The following case studies describe horses, pre-massage evaluations, massage and findings. Owners agreed to have this information including images published to this website.
Horse Name/ Age |
Dan, 16 |
Owner |
Anne S. |
Gender |
Gelding |
Color/breed |
bay/Appendix |
location |
SdlRdge, Wisconsin |
Date |
08/06/08 (Massage I of III) |
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HORSE HISTORY and Owner/handler states re precondition:: The horse is a Hunter who has been actively competing, is ridden on trails and is starting dressage lessons. Dan has been falling to the left during the past 1 1/2 years. There was chiropractic work done to neck and shoulder. In general, he feels better to the left and gets his lead better to the right. He gets Adequan Injections in his hocks (Arthritis).
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OVERALL CASE STUDY SUMMARY: Dan made great progress in the flexibility of his neck and sensitivity around the withers. Notable problem area for Dan is his right shoulder/left hip. Dan is a true gentleman and it's a pleasure to work with Dan!
OWNER FEEDBACK AFTER COMPLETION OF EQUINE BODY WORK CASE STUDY:
| Left Side |
Right Side |
| Horses condition/sensitivities/issues found during body work/evaluation: |
 |
 |
MASSAGE NOTES |
(L=light, M=Medium, H=High) |
Atlas/Poll: medium sensitivity, responded to massage after a bit of resistance
Neck: some light reactivity on the upper left neck, not particularly stiff towards the left
Shoulder: medium sensitivity in the lower shoulder, responded nicely to body work in that area, cooperated and relaxed, dropped shoulder
Front leg: relaxes leg, good movement to front and back, no stiffness or restricted motion
Withers: severe sensitivity behind the whithers, cautious and guarded during withers wiggle
Back: Severe sensitivity in small of back right on the spine
Sacroiliac: no sensitivities, responded nicely, relaxed tail
Hip: the entire hip apparatus on the left seems a bit stiff, has hard time dropping hip
Hind leg:
limited movement of left hind leg, stiffness
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Atlas/Poll: severe sensitivity, but responded nicely after some resistance
Neck: Dan's neck is considerably stiffer bending to the right, he will bend his head around but the movement comes from the poll (head not in the vertical)
Shoulder: stiffness in the entire shoulder apparatus, shoulder (via front leg) hard to stretch and relax, hardened, thickened and sensitive muscle in front of scapula
Front leg: the movement and flexibility of the right front leg is much more restricted than on the left side
Withers: severe sensitivity behind the withers
Back: severe sensitivty in small of back right on the spine
Sacroiliac: no sensitivity
Hip: normal flexibility, no sensitivities, drops hip
Right hind leg: no unusual stiffness, nice and flexible |
Summary: Dan's severe sensitivity in two distinct spots could point towards a bridging saddle. His muscle tone is slightly underdeveloped to the left and right of the spine. The front right and the left hind are clearly problem areas for Dan.
Recommendation: Massage/body work once a month to encourage relaxation of muscles and joint in the three key junctions poll, neck/shoulder and hip. Investigate saddle fit and possibly experiment with a numnah with insertable padding. Massage Dan's poll area during grooming routine.
| Left Side |
Right Side |
| Horses condition/sensitivities/issues found during body work/evaluation: |
 |
 |
TMJ: no sensitivity
Poll: light sensitivity, responded to massage after a bit of resistance, some hardening and tension (more than on right side)
Neck: no sensitivities, nice and flexible, head in the verical, little resistance
Shoulder: No sensitivities, cooperated and relaxed, dropped shoulder, no noticable tension
Front leg: no responses to flexing, relaxes leg, good movement to front and back, no stiffness or restricted motion
Withers: a bit guarded during withers wiggle, no sensitivities
Back: severe sensitivity in the small of the back
Sacroiliac: no sensitivities, relaxed tail
Hip: the entire hip apparatus on the left seems a bit stiff, has hard time dropping hip, seems a bit restricted, medium sensitivity above point of hip
Hind leg:
some resistance and stiffness in the left hind, especially when asked to release to the front
Rocking: nice and relaxed, no signs of tension or discomfort |
TMJ: no sensitivity
Poll: slight sensitivity, muscles still somwhat hard, bu nice releases after massage
Neck: Dan can bend his neck to the right without considerable stiffness, his head is more vertical
Shoulder: some stiffness in the shoulder, light sensitivity in front of scapula (lower end), muscles somewhat tight
Front leg: the movement and flexibility of the right front leg is more restricted than on the left side
Withers: no sensitivity around the withers
Back: severe sensitivty in small of back right
Sacroiliac: no sensitivity
Hip: normal flexibility, no sensitivities, drops hip
Right hind leg: no unusual stiffness, nice and flexible |
Summary: Dan's sensitivity in the withers seems to have completely disappeared. He still shows severe sensitivity in the small of the back. The front right and the left hind are still problem areas for Dan. He shows some sensitivity and tight muscles in the poll area. Overall he was a much more relaxed horse and made great progress with the flexibility of his neck.
Recommendation: Massage/body work once a month to encourage relaxation of muscles and joint in the three key junctions poll, neck/shoulder and hip. Massage Dan's poll area during grooming routine.
Owner feedback before massage: Dan seemed to move more freely after the last body work session, but currently is a bit off on the left hind, possibly caused by a stone bruise. The use od the recommended numnah did not yield the desired result, Dan showed signs of temporary back soreness.
| Left Side |
Right Side |
| Horses condition/sensitivities/issues found during body work/evaluation: |
 |
 |
TMJ: no sensitivity
Poll: some sensitivity, responded to massage after a bit of resistance, still some hardening and tension
Neck: no sensitivities, very flexible today, finds it easy to keep head in the verical, no resistance
Shoulder: No sensitivities, cooperated and relaxed, dropped shoulder, no notieable muscle tension
Front leg: no responses to flexing, relaxes leg, good movement to front and back, no stiffness or restricted motion
Withers: enjoys withers wiggle, no sensitivities
Back: medium sensitivity in the middle of the back right on spine, low sensitivity in the small of back
Sacroiliac: no sensitivities, responded nicely, relaxed tail
Hip: the entire hip apparatus on the left seems a bit stiff, has hard time dropping hip,
Hind leg:
not able to release leg forward as nicely as on the right side, feeling a bit of hesitation and resistance |
TMJ: no sensitivity
Poll: some sensitivity, but responded nicely and released
Neck: no sensitivities, very flexible today, finds it easy to keep head in the verical, no resistance
Shoulder: some stiffness in the shoulder apparatus, shoulder (via front leg) hard to stretch, drop and relax, however, muscles in front of scapula no longer noticeably hardened
Front leg: the movement and flexibility of the right front leg is more restricted than on the left side, Dan somewhat resists and finds it hard to relax his leg down and back
Withers: enjoys withers wiggle, no sensitivities
Back: medium sensitivity in the middle of the back right on spine, low sensitivity in the small of back
Sacroiliac: no sensitivity
Hip: normal flexibility, no sensitivities, drops hip
Right hind leg: no unusual stiffness, nice and flexible, no restrictions |
Rocking: Dan was relaxes and enjoyed rocking, he responded nicely to rocking along the ribs on both sides
Hip tilt: This time we added the hip tilt, Dan's hip, especially on the left does not tilt easily, but there were no sensitivities or adverse reactions
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Summary: Dan shows little sensitivity or sign of discomfort overall. His muscle tone seems to be building up to the left and right of the spine. The front right and the left hind are still somewhat problem areas for Dan. According to owner's feedback the numnah did not show the expected results and due to temporary back soreness it will not be used again. However, owner will continue to look for a suitable pad or possibly saddle fitters involvement to counteract the slightly bridging saddle.
Recommendation: Massage/body work once a month to encourage relaxation of muscles and joint in the three key junctions poll, neck/shoulder and hip.. Massage Dan's poll area during grooming routine. Have Dan perform 'horse situps' to relax spine and help strengthen abdominal muscles.
Please Note: Equine Massage is NEVER a substitute for proper veterinary care. If in doubt about the physical condition of your horse, please consult your vet.
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