Muscles being discussed: Trapezius (cervical and thoracic)
Location: The trapezius muscles are located in the horse’s neck and wither area. Originates at the top of the neck by the poll and inserts into the scapula.
Function: Draws the scapula upward, forward and backward. The cervical trapezius is located in front of the withers and draws the scapula up and forward. The thoracic trapezius is located at and behind the withers and draws scapula up and backward.
Symptoms of tension:
· Sensitive to girthing; “girthy”
· Soreness at and/or around the withers
· Shortened stride
· Reluctance picking up leads
· Refusal at jumps
· Front-end lameness
Causes of tension:
· Poor saddle fit
· Unbalanced rider
· Disciplines that require sudden stops or changes in direction (i.e. reining, cutting, sorting, penning, roping, barrel racing, calf-roping, etc) and those that put a lot of weigh and force on the front end (jumping and eventing).
How massage can help: Massage is a great way to address tension in the trapezius muscles. By addressing knots and breaking up adhesions in the muscle tissue, massage can help loosen up tense muscle fibers allowing your horse to have better flexion and movement. I’ll use multiple massage techniques such as compression, percussion, trigger point therapy, and cross fiber friction to address these issues.
I have linked a great video by Schleese Saddlery that explains how poor saddle fit can negatively affect the trapezius muscles.
Photo Credit: willierossin/stock.adobe.com
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