Karen Gorrell
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Merrill Equine Solutions
Before one can effectively massage a horse, it's very helpful to know - at the very least - what the basic skeletal and muscular structure is. Please be aware that this article only scratches the very surface of things - there is a lot more to learn!
Basic Skeletal Structure: (a diagram is included for your reference)
* Axial skeleton: consists of the bones of the skull, vertebrae, ribs and sternum
* Appendicular skeleton: consists of only the limbs
* Cervical vertebrae: there are 7 cervical vertebrae - the first is called the atlas; the second is the axis. The joint between these two is called a pivot joint and can only rotate. This is what allows the horse to turn its head side to side. The joint between the atlas and the occipital bone (base of the skull) is a hinge joint and allows the horse to move its head up and down.
* Thoracic vertebrae: there are 18 thoracic vertebrae; however, some may only have 17. Each vertebrae has a long projection at the top, which is called the dorsal spinous process. The 3rd through 10th of these make up the withers.
* Lumbar vertebrae: there are 6 of these and are located in the lower back or loin area.
* Sacral vertebrae: there are 5 sacral vertebrae and when born, these are separate but usually fuse together by the time the foal is 1 year old. The area is also referred to as the sacrum or croup.
* Coccygeal or caudal vertebrae: there are usually 16 - 22 of these and they make up the tailbone.
* Ribs: a horse will only have as many ribs as thoracic vertebrae. The "true" ribs are the first 8 pairs - they are attached to the sternum by cartilage - as well as to the spine. The "false" ribs are the last 10 pairs - they attach to the spine, but do not attach directly to the sternum. Instead, they attach to the rib in front of it. The last 1 or 2 pairs are called "floating" ribs - they are only attached to the spine.
It's the ribs - and the ring of muscles in that area - that actually supports the saddle, not the spine. So, the best area of support is where the "true" ribs are; going farther back, there is less support and the horse is less able to carry weight there.
Points of the horse:
When massaging, stay away from the points of the horse. It's not good - and even painful - to mash the skin over them. One should also be careful when going over the scapular spine, which is a bony ridge that goes down the middle of the length of the scapula.
These points are:
* Point of shoulder: this is the head of the humerus
* Elbow: olecranon process
* Point of croup: tuber sacral
* Point of hip: tuber coxae
* Point of buttock: tuber ischii
* Point of hock: tuber calcis
There is much more to the skeletal structure, but this gives you a basic overview of the main points.
Now I will give a general introduction to the muscles.
THE VERY BASICS OF MUSCLES
I won't be going into any detail here, but you should at least know the difference betweens tendons and ligaments and some of the terms used for muscles.
Tendons are what attach the muscle to the bone. Muscles have a belly (also called a body) and two ends. These ends are actually the tendons and are made of very tough connective tissue and are what makes the muscle to bone connection possible. Ligaments are what attach bone to bone. This tissue is white, fibrous, very tough, and slightly elastic. It binds the bone ends together, stabilizing the joint, providing support and also helps prevent excessive movement.
Most muscles attach to two bones. Of these two bones, the attachment to the least moveable one is called the origin. The insertion is attached to the more moveable bone. There are about 600 muscles in the horse's body that contract and release. When a muscle flexes, it decreases the angle of the joint or closes it. Flexors are found on the inside of this angle. Extension is the increasing of the angle of a joint and extensors are found on the outside of this angle - opposite the flexors.
This arrangement in opposing groups of muscles is what produces the desired action. The muscle directly responsible for providing the action is known as the prime mover or agonist. The antagonist is the opposing muscle and acts opposite of the agonist. Depending on what action is desired, each muscle can be the agonist or antagonist. Think of your own biceps and triceps. If you want to extend the elbow, the triceps are the agonist and the biceps are the antagonist. If you want to flex the elbow, the biceps become the agonist and the triceps become the antagonist.
Any problem with the muscles will create stress on the tendons since they are a part of the muscle.
Well, there you have it -
a very brief overview of the skeletal and muscular structure of the horse. So much to learn...
