Very often one can guess the function of a muscle by its location
and attachments. The two head carriers (A and B) run from a sheet
of tendons that covers the withers and the first six to seven spinal
processes of the withers to the top of the head. While A also starts
at the last five neck vertebrae, B also connects to the third to fifth
neck vertebrae. The neck carriers originate at the same sheet of tendons
and the withers but attach to the lower vertebrae of the neck. Neck
carrier C ends at the third through seventh neck vertebrae while D
travels to the fourth through seventh neck vertebrae. Muscle E is
the head-shoulder-forearm muscle. It originates at the side of the
head just above the ear. It also has a tendinous connection with the
two head carriers, attaches to the second to fourth neck vertebrae
and runs approximately parallel to the spine and continues over the
point of shoulder to the forearm. It is not involved in the weight
carrying process of the other neck muscles but it is very dependent
upon the position of the neck in how it moves the front leg forward.
Remember the nuchal ligament? It runs
from the top of the head to the withers. We will add it to our illustration
and define it as F. The long back muscle is attached to the seventh
neck vertebra and plays an important roll in the carriage of the horse
so we must show it in the neck portion of the horse’s musculature.
G will be its mark.
Reading that took some concentration.
Why don’t you just lean back, rub the kink out of your neck and look
at the drawing again. Maybe while I draw the muscles of the hindquarters
(as you can probably see, I had it done), you can identify the muscles
of the neck and remember their purpose. You are right; this is pretty
dry and complicated, but tomorrow when you ride your horse, you may
be able to recognize this or that muscle on him. You will know what
it does and it may help you understand why he has a problem executing
what you ask of him. This will make you more tolerant and less frustrated.
Mostly, however, you will know what part of his body to work specifically
to help him with his difficulties.
Now let us look at the hindquarters.
This will be much easier because the muscles the horse uses for carrying
can be found on your body also. Looking closely at the skeleton of
the horse you can see that even while standing, the large joints of
hip, stifle (knee), and hock (heel) are bent. You may also notice
that there are no muscles below the hock. Another feature that needs
to be mentioned is the ischium. It is an extension of the hip to the
back which acts as a lever to increase the power of the muscles attached
to it.
In the hind leg we find the motor
of the horse. These large muscles allow the horse to burst from an
apparent sleep into high speed action. As an animal of pray, its survival
depended on that speed. We as riders of sport horses need to change
the way the horse uses those muscles so that it can accommodate us
on its back. We also want it to move more upward-forward instead of
forward-downward, the way Mother Nature intended it to. In our model
of the suspension bridge these muscles are the anchor on the other
side of the bridge. Like in the neck, their location and attachments
pretty much show the way they work. Except for the long back muscle,
they act as benders and or stretchers of joints and they support the
joints when in a static mode. They are also all action muscles, quick
to act and quick to fatigue. There is a tendon sheet that covers the
croup of the horse, and most of the major muscles of the hindquarters
have it as part of their origin. They work together for maximun
