Equine Massage Advice

Equine Musculoskeletal Long Distance Riding Considerations
By Equine Myofunctional Therapist Julie Wright - Hands On Horses Equine Massage
Certified EMT Member EMTA

A huge part of the excitement of looking forward to the 2009 Horseride will be planning and implementing your horses training schedule. Let's help them be at their best and ensure that they arrive, complete and return home sound and pain free. Below I have written some notes which I hope may be of help when considering your training regime, tack and podiatry programme for the 2009 ride.

Muscloskeletal System

Horses use their muscles for every action they take. Add to this the foreign items for their workload such as metal shoes, restricting saddles, unbalanced riders of various weights and ability and we already have a recipe for creating muscle soreness before we get very far. Horses use every muscle from their nose to the tail every day - there isn't anything that the skeleton can do without muscle, tendon or ligament to move it.

Like people, horses' muscles get stiff, sore and painful and build up tension areas. We as responsible carers need to learn to read the signs of discomfort which are sometimes dismissed as bad behaviour when it really is the horse trying its best to communicate with us - and sometimes loudly!

Equine Myofunctional Therapy (EMT) is the manipulation of the soft tissues and joints of the body for the prevention and treatment of their physical dysfunction. Professional Equine Massage is shown to enhance your horses' performance, improve overall health and well being and allow him/her to do their job better, easier with more suppleness and less resistance. There are many benefits of Equine Massage which are too numerous to list here - however the following are some examples of the benefits:

• Promotes fibre alignment within muscles, tendons & ligaments (which allows for easier movement and a longer stride)
• Eliminates adhesions, restrictions and contractions
• Addresses compensatory problems from injury or imbalances
• Decreases inflammatory responses (pain, swelling, immobility) allowing the body to heal itself faster and more efficiently
• Increases muscle tone in cases of atrophy from ill fitting tack
• Increases drainage of wastes and toxins - brings fresh blood carrying oxygen and nutrients to muscle
• Improves joint range of motion & increases blood supply to joints
• Stimulates dermis & epidermis promoting healthy skin and coat
• Calming influence
• Pain reduction

The Equine Muscular system makes up approximately 60% of the horses' total body weight. Muscles can only pull - not push - so for each action, there is an opposing action. If for some reason there is a blockage or restriction in any of these actions, the body will compensate with an inappropriate set of muscles and the fluidity that these amazing animals are born with is compromised. From the below notes on Tack and Podiatry we should begin to see that the effects of ill fitting tack or hoof imbalance is putting stress on the musculoskeletal system with each stride. Hour after hour of microtraumas will eventually lead to problems on a larger scale. It is these microtraumas that can go overlooked until we have a horse that becomes sour from chronic pain.

Saddle Fit

This should be the number one consideration for the long distance trail horse. An ill fitting saddle can create intense pressure and restrict circulation over the back muscles (chiefly Latissimus Dorsi in the Superficial Layer and the Longest Dorsal in the Deep Layer). Pressure will create nerve dysfunction and eventually intense pressure will cause muscles to atrophy (waste away). Other muscle groups will compensate for this adding extra effort as they should not be used for the action that they are undertaking.

Healthy backs feel warm and the muscles will yield to your touch. There should be no areas of white hair (pressure has created cellular death) and the horse should not flinch or dip his back in response to your touch. When you run your hands along his back - take note of how his muscles feel. Do they flicker or flinch or move softly ahead of your touch? Do they feel soft and healthy or stiff? Is there any atrophy behind the shoulder blade and along the back? Take note of the sweat patterns from your saddle when you remove your cloth and before and after each ride - assess your horses back for changes. Remember that no amount of padding will compensate for ill fitting saddles.

Number one saddle fit sin I see is that owners will use thick saddlecloths (sometimes up to 3) instead of one regular saddlecloth. I like to ask them if they would wear 3 pairs of hiking socks when their shoes seem too tight? Definitely not! If you are unsure of your saddle fit - I would highly recommend you have a qualified saddle fitter come to you and your horse and fit your saddle on site - this is the only way to ensure your unique combination is fitting both your horses back and your backside!

Remember that you should get off occasionally and walk along beside your horse to relieve some of the constant pressure from your weight. This was done by the Light Horse Brigade and is actually in their manual for horse care as they found on long marches the riders just sat there like a bag of spuds and all the horses had sore backs the next day.

Girths

Girths should be as long as possible to come up over saddle flaps and encased in either a Neoprene or Pure Wool girth sleeve. They should also be as wide as possible to disperse the pressure. Girths lie across the Ascending Pectoral muscles under the chest which the horse uses to move his forelegs with every stride. When mounting, the girth will "pull" across these muscles - having your girth in a protective sleeve will help eliminate some of the pull and strain taken upon mounting.

Buckles should sit over the saddle flaps to reduce pressure created over the horses' ribs on the thin Serratus Muscles. Again, damage can be easily caused by pull and pressure on these thin muscles which will result in pain to your horse. If your girth needs to be very tight to stop your saddle slipping, you should probably be checking your saddle fit.

Breastplates

These should be for emergency purposes only. Again, these should not be used to anchor your saddle into position. They should be for safety reasons only. Breastplates should be fitted loosely as they lie over the shoulder muscles of the horse as well as travelling across the sternum and down through the Descending Pectorals - vital areas for freedom of movement of the forelegs. If you find your breastplate is what is keeping your saddle in place - you now have two problems.. Saddle fit issues and muscular issues of the chest and foreleg due to restrictions by the breastplate.

Equine Podiatry

This is finally becoming demystified for the regular horse owner thanks to the hoof care courses currently being held around Australia. It really is a fascinating subject and one that now consumes most of my "horsey" thoughts as well as playing an important role in my assessments of horses.

It is vitally important to the musculoskeletal state of the horse and much of what we once termed "bad conformation" is now being recognised as hoof imbalance which is causing postural problems. In preparation for the MS ride your horse should be having its feet trimmed and balanced regularly so as not to let the toes get too long, the heels become underrun/too high or the multitude of other podiatry sins that are unfortunately allowed to occur in performance and pleasure horses every day.

Take some time to learn more about the Equine foot and its relation to the body, learn what healthy hoof form is and most importantly, learn to take an active role in ensuring quality podiatry attention for your horses. I'm sure your farrier will appreciate your interest and input.

The MS Horseride has recently allowed the participation of a few conditioned barefoot horses - some choosing to wear hoof boots and others without. I applaud the organisers of the MS Horseride for having the foresight to allow the inclusion of these conditioned barefoot participants. If you are considering the transition to barefoot for your chosen MS Horseride mount, you will need to start a barefoot programme at least six months prior to your participation and ensure you are training over various terrains, conditioning the hooves to suit the ride. If you feel your horse is not yet fully barefoot conditioned, there are now many options for hoof boots available in the Australian market. Boots are great to use during the transition period from shod to barefoot and also for use traversing terrain to which your horse is not accustomed to. If you are planning on using hoof boots for the ride, you will need to ensure that your horses have been slowly introduced to wearing boots to prevent rubbing. Most importantly of all, let's try and eliminate podiatry issues spoiling our fun!

Note: for further reading on conditioning barefoot horses and natural hoof form see: www.equethy.com

Training

Now that we have considered and applied solutions to what is going on under our saddles and from the feet up - let's get out there and have some fun training! Monitor your tack fit and horses fitness levels and ensure regular podiatry attention and of course provide a good balanced diet for your horse and you will be well on the way to the best week of the trail riding year!

Equine Massage

This is a very valuable tool for the assessment of the muscoskeletal system. Learn to feel your horses back for areas of tenderness and recognise signs of ill fitting tack before the horse inherits muscular soreness or muscular atrophy.

Equine Massage, as in humans, has considerable benefits, in that it improves circulation, relaxes muscles, aids digestion and by stimulating the lymphatic system assists in the elimination of waste products. Assisting the circulation expedites the flow of nutrients and oxygen that revitalise the body. Sports massage is a necessary and acclaimed therapy with human athletes. The expectations of humans on the equine athlete are very high and therefore the equine athlete should receive the same consideration.

Massage prior to competition is excellent because stretching muscle fibres allows for better recoil thus enabling greater movement which can lessen the possibility of muscle tearing. Massage also reduces warm up time, therefore saving valuable energy prior to competing. Massage is also extremely beneficial post competition to relax tight muscles and to ensure that any tightness does not continue through to another muscle group. Massage post competition will also help your horse to recover quickly and help eliminate wastes and toxins that can leave both you and your horse feeling sore.

Once your horse has achieved preferred muscle health it is easy to maintain by including massage within your grooming regime. My business name was chosen because of this very reason - I see that all owners should be able to help their horses maintain healthy muscles by warming and cooling down effectively with enhanced grooming techniques. It is my aim with all massage sessions to help owners help their horses with simple "hands on" techniques. By enabling owners to recognise muscular imbalances or soreness in their mounts, these small traumas can then be addressed before, during and after every workout. Your horse with healthy muscles will be less likely to sustain an injury. If for some reason he does receive an injury during training or competition - his recovery period will be expedited.

Massage is a very affordable health benefit for your horse. It is recommended that you have an EMTA member check your horses' back and total muscular symmetry every 6 months to help you monitor and address any changes.

Equine Myofunctional Therapists Association

As a Certified Equine Myofunctional Therapist, I am proud to also be a member of the E.M.T.A (Equine Myofunctional Therapists' Association).

The aim of the E.M.T.A is to establish a professional standard in the field of Equine Massage and promotes continual education of its members to further enhance professionalism. The E.M.T.A also educates the public of the importance of correct massage application to the horse, particularly in view of the increasing demands placed on the horse in various disciplines. Members of the E.M.T.A. operate within the guidelines of a strict professional Code of Ethics. Members work with the use of their hands and employ techniques for which they have had professional training based on a thorough grounding of Equine Anatomy and Physiology. The E.M.T.A members are not alternatives to veterinarians, but prefer to have a professional liaison.

EMTA Members list: www.emta.com.au

If you have any questions relating to the above notes, Equine Massage Therapy or muscular imbalances in your horse and would like some further information, I am happy to take your enquiries via email: hands_on_horses@yahoo.com.au

For further information and advice on the various styles of hoof boots available, please see www.bareequine.com.au.