Equine Stretching & Mobilization #7: Shoulder ROM

Описание: Equine Mobilization and Stretching: promoting athleticism and health in your equine partner

7 | Shoulder ROM

*exercise begins at 45 sec

This is a shoulder mobilization, and it can be done alone, or as an add on from last weeks’ video, the limb mobilization. If you would like it may be helpful to review #6: Limb Mobilization as I will do that first before advancing to this move focused on the shoulder.

This exercise is especially valuable for horses, as, unlike us, their ‘arm’ or front limb attaches with only muscles to the main spine. This means that they have a large sling like structure that supports the main weight of their trunk between the forelimbs. If this muscular structure is tighter on one side the horse will lean to one side and become unbalanced or crooked.

This movement can be tight for many horses, as you may notice, Petri is much tighter on the RF than the LF. This is his harder canter lead and the shoulder he prefers to lean on. See for yourself, which side it tighter for your horse?

Ask the horse to relax the foot into your hands. If they go to pull the foot back, just gently go with them, and wait for them to relax. Remember to move the limb as a whole unit, not just the foot. Keep the limb in alignment, not torqueing any part to the outside or inside and provide gentle movement to the limb, front, back, side to side and reversing the order.

As you apply the gentle pressure, you will feel a softening of the limb down into your outer hand. A great place to watch for release is the point of the shoulder coming down and forward. Remember relaxation, not amount of movement, is the goal!

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I have shared these videos as they are the most common ‘stretches’ that I give to owners following a bodywork session, but are beneficial for most horses (**Always consult with and clear any stretching or mobilization with your veterinarian prior to starting. This is especially important with injury or neurological conditions.)
*Remember to read the stretching/mobilization guideline here before beginning:
http://www.eqequinetherapy.ca/Stretch...

I hold no claim that these stretches are fully original in nature, I have modified what I have learned from what works best for me. I have learned them from a number of teachers throughout my education and if you are interested in learning more about equine therapy you can check out my education at http://www.eqequinetherapy.ca/EQ%20Ed...

Karli Starman EST EEBW
EQ Equine Therapy | www.eqequinetherapy.ca

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