Equine Sports Massage Therapy

09/07/2025

What is hyper focus look like?? erm this at 2.30 am in the morning
92 pages done so far !! and I have given up drinking coffee 😱

08/30/2025

08/25/2025

08/20/2025

08/19/2025

Radial nerve

Who ever said radial nerve injury in the previous post was correct ###

When this nerve gets injured it can be quite frightening for the owner, as often the horse will present by dragging the toe unable to extend the forelimb, stumbling or struggling to weightbare.

I will preface this to say it is quite rare for this type of injury to occur and similar to the Suprascapular nerve the tendency for both of these nerves to succumb to trauma is because both at some point sit closer to the surface, the superficial branch of the Radial nerve sits quite cutaneous on the lateral side exiting the lateral head of the Triceps (Triceps are the extensors of the elbow) while the deep branch innervates the extensors of the forelimb. others nerves are often protected deep beneath the surface.

I personally have only ever encountered one case in all the years I have been around horses (over 30 years), and it was a foal who we think mum had maybe stepped on it while in the stable and although it looked very dramatic it made a full recovery with some veterinary intervention and time for the body to heal

Trauma is the most likely cause, extreme abduction (out to the side) or protraction (stretching back) of the forelimb can attribute, so slips or falls, laying on the side for a lengthy amount of time (anaesthetised), and of course blunt force Trauma,

Sensation can be affected aswell as motor function, the radial nerve innervates all the extensors in the forelimb and the superficial branch of the nerve innervates the lateral cutaneous antebrachium

The lacertus fibrosus links the Biceps Brachii to the Extensor Carpi Radialis tendon, remember each tendon in the lower limb does attach to a muscle in the upper limb which then connects to the rest of the body, so if the horse is unable to use the stay apparatus then the horses may not be able to use the vital energy saving system to the muscles.

Veterinary intervention as early as possible is important for appropriate diagnosis and to determine the extent of damage as with all nerve injuries the outcome can vary depending on the severity of the damage to the nerve, guesswork could delay the appropriate treatment. Also the other forelimb will need careful watching or support as it will be taking an extra load onto it, and remember the rest of the body will also offload an injury site

But like I say it is quite rare but once you see it you never forget

08/13/2025

08/10/2025

Yes I know i am supposed to be doing the course but the doom phase is real 😃😃

We often hear the words "pain is in the brain" and while it is correct the brain does not feel pain because of the lack of nociceptors (specialised nerve endings), it is responsible for sending the signal of pain to the body in order to warn that area to down tools and limit activity, yet i find now we are so focused on the "nervous system" that we are beginning to lose sight that the areas of all the horse still need addressed and correct movement can only occur when the body is no longer on red alert

Muscles often lose out and are somewhat thought of as puppets besides structures like fascia but they are important in whole horse health and a severe muscle injury can takes months to heal
We must not forget every muscle will tell us a story what lies deeper so it is important that the health of these are

So if you horse has say done the spilts in the field we have to think, how much out of range did the muscles and joints go and how long would it take to heal and how quick we bring them back into work because there is no "lameness"

Has your horse scrambled over a gate?? Gone over a stable door with those hinds legs trailing mid air?? What about the illiopsoas or the groin muscles.

Often running your hands on the pectorals or hamstrings it may feel stringy like guitar strings and that can tell you a story of maybe the horses past incidents.

Rehab and recovery ? As I sit nursing a torn gastrocnemius i can tell you the pain is not there all the time but one wrong step and I dont know where to place my foot to alleviate the pain, my achilles tendon is affected, so what about the horse that stops dead, explodes we often miss muscle issues because we jump straight to a bone issue, yet the spasm from a sore muscle can be sporadic and intense.
Has your horse had surgery?? What about the muscle that was cut through ?? Is the area now weaker as scar tissue has taken over from healthy muscle tissue are we bringing the horse back to work to soon once the surgery sight has healed.

Rapid muscle loss or an injury must always be seen by a vet it is so important that the underlying issue is first diagnosed, recovery time can vary from a few days to months

Hope this helps xx

08/03/2025

The Benefits of Riding uphill

🔹 Walking and trotting uphill strengthens the back, hamstring and gluteal muscles that will then give more pushing power in your flatwork and jumping.

🔹 Trotting uphill opens the shoulders and is great preparation for medium and extended trot as well as improving straightness and symmetrical development of muscles.

🔹 Cantering uphill also has benefits. The thrust from both hindlegs created when you canter uphill develops jump and elastic recoil.

🔸To avoid placing to much strain on your horse’s body increase the frequency and steepness of the incline gradually. 🔸

08/02/2025

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗡𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 is the largest of all the cranial nerves and one of the most important to consider when fitting a bridle.
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This complex nerve has three branches - Opthalmic branch, Maxillary branch and Mandibular branch.
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This nerve is responsible for sensation to the head and face, and for the motor function of the chewing muscles.
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The information sent to the brain covers everything from temperature and pressure to proprioception, and pain.
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For lots more fascinating facts about horses and opportunity to further your knowledge come and visit Inside the Horse - a Horses Inside Out Exhibition running from 11 - 23 August.

Want ot know more? Comment Exhibition and we'll send you further details.
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