyes.

Note:
This routine is not suited for an acute phase of the ETDS

condition. If the inflammatory symptoms are strong, massage is contraindicated. Please, first contact your veterinarian for the best course of action.

Massage Goals

Here are the goals for your massage session:

❖ To warm-up the upper neck and jaw area

❖ To promote circulation of fluids

❖ To reduce stiffness and pain/discomfort

❖ To reduce excessive fibrotic tissue formation

❖ To stretch for full mobility

❖ To reduce the compensatory muscular tension from indirectly affected structures

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Duration

The duration of this massage session varies according to the situation at hand and the goals you want to achieve. On average, it should last about 20 minutes. If inflammatory symptoms are present, keep your massage short to avoid soreness and use more cold hydrotherapy. Always check the horse’s feedback signs, especially his eyes. Also, apply the neck stretching exercises (see chapter 8) either during or at the end of your massage session to maximize the flexibility of the tissues and joints you are working on.

The Relaxation Massage Routine

For the benefit of your work, I strongly recommend you apply the short version of the relaxation routine (see chapter 6) before starting your massage session over the TMJ.

Neck Stretches

Neck stretches will greatly contribute to the success of your massage applications for the horse with ETDS. Stretching the neck of a horse that shows signs of ETDS gives you feedback on the state of health of his muscles, fascia, and ligament structures, particularly in regard to their elasticity and tone.Any restriction during stretches reveals the actual location of tension (see chapter 8, page 176).

Massage Routine for ETDS

Following the application of the relaxation massage routine, start the massage routine for ETDS on the horse’s left side. Spend a moment quietly breathing and talking softly with the animal.

Then, gently place the palm of your left hand on the ridge of the horse’s nose, and with your right hand start some gentle circular effleurage over the neck for a couple of minutes. Follow with the application of the SEW approach (see chapter 5) to warm up the entire neck area from the withers to the poll on both sides.

Then, begin loosening the muscles of mastication with your thumbs and/or fingers by kneading. If you find any trigger points and/or stress points, relieve them using the corresponding massage technique (see chapter 5). Apply the origin-insertion massage technique to the following muscles: the masseter, the temporalis, the pterygoideus medialis and lateralis, the buccinator, the mylohyoideus, the digastricus, the occipitomandibularis (deep), and the sternothyroideus. Use effleurage moves every 10 to 20 seconds to thoroughly drain the part you are working on. Work one side, then the other.

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12.12 Kneading of the Cheeks

Now, apply some finger friction movements along the lower jawbone, the maxillary arch, and the base of the ears (be gentle!), the occipital portion of the cranium, and the upper vertebrae. For this part of the massage routine, you should consider working both sides, starting with the left. Always start with a very gentle pressure, progressively increasing to 5 pounds of pressure.You do not need more pressure.

Important recommendation:
If an aspect appears tight, just work that area a little longer, not stronger. Intersperse with effleurage every 10 seconds. Please, study the anatomical structure thoroughly, so you know what to expect underneath your fingers (see figures 12.1 to 12.7). Be careful not to apply too much pressure over the nerve loop just below and in front of the ears, as well as over nerve endings.

When done, use the WES approach—Wringing, Effleurage, and Stroking—to thoroughly drain the areas you just worked on (see chapter 5). For this exercise, work one side at a time.

Next, take the ear at its base; pull it gently forward toward yourself, and with the other hand open the mouth exactly as you would to make the horse accept the bit.This action will relax tension in the swallowing mechanism; it will also work well in relaxing the upper neck. Use a lot of effleurages to drain the cheeks toward the ears and neck. Then place one hand on each ear, and starting very lightly, pull them outwardly for 3 to 5 seconds and gently release. Repeat 2 or 3 times.

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12.13 Finger Friction of Cheeks A, B, and C

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12.14 Ear Pulling

Follow with stretches (see chapter 8, page 176). First, gently bring the head of the horse upwards. Use an incentive—a carrot or biscuit—if needed. Try to hold that stretch for a few seconds.

It will stretch all the throat and lower aspect of the neck, as well as the cervical fascia. Next, stretch the neck to the left and then to the right. Place your incentive by the point of hip first, then by the shoulder or even the withers if possible.

Check the opening of the mouth. Stand in front of the horse’s mouth, and gently place your thumbs on the bars of the maxilla.

Then push progressively toward the horse’s back and up to gently force the horse to open his mouth. Observe carefully the opening of the mandible. See if it happens evenly on both sides, or if one side is tighter than the other.

Check the restricted side of the mouth. Still standing in front of the horse’s mouth, gently place one thumb over the bar of the maxilla on the tight side, and place your other thumb over the bar of the mandible on the other side.Then, in a progressive manner, push your thumbs in opposite directions, up over the maxilla, down on the mandible. See how much movement there is, or how much resistance there is.Then reverse the position of your thumbs and check the other side. Compare your findings.

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12.15 Jaw Rocking:
Right side of the horse.

Jaw Rocking

The “jaw rocking” exercise is very efficient to loosen the TMJ

deeply. First, stand on the left side of the horse. To perform this movement, place your left hand over the bridge of the horse’s nose, and with your right hand gently grab the “angle” of the jaw bone.

In a slow motion, gently rock the lower jaw, pushing back and forth.This will stretch the TMJ capsule and its collateral ligaments, and loosen them. When done, use some light stroking movement over that area, and duplicate the exercise on the other side.

Over several sessions, your horse will become more accepting of your massage.You will see some positive signs of improvement, such as the disappearance of the inflammatory symptoms, the jaw movements will be freer, and the horse will be back to his normal self.

Please, complement your massage session with a full body massage to further relax his nervous system and benefit his entire musculoskeletal system.

The knowledge of equine temporomandibular dysfunction syndrome will help you to detect it and assist your horse’s recovery. But
most importantly, your awareness of ETDS will help you prevent
it. This knowledge is a great addition to your massage skills. For
more in-depth information on ETDS and massage therapy for
ETDS, consult the author’s work Equine Massage Therapy for the
Equine Temporomandibular Dysfunction Syndrome.

13

LINES OF COMPENSATION

This chapter will discuss the various lines of muscular and fascial compensation existing in the horse, or any quadruped as a matter of fact. When looking at a horse’s skeleton, it is important to understand that the skeletal structure is made up of 3 important components:

❖ The spine, including the skull

❖ The forelimbs

❖ The hind limbs

The most important component is the vertebral column and the skull. They respectively secure the spine—a.k.a. the cauda equina—and the central nervous system. The tail of the horse, meaning the coccygeal vertebrae, is considered a part of the sacrum, and it plays an important role in balancing the horse’s gait.

The skull and the sacrum are two ends of the same structure.

There is an important relationship between the two extremities as they both play a role in the proprioceptor’s feedback to the brain.

These two extremities are vital for the overall balance of the horse.The deep fascia of one extremity influences the other. If the neck is experiencing discomfort, it will reflect directly over the sacrum. If the sacrum is experiencing discomfort, it will reflect directly on the neck.

Attaching to the spine are the thorax, the hips, and the fore-and hind limbs. The forelimbs are attached to the spine by the scapulas via the shoulder sling of muscles (trapezius, rhomboideus, serratus ventralis cranialis and caudalis, subscapularis). The scapulas move in relation to the thorax.

The hind limbs are attached to the iliums of the hip at the coxofemoral joint, where the head of the femur articulate in the
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Lines of Compensation

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13.1 The Spine and Skull

acetabulum fossa of the hip. The hind limbs move in relation to the hips.

The coxofemoral articulation shows a similarity with the shoulder articulation and the temporomandibular articulation. All three articulations work in concert via muscular and fascial lines.

Figure 13.3 shows the network of 6 diagonal, 3 transversal, and 4 side lines of compensation seen in the horse.

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3

al

2

xofemor

tions

the co

ticula

(3)

Ar

1

ee

Thr

een the

ular

al

tionship Betw

Rela

the temporomandib

the scapulo-humer

(1)

(2)

13.2

Lines of Compensation

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External Lines of

Compensation

Understanding the lines of compensation can show you how a local problem can affect the rest of the horse and interfere with the horse’s health and performance.
External lines of compensation
are the lines that affect the outer aspect of the horse, both in its superficial and deep muscle layers. There are 3 types of external lines: diagonal, transversal, and side lines.

13.3 Lines of Compensation

Network

(1) temporomandibular

1

(2) scapulo-humeral

(3) coxofemoral articulations

(4) center of gravity

(5) diagonal line of compensation

(6) transversal line of compensation

(7) side line of compensation

2

6

4

5

7

3

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Diagonal Lines of Compensation

Stress felt in areas on one side of a horse’s body will be reflected on areas on the opposite side of the horse’s body. Diagonal lines of compensation exist between the skull and shoulders, the shoulders and hips, and the skull and hips.

Between the Skull and Shoulders

The intersection point A of lines 1 and 2 on figure 13.4 is located approximately over the second and third cervical vertebrae, influencing the extensor and the flexor muscles of the neck, as well as the cranial, cervical, and omobrachial fasciae.

13.4 Diagonal Lines of

Compensation Between

Skull and Shoulders

(1) between the left shoulder and

A

the right occipital protuberance

(2) between the right shoulder and

the left occipital protuberance

1

2

Lines of Compensation

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Between the Shoulders and Hips

The intersection point B of lines 3 and 4 on figure 13.5 is located approximately over the eleventh and twelfth thoracic vertebrae, influencing the extensor and the flexor muscles of the back, as well as the omobrachial, thoracolumbar, gluteal, and the thorax and abdominal fasciae.