Exercise to Release Your Horse’s Neck

Howdy Friends,

 

One important thing you can, and should do, for your horse is to release her neck. While all power and propulsion should come from the rear, everything for posture, proper body carriage and agility has its roots in a free neck, free poll, relaxed axis, unlocked vertebrae and neck muscles.

Kessy loves the "Caterpillar" exercise.

This nifty little exercise Peggy Cummings calls the “Caterpillar” can insure your horse can move her head and neck (and therefore her body) comfortably, easily, with grace and confidence. Sadly many horses are so tense in this important area they are forced to “push through” the pain, restrictions and bad posture created by the tightness, that comfort and grace are unattainable. Going along with the discomfort is an impediment to their vision, when a horse is locked in this area their vision is also impaired.

What causes this tightness? Many things, teeth issues, improper foot care, tie downs, running martingales, horses on their forehands, rider’s poor posture, poor fitting saddles, repetitive speed events, or anything repetitive, riding over-collected, inverted and hollow-backed and so many more things the list is long indeed ... But understand all horses will benefit from this exercise even a retired pasture buddy.

This nifty little exercise, so easy to learn, can help so much.

Start by standing next to your horse in neutral, your shoulders soft, one hand gently supporting at the halter noseband. Your other hand cupped at the base of her neck with your thumb in the jugular grove, fingers surrounding the vertebrae and heel of your hand resting on the big muscle as shown here with Kessy and me.

This is a 3 step exercise—First with your hand cupped and just enough pressure to move the skin, push your hand along the big muscle, thumb in the groove, all the way to her ear. Watch for the release, as you see Kessy doing. Note—some very tight horses will back away or swing their heads because to offer a release is unknown to them or they simply cannot give and flex they are that locked. Be gentle, do not restrict, walk with her. In time the releases will begin.

Step 2—Begin again at the base of the neck, your hands as they were the first time. You will again travel to her ear along the vertebrae and groove, but this time your fingers will grip the muscle and vertebrae as they walk along up her neck. Think of a “caterpillar” walking up her neck. Apply a little more pressure, enough to move the skin and sink your fingers in just a little, you do want to move things. Your horse will guide you as to the pressure. She’ll say, “Back off!” or “Yes that’s it!”

Step 3—Again begin at the base, your hands in the same positions—Slide AND walk your hand up her neck to her ear. Sliding your heel while your fingers walk, jiggle and grip all together in a fluid motion. Moving skin, muscle and releasing vertebrae all along her neck to her ear and axis. REMEMBER—Do Both Sides— Even the first time you do all 3 steps, at this point you’ll see a change in her posture, her eyes, her softness and awareness.

For some extremely locked horses it will be a challenge, be gentle, take it slow. Some horses will offer a series of releases even as your hand moves along, be sure to allow them, watch for them.

Kessy and I hope you’ll add this little exercise to your daily routine. All horses can and will benefit from this and once you’ve mastered it together it will take about 3 minutes to do. The changes you’ll discover in your horses attitude, posture, grace, beauty and contentment will astonish you.

Gitty Up, Dutch Henry

 For more exercises to benefit your horse CLICK HERE to go to my 4 part  series-"Pt 1-Restarting, Conditioning, and Great Exercises For Your Horse"(with links to all 4 parts)

"Easy Exercises To Relax and Release Your Horse Anytime"

Howdy Folks,

Here are a few simple little exercises you can do anytime at all. They are wonderful relaxing exercises that ask absolutely nothing of your horse. All the exercises I promote, which I learned from my mentor Diane Sept, give to the horse, which is so very important. Some exercises require the horse to participate with movement and thinking, which is both healing and beneficial. This little ditty requires nothing of the horse, except that they enjoy it.

The first thing I'd like to show is the "Mane Wiggle." Stand next to your horse, in a neutral, relaxed posture, grasp her mane in one hand and lift enough to create a firm connection, wiggle your hand, her mane and neck, gently. As you wiggle you'll see her neck loosen and begin to wiggle, she may drop her head (as you'll see Kessy do in this video). She will begin to loosen and jiggle through her neck to her face, and back through her withers, shoulders and down her back. This is very relaxing and you can do it often.

The second video demonstrates what I call the "Forelock Wiggle." Again stand by your horse in neutral and relaxed, grasp her forelock, lift gently and wiggle. Watch for the release of her neck, face and jaw. Her bottom lip will release and wiggle. 

The third video shows the "Tail Hair" wiggle. Relaxed and in neutral, stand behind your horse, grasp some tail hair near the top, and wiggle. This will release the tail, the end of her spine all the way to her sacral joint, and even more.

I hope you will incorporate these easy and fun exercises into your regular routine. These little wiggles really give to your horse, helping them to release and relax.  The "Mane Wiggle" can be very useful when you need to calm your horse. They love it.

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry

"FEATURE FRIDAY-Linda Nedilsky – Healing Veterans and Horses with Myofascial Release Therapy"

Howdy Folks,

Linda has long known of the healing power of the spirit of the horse, but it was brought into her heart by a very special horse, Story, a few years ago, when he refused to let Linda carry the baggage of a horrible incident she'd endured years earlier any longer. Story, with his gentle ways, and understanding had helped her shed the burdens of mistrust, fear and hurt by first doing nothing more than standing quietly as she brushed him.

Today Linda is a massage therapist who heals horses and humans with a gentle technique developed by John Barnes called, "Myofascial Release Therapy. (JBMFR)"  Linda was a massage therapist before discovering MFR when seeking pain relief herself from injuries she'd suffered in an accident.  She no longer offers traditional or any other type of work except JBMFR.

What is "Myofascial Release Therapy?"  First, what is Facia? It is the connective tissue that surrounds and infuses every muscle, bone, nerve, blood vessel and organ in the body, all the way down to the cellular level. The fascial system can affect every system and function in the body ... The impact of unhealthy fascia on your body is profound. When the fascial system is healthy and functioning well, its acts as the primary support system of the body, stabilizing and cushioning muscles, bones, organs, and all other systems within it ... When fascia is restricted through trauma, repetitive motions, poor posture, scar tissue, and/or the inflammatory process, this flowing, powerful system can become solidified. Think of taffy hardening. Fascia will thicken or reinforce in these areas of stress and, in turn, shorten the connective tissue, causing a fascial restriction … MFR helps to remove the straight-jacket effect from the body by releasing restricted fascia. Treatment is based on taking a look at and treating the entire body, helping to restore balance. By releasing the fascial restrictions, with gentle massage like techniques, throughout the body, MFR will decrease the crushing force, therefore decreasing pain and increasing function, blood flow, nutrition, and overall health- down to the cellular level.

Linda is devoted to offering hope to people, and horses (as well as dogs) who suffer from chronic pain, educate and help people about the options that are out there for them to improve their quality of life.

Her other objective is to tap into people who own horses, who are not aware that their own pain, emotional trauma, or restrictions have a huge impact on their horse's bodies and their behavior. "It amazes me at how many people will go out and buy new saddles for their horses, have the saddles fitted (which they should do) without considering if the horse's restrictions or even their own restrictions are causing the saddle to rub the wrong way." Linda explained.  "Even the simple things like hooves wearing the wrong way, or teeth wearing down on one side more than the other can be caused by fascial restrictions in the neck, back, hip, and legs. For example, knee inflammation in humans many times is caused by the pelvis being misaligned due to scar tissue and fascial restrictions. Many people have come to me after getting shots in their knees, and surgery who are still in pain. After just a couple sessions their pain has been resolved and they no longer need to take pain meds …So imagine if we could do the same thing for our horses ... just through body work."

Linda has recently become part of the, "In One Peace Project," a nationwide organization of JBMFR practitioners who will devote one day a month to Veterans and currently serving military personal, "to help them integrate back into their lives as whole healthy, vibrant persons. In one piece."

This is truly amazing therapy with the ability to help bodies, and minds, heal and function pain free and happy. Please have a look at Linda's website here www.pro-activewc.com for more details and how you might get involved.  To learn more about the "In One Peace Project" visit their web site www.inonepeaceproject.org 

Gitty Up

Dutch Henry

Finding the Release

While giving a horse a little therapy the other day I was surprised at the amount of heat released when I started doing the TELLINGTON TEAM TTOUCH circles across her back. This is a sweet mare who always does what she's asked, even if she is a bit timid, so even though I could see before touching her that there was plenty going on in her back, I was a still surprised at the deep muscle soreness I found.


As friends who have been following our little Coffee Clutch chats, since pre-blog days on Facebook know, my "therapy for therapy horses," is a combination of Peggy Cummings, Linda Tellington-Jones and Diane Sept's teachings, and a few tweaks of my own. But I almost always start with TTOUCH circles along the neck, back, rump, and down along the big muscles in the hind legs.

I rested my hands on the withers and examined her back. I saw a few problem areas and began to plan my approach. Sensing she was more sore than she was letting on I started with tiny circles just behind her ears, so she might get used to this brand new feeling and touch. Even horses well cared for and handled gently and correctly, as this one is, take a few seconds to understand the new sensation of release the circles give, so it is important to start at a place not sore, giving plenty of time for the horse to understand and appreciate this new sensation.

As my fingertips floated in little circles from her ears down her neck toward her withers, she began to fidget and worry about me touching her back ... Now this does two things, it distracts the horse's concentration and it keeps her from enjoying the release from even the area not sore. So I knew I had to stop. Sensing her controlled, but deep seated worry about me touching her biggest ouchy, I paused at her withers, laid my hands flat, and took a breath. I told her what I was about to do, and with my hands still resting on her, I waited for her to accept them where they were. I rocked her ever so gently as I waited.

When she signaled with a softer eye, and big breath, that we might continue, I did. But, because she was so over stimulated with worry about her back muscles, instead of using my fingertips, I used the flat of my hand, the first time over. That pleased her, and she began to go along with it. After a pass all along her back muscles to her rump, I gave her a few minutes to process, then repeated the whole thing again, using my fingertips.

It was then that I felt the big release of heat. It felt like the heat you'd feel holding your hand over a hot cup of coffee. The more I worked, the more heat came out. I've felt this before, even expect it sometimes, but still was surprised at it this time because the mare is so pleasant, and never showed signs of disagreement. I even asked the owner to feel the heat. The little mare softened and softened and we continued along through all the therapy exercises and all went well.

I just wanted to share this story because it is not uncommon for some horses to internalize their discomfort and just do their job. It is another reason I highly recommend these exercises to get to know the things you might miss about your horse's comfort.