Topline Syndrome (eBook)

TERMINOLOGY

Although I am a German speaker practising in Germany, I prefer to use the English term topline syndrome when describing the correlations in a cold, or weak, back, rather than the word commonly used in German, Trageerschöpfung, which, when roughly translated, refers to fatigue of the structure that carries the rider (in English the terms “core weakness” or “tense back” may sometimes be used).

To me, this German term implies that the problems have to have arisen from carrying a rider. In my opinion this is too narrow a definition, because many of these problems occur without any contribution from the rider – indeed, even before the horse is backed. But if they already exist, it is better not to ride any more, or at least to modify the intensity and the type of riding.

The term topline syndrome, however, provides a much better description of the changes in the topline and the geometry of the horse. In medical usage, a syndrome means that it is not possible to provide a causative explanation for a symptom. The aim of this book is to offer help in explaining the causes.

When I started to deal with the horse’s back during my training, our attention focused on the movement in the hindquarters. The horse was supposed to move into the hand from behind and to raise its back by tipping its pelvis. To be honest, for a long time I too focused on the junction between the lumbar spine and the sacrum when I carried out treatments. But since then I have learned that this issue should be viewed in a wider context.

As I now see it, working on what is known as the lumbar-sacral junction (LSJ) is only of benefit if the horse is not suffering from a blockage at the base of the neck, at the junction between the cervical spine and the thoracic spine, the cervicothoracic junction (CTJ), which is hidden under the anterior cranial edge of the shoulder blade.

Both therapy and riding must, therefore, ensure that these two key anatomical points are allowed unrestricted movement. This, in its turn, is only possible if the spine is able to allow unrestricted movement throughout the body.

From my experience this can best be achieved if the therapist is able to work on the deep layer of muscles on the back known as the autochthonous muscles. These sit directly on the spine and should be differentiated from the shallow allochthonous muscles.

When riding, people often try frantically to train the long back muscle of the horse as part of the superficial muscles. A strong back, however, should not actually have anything to do with the back muscle. This muscle is a motor, or movement, muscle and not a load-bearing muscle. It only becomes a load-bearing muscle when the other parts of the horse’s body are no longer able to work together loosely. A strong, loose back muscle is therefore the result of good, loose movement.

Over the years I have worked as an osteotherapist, a holistic approach has developed for working on tension in the deep muscles of the back, and when this is applied all the vertebrae can be released, making it possible to re-establish the horse’s natural geometry. This is accompanied by work on the tension in the surface muscles and facia. It has been demonstrated that it is not necessary to carry out any special treatment on the long muscles of the back, which will develop of their own accord with the appropriate good training. We will see later how to develop the load-bearing capacity of the back.

ANATOMY OF THE
THORACIC SLING APPARATUS

In order to gain a better understanding of topline syndrome, we need to take a closer look at the anatomy of the horse and its peculiarities.

Unlike people, horses do not possess collarbones. This means that there is no bony connection between the (heavy) core with the neck, and the shoulder limbs. A cat has only rudimentary, free-floating collar bones, and this allows the core of their body to sink between their legs, acting as a shock absorber. You can see quite clearly the way the shoulder blades protrude above the torso when a cat hits the ground after jumping. This construction is not exactly as flexible in a horse, but the principle is the same.

The trunk, or core, is suspended in what is known as the thoracic muscle sling. The thorax is the chest, and it hangs in an ingenious framework comprising muscles, ligaments and fasciae, rather like a flexible hammock. On one side it is connected to the rib cage and on the other side with the shoulder blade from inside and outside, and with the humerus. It is simply amazing the way this system not only handles so much weight but also allows movement up to the speed of a fast gallop, and even jumping. I am constantly fascinated by this miracle of nature.

A note to the rider: this thoracic muscle sling is also the reason why a horse needs to be developed carefully over a period of years. Although muscles develop relatively fast, formation of the flexible fasciae takes several years. If a horse is not given enough time when he is backed and brought on, or if he is not brought back into work carefully enough after an injury, then this area suffers so significantly that the back muscle will modify itself from a motor muscle into a load-bearing muscle, as described above. It is then permanently tense and, in contrast to its intended purpose, it will bear some of the weight of the core. As a result, the thoracic sling apparatus will become ever tenser, for which the horse will later have suffer a lot of aches and pains. I shall describe the disorders this may lead to, and for which you will ultimately pay a heavy price, at the end of this book.

Thus, if there is tension in the muscles in the shoulder area and/or there are blockages in the spine, this generally results in the core becoming increasingly wedged between the forelegs. Unfortunately, when this happens it usually tilts in the direction of the natural bend; that is to say, predominantly with the withers to the right. In this position, the core sinks ever further down with the passage of time, meaning that free, loose movement becomes impossible. The thoracic sling becomes the thoracic pusher. I shall describe exactly how this happens in detail later.

This now results in blockages in the vertebrae in the CTJ area, or more precisely in the junction between the first vertebrae in the thoracic spine, the ribs that are connected to it, and the sternum, or breastbone. A blockage here means that the range of movement of the vertebrae is usually significantly restricted on one side. The junction between the cervical spine and the thoracic spine is now no longer fluid, but it is pushed downwards and forms a kink. Because the first ribs start in this area, there is further pressure on the facet joints, which connect the spine to the ribs. These first ribs are also very short, and they hang vertically with very little curve. Try to visualise this: the vertebra that is being pushed down is connected to the vertical rib, which in turn is connected to the sternum. So it is no longer surprising that horses resist when you try to lift their backs in the area of the thorax. It goes without saying that it is no longer possible to ride sensitively and loosely with the neck carried freely.

The thorax

The thorax is constructed primarily of vertebrae, ribs and the sternum. As I have already mentioned, the first ribs are very short and hang almost vertically. They are attached very tightly to the tip of the sternum, creating a stable structure. Up to the 8th rib, all the ribs are firmly attached to the sternum. In contrast, the last 10 ribs are only connected to the sternum with a cartilaginous costal arch, which allows them the flexibility required for breathing.

The connection between the vertebrae, ribs and sternum thus creates a stable, protected space for the heart, lungs and other organs. If the core of the horse sinks, this will always result in the geometry of the thorax being subjected to slight tension, which the horse feels particularly at the facet joints (the junction between the vertebrae and the ribs). As a consequence the deep back muscles tighten, which further intensifies the blockage.

Muscles of the thoracic sling apparatus and the shoulder

Let’s take a look at the muscles of the thoracic sling apparatus. What these have in common is that they extend from the thorax to a section of the shoulder limbs, acting as what could be referred to as a cross brace. They are essential for the horse’s breathing.

M serratus ventralis (serratus ventralis muscle)

This muscle has two sections – one at the neck and the other at the thorax. The muscle resembles a triangle whose tip is positioned inside at the upper part of the shoulder blade. From here it runs in a fan shape to the 4th and 7th vertebrae, and then further to the costal arches as far as the 9th rib. This is the area under the shoulder blade to somewhere around the girth area. If the muscle is tense, the gap between the withers and the upper edge of the shoulder blade is reduced and the spring function of the thoracic sling apparatus decreases significantly when the horse is moving.

Some books state that this muscle lifts the core when the horse is being ridden. From my practical experience I am more inclined to the opinion that the M serratus ventralis is in most cases extremely tense and it is necessary to release this tension, particularly in the thoracic part of the core, in order to allow the core once more to hang freely between the forelimbs. I have tested this many times. Only after a succession of other...