Re: RC: Re: "cinchy" horses

[Bette Lamore <woa@stormnet.com>]

WOW!!! Jim
Will you work on me???? Not cinchy but my neck and shoulders could
certainly use some help. I learned some neurokinesiology from Michelle
Kaplan, the Olympic consultant. Perhaps you know him. He showed me where
the pressure point was (by the 7th vertebrate) for the paranormal
nervous system and the pressure points by the crest (about an inch down)
for the sympathetic nervous system. We used these points to relax the
horses and it REALLY works. Do you use these as well? I haven't been
Rolfed (I'm a chicken sh-- when it comes to pain, but my friends who
have told me it was worth EVERY ouch) but I have had Heller work done
and it is FANTASTIC!! Hope to meet you in person someday and make use of
your services. If I neigh will you work on me????
Bette
Bette Lamore
Whispering Oaks Arabians, Home of TLA Halynov
http://www.stormnet.com/~woa
I've learned that life is like a roll of toilet paper, the closer it
gets to the end, the faster it goes. Smell the roses!


JPascu@aol.com wrote:
> 
> In a message dated 2/4/00 8:32:39 PM Mountain Standard Time,
> shajarah@cybrquest.com writes:
> 
> >  Reading the posts about tenderness in the girth area reminded me of my
> > friend's horse that is described as "cinchy."  He has the devil of a time
> > tightening the cinch although it seems to be the early part of the process
> > she objects to the most.  The horse also, both owner and trainer agree,
> feels
> > like she wants to buck just when she starts to canter.
> >          I think I have read or heard any explanation for cinchiness, like
> > maybe a nerve closer to the skin than usual.  Does that ring a bell?  Or
> does
> > anyone have an explanation for it that isn't rider related?
> 
> I would propose a reason that is both confirmation and riding, not as much
> rider, related.
> In the girth area is a muscle the Serratus Ventralis thoracic portion. This
> muscle is contiguous with both the Serratus Ventralis cervical portion and
> the Rhomboid. It goes from the ribs, under the shoulder to the upper,
> headward (cranial) border of the shoulder blade, to continue to attach at the
> spine.
> 
> These muscles on the human are located on the side of the chest just under
> the armpit. They look like a series of ripples that go from the front portion
> of the side of the chest, where they attach at the ribs, under the shoulder
> blade to attach at the middle upper border of the shoulder blade and
> continue, with a different name, to the posterior spinious processes. Those
> bumbs on the back that most people call the spine. You can feel them on
> yourself.
> 
> Back to the horse. If you run your hand in the girth area feeling down to the
> ribs and then backing up to the soft tissue, you'll be able to feel these
> ripples that make up the serratus (it's serrated like a serrated knife).
> These muscles are part of the "sling" that supports the equine thorax between
> the two front legs. When a horse moves the thorax has to "rise" between the
> two front legs to shift the center of gravity more towards the rear. To do
> this effectively the shoulders have to move outwards (laterally) to allow the
> thorax to move up. In other words the whithers have to rise.
> When whithers rise between the shoulders there is undulation in the back,
> like a wave moving that is culminated in the rear end coming under the body.
> If this movement of the whithers in not allowed to happen by: The shoulders
> being bound to the whithers, tack not allowing movement, a rider not allowing
> movement or a combo of these things, then the serrati muscles and rhomboids
> will become short and the tension will be felt at the attachments of these
> muscles to the bone, ie. in the girth area and the area in front of the
> shoulder blade.
> The neck will take on a hollow look in front of the shoulder, and there will
> be a build up of tissue in the girth area, this is called a "false
> retinaculum" in Rolfing terms.
> Because of the lack of movement of the thorax the lengthening required to
> accomodate rounding of the back, remember the wave above, will not happen and
> the horse will attempt to relieve the strain by bringing the rear end or head
> up. So we may see a ewed neck develop as the head is brought up to get some
> length in the back or a buck as the rear is brought up. In either case stride
> length is compromised as is rounding and appropriate weight transfer. The
> horse strides out behind without any possibility of true collection.
> True collection, in my opinion, is the ability to rise at the whithers and
> allow tissue length to accomodate pelvis coming underneath with a neck that
> is rounding in front. Not the false collection of driving the body into
> closed hands that forces a hinging at the lumbar dorsal junction.
> Sorry this is so long. To help a cinchy horse I look to releasing the
> shoulders and working freeing the soft tissue adhesions that have developped
> to accomodate the shoulder being stuck. Working the tissue banding that has
> developped to soften it.
> So, if you look at this "cinchy" horse from the front and their shoulders
> describe an "A" then the whithers are going to be stuck. You'll need to work
> with the soft tissue to have them come more vertical " | | ". The free
> shoulder will move out (Laterally) and back during movement.
> 
> I hope this helps and would like to hear your opinions on this theory.
> 
> regards
> jim pascucci
> Advanced Certified Rolfer
> www.equisearch.com/ibt
> 
> 
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