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Damage to soft tissues is undoubtedly the most common cause of back soreness
in the horse. The back involves a complex of
muscles. The medical term is
called the supraspinous ligament. This ligament acts to extend and
laterally flex the spine. Principal sites of damage are the withers (base
of the neck) and lumbar (lower back) regions. The supraspinous ligament
runs down the middle of the back and adheres to the thoracic (between the
neck and the abdomen) and the lower back (lumbar) dorsal spine. (See image
above)
Because this area of the back is a ligament and not a
muscle, recovery takes longer. Equine sports massage therapy addresses
these problems and allows the horse to compete at his optimum level
The nuchal ligament is part of the supraspinous
ligament. The nuchal ligament originates at the poll and inserts at the
withers and continues on down the length of the back and is called the
supraspinous ligament. The nuchal ligament becomes very contracted during
the stress of training. With your hand on your horse's neck, ask the horse
to lower his head and you will feel the ligament "slide over" to the other
side. This is a sign of tightness within the area of the lower back all the
way up to the poll (behind the ears).
The following is a list of disciplines and the
areas of stress that are created on the equine athlete.
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see!!! What a girl!!
Dressage
Dressage requires
flexibility along with controlled movements. The horse must be extremely
sensitive to the rider's aids. The majority of muscle problems occur in the
lower part of the neck, shoulder, lower spine, pelvic area and hocks. These
muscle groups are in a constant state of tension. Spasms are common between
the spine and hip joints. Collection will cause
tension in the jaw area and
develop stress points in the neck.
Hunter/Jumper
Jumpers suffer the most strain on
their foreleg joints. Because of the enormous power these horses must
generate from the hind end and the torque put on their hip joints executing
constricted turns, they are prone to stress over the entire croup area.
Endurance
Muscles in the
shoulder and the lower back and hindquarters are stressed no matter how fit
the horse. These horses go for long distances over very rough terrain
carrying the rider and the "gear".
Barrel Racing
Starting from a
standstill to a full gallop places major stress in the shoulder, ribcage and
the hindquarters. There is also a major impact on the torso and joints when
executing tight turns.
Trail/Pleasure
The backyard pleasure
horse does not exert himself the way the competition horse does, therefore
they become more susceptible to strains and tears. The problem area is
usually the lumbar and hip joint areas. The rider should ride out at a walk
for at least 30 minutes before proceeding to the trot. This ensures the
muscles will be ready for work.
Pre-Event
Massage
-
Stimulates and invigorates the body
-
Increases muscle flexibility
-
Helps
loosen tight joints
Post-Event Massage
-
Assists
in preventing muscle soreness
-
Helps
to prevent cramping
-
Reduces
post-event anxiety and stress
-
Assists
the body to recover
Full Body/Maintenance Massage
Check out
the
Reiner's World
site. It's an excellent website with all sorts of information including top
cutting horses for sale. Top Canadian cutting stallions,
Smart L'il Player
and Genuine Peppy can be found at
Canadian
Cutting Horses.
Cloud 9
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