Equine Sports Massage Therapy - Mark McGovern ICAT Dip ESM

05/02/2023

30/07/2022

25/12/2021

Merry Christmas from Equine Sports Massage Therapy - Mark McGovern ICAT Dip ESM

21/11/2021

10 handy facts about lameness

1. A forelimb lameness is identified by looking for the head nod. The head will go up when the lame limb hits the ground and down when the sound limb hits the ground. It is easier to notice the 'head nod', therefore when the head nods, it is the opposite leg that is lame.

2. Check for heat and a pulse. Inflammation brings blood to the area.

3. A horse with arthritic wear and tear (common in older horses), will often get better as he goes, which is known as 'warming out of it'. The lameness will usually be less obvious after a few minutes. Additionally he will often be worse on hard ground (tarmac) in comparison to the ménage. This is due to more concussion on his joints.

4. A horse with soft tissue damage will often get worse as he goes and is often lamer on a soft surface (ménage), as the tissue such as an affected tendon or ligament is being stretched more than it would be on a hard surface with no give.

5. A horse with bilateral forelimb lameness will be harder to detect as the head nod will now be apparent when both limbs hit the ground. However he will show a shorter cranial phase (his forelimbs will not come out very far from underneath him resulting in a 'choppy' gait).

6. If you are struggling to detect lameness get the Slo-Pro app for your mobile phone and record your horse. This will slow everything down until you train your eye into detecting lameness.

7. A hind limb lameness is more difficult to detect. If you watch the horse trotting away from you, the lame leg usually has more movement at the hip. It helps to attach white sticky tape to both hip bones to make this more obvious to the eye.

8. Putting a horse on a circle (lungeing), often shows up a forelimb and hindlimb lameness more easily.

9. If the horse looks lame on one limb, but has a stronger pulse in the opposite limb, it is usually because the sound limb has taken more weight to allow pressure relief of the affected limb.

10. A horse can look completely sound without a rider, and then almost three legged once someone is on board. Therefore if your getting a feeling that something just isn't quite right, do not just jog him up on the straight or on the lunge and assume all is well.

** Shoeing/trimming intervals should be kept as short as possible. Studies have shown that as the toe grows, the foot 'shoots' forward (long toes, low heel), putting excess strain on the flexor tendons. If your horse always looks slightly 'off' just prior to shoeing, then this is a very probable cause and it may be worth shortening your shoeing cycle.

As a horse owner, developing an eye for lameness is one of the greatest skills you can learn. This will not only allow you to have your horse treated more quickly, but will hopefully nip smaller issues in the bud before they escalate into far bigger ones.

E. J Westwood.

20/11/2021

It's never just “tight hamstrings”

Often when we think of a muscle, we imagine a specifically shaped part of the body, in a certain anatomical location, which functions to contribute towards the movement of the organism as a whole.

In the anatomy books, muscles are classified with relation to the relationship between their attachments to the body; their origin and insertion. For example, the hamstrings are classified as a retractor of the hindlimb; contraction pulls the insertion of the hamstrings on the distal femur and tibia, towards the origin in the pelvis, which in turn draws the limb backwards in the retraction phase of the stride.

However, the hamstrings are not the only muscle which act to retract the hindlimb; the middle gluteal also plays an integral role. When we consider the biomechanics of the body as a whole, we see that muscles often act as part of groups.

Moreover, muscles can belong to more than one group. The semitendinosus, which is part of the hamstring group (along with the semimembranosus and biceps femoris) and the hindlimb retractor muscle group, also acts as part of the hindlimb adductor group which functions to bring the leg towards the midline (inwards).

To further complicate things, the middle gluteal muscle, which is also part of the hindlimb retractor group, acts as a hindlimb abductor which brings the leg away from the midline (outwards). Both the semitendinosus and middle gluteal muscles are hindlimb retractors, yet when we consider their actions within the sagittal plane of the body they perform opposing actions.

Each action has a consequence, and as such each muscle group has an opposing muscle group, whose role is to perform the exact opposite action to balance the forces within the body and control movement. In the same way that we have agonist and antagonist pairs of muscles (ie the biceps brachii and triceps brachii muscles which act to bring your arm up and down), muscle groups have agonistic and antagonistic functions. The antagonists of the hindlimb retractors are the hindlimb protractors, which advance the hindlimb forwards in the swing phase of the stride.

So why is this important for us to know?

Because tension in a muscle will never only influence that muscle individually.

Tightness, spasm or atrophy (dysfunction) of an individual muscle will mean that its role within the muscle group as a whole will be impaired. As such, the other muscles within the group will have to take up a greater role in performing the function of the group, ie retracting the hindleg. This will increase their risk of fatigue.

Consequently, as the agonistic group begins to weaken, the synergy between the agonistic (hindlimb retractors) and antagonistic groups (hindlimb protractors) will become unbalanced. This will result in uneven forces being exerted on other anatomical structures of the body; the tendons, ligaments and joints. Furthermore, in the case of the hamstrings not only will protraction/retraction be affected, but also abduction/adduction.

These effects will not just be isolated locally to the hindlimb...

Each muscle is encased by the fascial network which expands across the entire body, connecting each muscle to their neighbours and globally linking each and every part of the body together into one unit. Often muscle origins and insertions are not as discrete as they are depicted in the anatomy books, thus the principle that muscles act alone within the body to perform a singular role has been challenged.

Through the work of both human and equine anatomists, it has been identified that muscles act within chains, known as myofascial chains/meridians/pathways, which span across the body linking certain muscles together within a pathway. Meaning that dysfunction within one muscle will not only have local effects to that region of the body, but will have further reaching global impacts across the body as a whole.

The hamstrings are part of the Superficial Back Line myofascial chain, which starts at the back of each hind hoof, then extends through the caudal muscles of the hindlimb, over the muscles of the croup, and through long back muscles, before each side then passes under the shoulder blade through the neck and over the poll to through the face to the muscles of the jaw (see the blue line).

Through this chain, we can see how dysfunction in the hindlimb can travel through the body to have a significant influence to the horse's back, neck, across the poll, and also extending to influencing the acceptance of the bit.

Conversely, myofascial chains work in both directions; tension in the hamstring group may not be due to dysfunction of the muscle itself, but may be as a result of issues elsewhere in the dorsal chain. For example, this may stem from hypertonicity and spasm through the epaxial muscle group (back) or of the dorsal cervical region (neck), which in turn may relate to a poorly fitting bridle or saddle.

And so we see that it is never just “tight hamstrings”. It is important to consider the posture of the horse as a whole, and not just fixate on tension in one muscle and how to fix it. Often by addressing the whole posture and mechanics of the horse, we will see the resolution of dysfunction in particular muscles as the body functions in improved balance.

Or...it might just be that your horse has been larking around in a wet slippery field the day before and has strained his hamstrings. It is always about how the horse presents on the day, and addressing these issues early on can intercept the cycle of compensation before it becomes a whole body issue. Listen to your horse and trust your therapist’s palpation and clinical reasoning to best address your horse 🐎

12/11/2021

23/07/2021

🐴 Masseter muscle 🐴

This muscle is for chewing, it brings the jaws together, and moves the bottom jaw to the side. It is the single most powerful muscle that is engaged in chewing. Some regard this muscle as the most powerful in the entire body.

Pain & dysfunction in this muscle can show as weight lose due to the inability/reluctance to chew. Other signs may be: headshyness, difficulty in bridling, head tossing, excessive yawning, dropping food excessively, moving the jaw from side to side. If a horse is tight in the jaw there is a knock on effect that reverberates through the whole body - especially the poll, neck, shoulders, back, lumbo sacral junction, pelvis, stifle and hocks.

First port of call would be with the dentist.

How can massage help? ⭐️
Massage may help a horse that is tight in this muscle to 'unclench' and regain jaw mobility, releasing stress points in the belly of this muscle, this along with gentle stretching of the mouth may help to regain normal function.

12/06/2021

For those people who still insist in tying their horses mouth shut!!!

The Temperomandibular joint (TMJ) is “The joint with the most proprioceptive nerves in the horse’s entire body".

When the horse’s lower jaw cannot move, it cannot, therefore, ‘transmit’ accurate positioning data to the horse’s body, which results in poor movement and performance.

TMJ dysfunction reaction in horses are as follows:
Balance may be impaired
Ability to perform lateral movements will be impaired
Range of motion of the cervical vertebrae will be impacted
Contraction of the long hyoid muscles can put other muscles into spasm and tension
The horse wants to ‘go behind the bit’ to relieve tension in the muscles between the hyoid and the scapula and/or the sternum
It sets the stage for a hollow back
It shortens the horse’s stride

STILL Want ot tie the horses mouth shut?

16/04/2021

29/11/2020

The Gluteals

The rounded look of a horses hindquarters is mostly down to the Gluteals.

Their jobs are strong hip extensors.
They support the body when the horse rears.
They provide propulsion for both galloping and kicking.

The Accessory Gluteal and the Deep Gluteal are both hidden by the Superficial Gluteal.
The Superficial Gluteal also covers the Medial Gluteal.

The Gluteals originate from the Ilium and Sacroiliac ligaments.
They then insert onto the Femur and the Medial Gluteal also inserts into the ribs.

Yellow - Medial Gluteal
Blue - Accessory Gluteal
Purple - Deep Gluteal
White - Superficial Gluteal

09/11/2020

Longissimus Dorsi

This muscle helps to shape the horses back.

It is the largest and the longest muscle in the horses back.

It runs from the pelvis and sacrum and attaches to the thoracic vertebrae.

This bilateral muscle extends the vertebrae to bring stability when the horse is moving.

This muscle supports the rider and the saddle.

A badly fitting saddle can cause major problems for this muscle.

25/10/2020

Rhomboid

The Rhomboid is a deep muscle.

It sits under the Trapezius and connects the shoulder to the Thoracic vertebrae and the Nuchal Ligament.

It’s job is to pull the shoulder up and forward.

It helps to extend the neck and move it from side to side.

30/08/2020

Amazing fascia.

This photo was taken after the skin was removed from the equine leg during a whole horse dissection that I did. Fascia holds everything together and is present in the whole of the horses body (and humans too).

Some fascia is full of water and substances to help it glide, and other deeper fascia is thick like tendons.

It holds nerves, lymph vessels and nerves. It covers muscles tendons and ligaments.

It seems to be a bit of a buzz word in 2020 but I think bodyworkers have known about it for a long time.

Feel free to comment as I love learning from you and so do my followers.

My studies-

http://www.patreon.com/hoofstudies

My supporter-

Australian Farriers Conference https://www.australianfarriersconference.com.au

YouTube-

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtZyYceJ1CXR7LVpJm4Y3tA

06/07/2020

05/04/2020

21/01/2020

10/01/2020

𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙄𝙈𝙋𝙊𝙍𝙏𝘼𝙉𝘾𝙀 𝙊𝙁 𝙍𝙀𝙃𝘼𝘽𝙄𝙇𝙄𝙏𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝙋𝙍𝙀𝙃𝘼𝘽𝙄𝙇𝙄𝙏𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉.

One of the most poignant questions I had during my first year of study was…

𝗔𝘀 𝘃𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻/𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀/𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻/𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 “𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀” 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻? 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺?

In essence, by decreasing muscular hypertonicity and pain… are we taking away the animals coping mechanism? Whilst they may be more comfortable initially, surely the same problems will just continue to occur as we are treating the 𝑺𝒀𝑴𝑷𝑻𝑶𝑴 (muscle) and not the 𝑪𝑨𝑼𝑺𝑬 of the ailment?

And it was this trail of thought that made me realise that you can use massage techniques and electrotherapy modalities endlessly, but without changes to the animals lifestyle regime and exercise values the effectiveness of treatment is 𝑺𝑯𝑶𝑹𝑻-𝑳𝑰𝑽𝑬𝑫.

To put into perspective, if we have a painful back because we have been lifting a heavy haynet without correct posture. We then see the doctor/physiotherapist/chiropractor/osteopath etc for treatment. Once the treatment is complete and the pain has subsided, it would be then 𝑪𝑶𝑼𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑰𝑵𝑻𝑼𝑰𝑻𝑰𝑽𝑬 to lift the same heavy haynet again. It's common sense. For optimum recovery and long term health, you would complete your physiotherapy exercises… rest… and employ lifestyle changes (e.g. warming up the muscle before heavy lifting).

So why is it accepted for our animals to have their physiotherapy treatment, but then continued to be exercised in incorrect/compromised posture? Physiotherapy treatment can set up the animal to move away from compensatory movement patterns and develop correct posture. In order to stop the cycle of the muscular tension returning or becoming chronic, therapeutic practices need to be employed on a regular basis. This can range from stretching, incorporating pole work exercises weekly, avoiding haynet use or even increased turnout.

Source of image unknown.

05/09/2019

28/08/2019

23/07/2019

🔘🔘

15/07/2019

From - Equine Head to Tail

14/07/2019

From - Paula McNinch Animal Physiotherapy

29/06/2019

25/06/2019

A great course 👍

23/06/2019

This little rescue boy doesn’t like having his nails done , but he’s now so good he’s giving me his paw

11/06/2019

Another good pictorial..

23/05/2019

Lush Life, Well done! 👍🐴

🏆LUSH LIFE🏆keeps the winning streak alive by getting her head in front in the lucky last at Sandown Park, under a perfectly timed ride from Jamie Spencer for Mr. Michael Buckley 💪🏼

20/05/2019

Amanda Jane Leaker recommends Equine Sports Massage Therapy - Mark McGovern ICAT Dip ESM.
March 30 ·

Mark has visited my yard a couple of times and I have always felt the horses have benefited hugely from the treatment. Amanda Leaker
Park Dressage Horses

20/05/2019

Sara Jane Parry recommends Equine Sports Massage Therapy - Mark McGovern ICAT Dip ESM.
March 26 ·

Mark came and saw my mare today, very professional easy to talk to and understood everything he said,
Would highly recommend.

20/05/2019

Good old Henry !! 😅

16/05/2019

Having allowed my weight to creep up over the last few months, I found myself in a position where I couldn’t ride. All horses have a maximum riding weight (thi