Muscles being discussed: Pectoralis (Cranial Superficial, Transverse Superficial, Caudal Deep, and Caudal Superficial)
Location: The pectoralis muscles are located in the horse’s chest and belly. The cranial superficial pectoral originates at the sternum and inserts into the humerus. The transverse pectoral originates from the sternum and inserts onto the upper part of the foreleg. The caudal deep pectoral originates from the sternum and ends at the coracobrachialis muscle. Lastly, the caudal superficial pectoral originates from the sternum and inserts into the supraspinatus muscle (shoulder).
Function: Draws the foreleg backward.
Symptoms of tension:
• Sensitive to girthing; “girthy”
• Sensitive to leg pressure
• Adverse to hill work (going up or down)
• Reluctance picking up leads
• Likeliness to cross-fire/cross-canter
• Reluctance to extend forearm (when stretching, asking for extended gaits, etc)
Causes of tension:
• Poor saddle fit
• Unbalanced rider
• Repetitious maneuvers
• Improper use of training aid
• Deep arena footing
• 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.
Disclaimer: Equine massage is not a replacement for proper veterinary care. Equilete cannot diagnose medical conditions, prescribe or recommend medications for treatment. If a horse is currently being treated by a vet for a medical condition the owner is responsible for clearing massage work with his/her vet prior to scheduling an appointment with Equilete for Equine Sports Massage Therapy (ESMT).
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