Muscles 201
Muscles 201
Are ya'll thirsty for more?
Last time we trudged through some material surrounding muscles: what are they made of, the types of muscles, the various muscular contractions, and how muscles attach themselves to the body. You know, fun stuff.
Today that information is translating into some more interesting topics: what muscles should look and feel like, one little thing muscles love and need to grow, keeping soreness at bay, and what happens when we work with tension.
Let's dive in!
What do healthy muscles look like?
Looking at a horse: the shape of their musculature and the pliability of those muscles gives me a huge insight into how that horse uses their body in a good way or not.
We’ve already discussed asymmetry in musculature, but what else? Horses who are lacking in topline over the neck and back are indicators that they aren’t engaging their core/lifting their back or working through their bodies during exercise. Horses with bulging pectorals, hulking ewe necks, and skinny, angular bums are generally bracing in the contact, on the forehand, and pulling themselves with the front legs in work. Horses with canoe shaped dips behind the scapula are generally indicators of ill-fitting tack which is prohibiting proper circulation and is thereby killing muscle tissue. We can go on and on.. but the general idea is that musculature paints a picture of positivity or work that needs to be done.
Take a moment to pull out those conformation shots you conveniently have tucked away on your cellphone- what does their body say? Remember, we are looking for uniformity: not just a big neck and booty.
What do healthy muscles feel like?
I take my time to run my hands over a horse’s body thoroughly as I groom. Not only is this crucial for checking for injury/heat/swelling/skin condition/ticks/etc this is a really excellent time to become well acquainted with how the muscles feel. Running my hands along the neck, shoulder, wither, back, loin, and croup gives me the time to palpate for soreness, and also gives me the opportunity to feel for any knots and stiffness.
In the human world, phrases like “rock hard abs!” give the illusion that ideal muscles should be bulging and hard to the touch.
Healthy muscles should be firm, but relatively pliable to the touch. Muscles that are hard to the touch are generally knotted, oxygen deprived, and tight. A horse with a rock hard neck will likely be unstable in the contact, unable to effectively bend, and unable to stretch. Noting any discrepancies in musculature is crucial- these tight muscles can be a gateway to injury and need help in order to release! Help can take the form of stretching under saddle, stretching in the cross-ties, or bodywork. Knots sometimes have to be manually released, and the body won’t be able to properly function until that release has occurred. (We’re covering the role of bodywork in athletes as one of the closing lessons.)
Tension in Muscles
Tight muscles, like the ones described above, are generally an outcome of tension under saddle. If a horse is routinely working at a level of high tension, the body will have to make compromises that will lead to deterioration of muscle and will invite stiffness, soreness, and injury. (Yikes)
In Part 1 we discovered Skeletal Muscles and how they work in pairs, groups, or chains: one muscle contracts and the opposing relaxes. Let’s observe how this process behaves with tense muscles: one muscle is overly tightened- therefore the opposing muscle is being pulled to a new extreme to compensate for its partner. Now, we have not only tightened one muscle- we have effectively strained it’s entire chain! Muscles that behave in this way are unable to support the skeletal system, and can potentially cause the skeleton to be pulled out of alignment (like discussed with asymmetry) in addition to inviting muscular/tendon/joint damage. Tight muscles rarely keep to themselves, once started, the domino effect will cause entire chains of skeletal muscle to stiffen and spasm, making the body unable to function properly in exercise, unable to recover from exercise, and hereby unable to properly repair/renew muscle fibers, which leads to loss of topline.
An example: a horse is being asked to demonstrate a ‘fancy trot’ consisting of working over tempo with legs lifting up to their eyeballs, without the prerequisite training/ability to do so. This horse is now throwing his limbs about, dropping his back, falling to the forehand, and dragging its hind legs through the dirt in order to compensate for this new way of going. All this added weight to the forehand will likely cause the shoulders (which are now under extreme stress in order to lift these front legs to great heights) to tighten, seize, and therefore cause the rest of that limb to succumb to tension. That’s not even paying attention to the now dropped, weight-supporting back; or his neck, unable to support this new outline and now causing the under-neck to brace and bulge! We how have muscle groups that are opposing each other, not working in harmony, and his movement/body is compromised.
Tension is no bueno, however, as we educate horses under saddle there will inevitably be moments of tension (like learning how to half halt, preform a flying change, establishing self carriage, or just existing as a riding horse). However it is our job to only periodically work in tension- not live in tension.
Now, some of us, unfortunately, have tight horses by nature! Maybe our horse is naturally a little spooky, has conformational faults (like a too-short back, a downhill build, or a low/high placed neck). Maybe it’s just cold outside, we’ve gone to a horse show, or there's a llama across the fence line (very few horses I've met can appreciate a llama).
There are many ways tension can appear; and as long as the goal remains to keep the body loose and muscles limber, exercising in this way, for short periods of time, can be extremely educational for horse and rider. Muscles that are tight for moments in time, can be ‘flushed of tension’ and relaxed with stretching and a well-deserved walk break.
Addressing conformational and asymmetrical faults must take time and caution as to address postural changes without constant over-correction and prolonged holdings of uncomfortable positions, which can put too much stress on the body.
Example & Causes of Tension:
Breathing
I’ve been asking the question “what do muscles love and need to grow?” and this element is almost always overlooked: oxygen.
Remember when we talked about the different muscle fibers Type 1 and Type 2? A huge component in both of these fibers is the myoglobin- (that red protein that carries and stores oxygen). When the body is withholding oxygen during exercise, working muscles will fatigue faster and the process of building healthy muscle tissue will stall, because muscles require deep and regular intakes of oxygen to perform at peak capacity.
Let's sum up the science: the body breathes, which causes oxygen to enter the blood stream. As muscles exert themselves they will receive increased oxygenated circulation, this oxygen is used as energy (thanks, myoglobin!), flushes waste products, keeps lactic acid at bay, keeps the muscles functioning longer, and assists in a more efficient post-workout recovery. Boo-yah.
Lack of oxygenated circulation (and tension) causes lack of nourishment (myoglobin, where you at?), build up of waste, surplus production of lactic acid, and gradual muscular shrinkage.
Now, tension and breathing go hand in hand! Horses cannot breathe deeply and be tense, so listen! Take frequent walk breaks and don’t move onto harder exercises in the training if your horse isn’t breathing deeply and efficiently.
I find that if I’m riding a tight horse, frequent walk breaks to remove excessive work-related pressure and establish the breath will ALWAYS improve the exercise I was attempting prior. If my horse can’t relax at the walk, is jigging/holding their breath, or is completely overwhelmed with life, a halt transition will generally release a great big sigh- and then we can continue with the walk. Start to take note of your horse’s breathing patterns! Horses (like us) have the tendency of holding their breath or breathing shallowly when tension is present or the workload gets too-tough too quickly/the body isn’t properly accustomed to the difficult levels of work, or just out of learned habit.
How do they breathe on the cross ties? Relaxed, long deep breaths? Or is tension already present and the breathing is shallow?
Does your horse hold their breath in the warmup until they finally blow out- and how long until that process occurs?
Does the horse blow out regularly or sigh during training?
When can you feel the ribcage moving during your ride, if at all? Do you get any grunting/groaning/whale-like noises during exercise? (A sign of shallow breathing and breath holding)
How long does it take for breathing to return to normal during walk breaks?
* Remember, incorrect breathing habits can aversely affect posture. A horse taking shallow breaths is more likely to inflate the chest, hollow the back, pull with the front legs, and allow the hind legs to trail. Remember our example of the unfit horse being pushed over tempo to demonstrate ‘fancy trot’? His body was not only tense, like described in the above example, but now those tense muscles are deprived of oxygen and proper blood circulation, meaning he is going to be sore post-exercise and unable to support any kind of muscular growth from the exercise.
Lactic Acid
We've all heard of lactic acid- or lactate before... (and yes, lactic acid is essentially the same lactate that is found in dairy products- which is wild) it's that stuff that makes muscles burn and quiver.
"Lactate has always been thought of as the bad boy of exercise. [...] Contrary to that reputation, lactic acid is a constant, harmless presence in our bodies. While it does increase in concentration when we exercise hard, it returns to normal levels as soon as we're able to rest — and even gets recycled back into energy our body can use later on." - Michael Gleeson, an exercise biochemist at Loughborough University
So lets look at general aerobic work: the horse is breathing efficiently and the myoglobin are using those oxygen molecules for energy. Let's say that we step our game up, and those muscles start working overtime...calling for more energy to sustain the increased workload. Hello, Type II muscle fibers!
"Luckily, our muscles have built-in turbo-boosters, called fast-twitch muscle. Unlike slow-twitch muscle, which we use for most of the day, fast-twitch muscle is super-effective at producing lots of energy quickly and does so anaerobically." - Michael Gleeson
Fast-twitch muscle works anaerobically- which means it skips the 'oxygen to energy phase' because it takes too long! Instead lactic acid is produced and released into the bloodstream to be used as alternative fuel.
"It's a common misconception that muscle cells produce lactic acid when they can't get enough oxygen, that's not the case. Your muscles are getting plenty of oxygen. But in times of intense energy needs, muscles switch to anaerobic respiration simply because it's a much quicker way to produce energy." - Gleeson
So, that makes lactic acid a good thing, right? It's used as efficient fuel to allow muscles to work longer and harder, but it has it's drawbacks.
To unconditioned muscles the production of lactic acid burns, and when the musculature is unconditioned to the point of not being able to properly turn the lactate into fuel- extreme fatigue and inflammation sets in.
How can we use this information?
The body has to be equipped to properly use lactic acid- which means we need to be mindful not to suddenly increase the workload too intensely or for prolonged periods of time as our horses are reintroduced to exercise. The body will produce lactic acid as a natural defense in order to protect itself from working too intensely and injuring itself. So with that in mind, taking the time to properly warm your horse up, giving adequate rest periods, and gradually pushing those Type II fibers to work, will help lactic acid become friend, not foe.
Let's look at this from a human perspective: we go to the gym and lift weights. Our arms are burning during exercise, and the next day we cannot lift them over our head...because it hurts! We sit around the house until the discomfort passes, then before we know it, several weeks have passed before we to go back to the gym. The process repeats itself, simply because our bodies are not equipped to manage lactic acid properly. Meanwhile, the gym rats who lift weight everyday are accustomed to it- their bodies routinely produce lactate and efficiently use it as fuel.
Active Rest Days
Say it with me, "motion is lotion!"
Lactate that is produced, and sits around as metabolic waste instead of being used as fuel will pool in the tissue, creating a slow and sluggish recovery...and soreness.
Active rest days like hacking, or light stretching under saddle will help flush any remaining lactate from the body. Motion is lotion.
(And it you're going to the gym and suddenly become sore from exercise, this applies to you too.)
Lactic acid can generally take several days to naturally disperse from the body- so while this might seem counter productive, grit your teeth (or, uh, do that for your horse) and move! Cut down the recovery time so your horse can feel comfortable, and you can return to more anaerobic exercise to properly condition the muscles.
Last topic for the day!
Sweat Patterns
This is a fun, and highly debated topic.
First, why do horses sweat? Core temp raises, and the thermoregulation process begins by heat being dissipated through the skin/sweat glands. The sweat will then evaporate off the hot skin therefore removing heat and lowering the body temperature.
A couple notes on sweating:
Lather. Lather can be a sign of friction (rubbing hind legs, rein friction, breastplate friction, etc). Lather can be also be seen on horses who have worked excessively hard (think race horses or horses coming off of the Land Rover cross country course) or is a sign of stress or overheating. Lather is caused by too-high levels of protein being released from the body in the form of sweat.
Extremes. Horses need to sweat in order to avoid overheating- however constant dripping of sweat can be a sign of a metabolic deficiency, and needs your vet's attention. No sweating (or anhidrosis) is another serious issue that can have sudden onset and requires a vet's immediate attention.
Electrolytes. Horses bodies release more salt and minerals than a human's through exercise, so electrolytes are a mandatory additive. Salt and mineral blocks are designed for cattle, and often go undisturbed by horses. Free loose salt and minerals- or better yet feeding electrolytes with grain daily is the best way to ensure your horse's needs are met. All of my horses are on an electrolyte supplement- no matter the workload. It's important.
Water, similar to minerals, is lost during sweating at high levels. Monitoring your horses drinking habits is crucial- especially in the winter months where your horse is less likely to hydrate. If your horse is interested in water after exercise, let him have it! Hydration is mandatory to overall body function, and is a great defense against colic.
Humidity. Be mindful of humidity levels- thermoregulation works because sweat is evaporated off of the body, removing heat. High humidity runs the risk of sweat being left on the skin's surface, therefore heating the body, which will cause the horse to sweat more and more in attempt to thermoregulate...which can cause overheating. Be mindful of hot and humid days! Sweating should always stop at the completion of exercise- if not this is a sign of overheating.
Reading sweat patterns- this is where things get heated! Some people say sweat pattens don’t mean anything, and there’s a lot of arguing going down about who’s right, and who’s wrong. Here’s a popular theory:
As the body releases heat, sweat will appear over the working muscles. Looking at sweat marks can help indicate where your horse is working, and where they aren’t: a good example is getting off your horse and saying “heck yeah, his tush is sweaty! He was really using his hindquarters.” That’s fairly accurate!
When starting to work with a horse take note of their sweat patterns: it common for a horse to sweat in the following areas- underside of the neck and throat latch, girth groove, flanks, and in-between hind legs- no matter their fitness level or how effectively they use their body
The goal as horses progress in their muscular fitness and efficiency is to notice even sweat marks alongside major muscle groups- entirety of the topline, surrounding the abdominals, croup, etc. This will be in addition to the 'usual' sweat spots.
Note any asymmetrical sweat patterns. Does your horse have one side of its neck that is sweatier than the other? This could be a sign that they were twisting in the neck and working asymmetrically. Sweat patterns should be as uniform as possible
A moderately in shape horse should begin to sweat within 10-15 minutes of work- it's a sign those large muscle chains are loose and contracting properly!
Sweat marks and saddle fit: I am going to first shout from rooftops that I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL SADDLE FITTER and I encourage everyone who has a saddle to seek out a highly certified professional saddle fitter (preferably one who is not tied to a saddle brand- because conveniently those only find fitting saddles that fall under their brand umbrella). Here’s my 2 cents about sweat marks and saddle fit- sweat is generally caused by movement, heat, and air circulation- therefore is relatively common and understandable to see a dry spot on the back located in the middle of your saddle panels. The middle of the saddle generally sees little movement and little air circulation, therefore it could be unlikely to sweat. These dry spots should be relatively large (think the size of your hand)
This doesn’t mean to wave away dry spots, particularly if they’re quite small- see a saddle fitter! Ill fitting equipment can cause lack of oxygenated circulation which can kill healthy tissue.
Ok! That's it for today!
We covered:
- What do muscles look like? They should appear uniform and be pliable to the touch
- Tension in muscles. Tense muscles invite injury to the body and does not promote healthy muscular growth. Horses will have to work in tension from time to time, but these sessions should be relatively short and should have a relaxation phase where the horse can stretch and breathe.
- Oxygen. Healthy muscles need oxygenated blood circulation to grow and function at peak capacity. Tense horses do not breathe effectively.
- Lactic Acid. The body needs to be conditioned to tolerate the production of lactic acid, so it can be used as fuel. A sore body needs to move to recover efficiently.
- Sweat. Horses should sweat uniformly along major muscle groups. As the horse advances in work the sweat patterns will improve to include strong postural muscles. Contact your vet if any strange sweat habits emerge, and contact a qualified saddle fitter if you notice small dry spots.
Next Time:
- Building your workout schedule
- Types of fitness, and how to include them in your routine
