The horse has 12 important muscles of the face with numerous ligaments and tendinous attachments throughout. They all play an important role in the natural daily function of the horse’s face with primary actions such as chewing and facial expression. Just like any other muscle in the horse’s body, facial tension or tension is caused when stress is placed upon a muscle. A certain amount of stress can be good for the muscle to help it grow and keep this muscle in good health, but when a stressor is added to push the muscle past its coping capabilities the result is the muscle staying in partial contraction and the beginning of a pain cycle. There are multiple stages to the pain cycle, starting with tension. Pain is then created when the muscle becomes overloaded. The muscle then recruits other muscles in the area to help with the workload that the overloaded muscle cannot cope with. Then this causes a restriction, causing the muscles to be less mobilized; the muscles then become weak and lose the normality of their function, which can lead to frustration and pain.
What are the tell-tale signs of facial tension? Classic signs of a horse with facial tension can be behavioral—head shaking, head tossing, reluctance to having a halter or a bridle place on. When ridden, it may be that the horse will not lower its head carriage and will carry itself high or will stretch and snatch against the bit. As a therapist presented with a horse that may not show these what do we then look for? One of the most important key areas is the eyes. For example, can you see the differences in pictures one and two before and then after the horse has had the areas of tension treated with massage and myofascial therapy?
This is a young Irish sports horse that is a novice-level eventer. As you can see in the top picture, the left eye is slightly higher than the right eye; it also has more tension above the eye so this is causing a sunken effect, due to the surrounding area of the left eye muscle being in a state of contraction. The right eye has what looks like a small swelling above it when you compare it to the left. The muscle above the right eye looks larger, showing more muscle protrusion. When we look at the bottom half of the picture of the face after therapy, you can see that the eyes have levelled and that the appearance of swelling around the right eye has disappeared and the sunken appearance around the left eye has relaxed, showing a fuller appearance.
Author
comparison 2
Again, in comparison another young Irish sport horse, this time at entry level dressage. As you can see in the picture to the right shows tightness around the left eye and tension above the eye showing a clear line down to the frontal part of the nose. The right eye has almost an appearance of the eye being set further back than the left. The right eye also looks to be more bulbous and tension above the right eye shows the appearance of a heavy-set brow. When you compare this to that of the first picture you can see that there is a difference in the set of the left eye moving more towards the front and the harsh line disappearing as the facial muscle relaxes.
Author
Facial tension comparison
There is more research being done that studies the decoding of the equine facial expressions. The horse’s delicate facial movements can explain a lot if we can start to decode what the horse could be trying to tell us. Research in equine facial pain recognition by Dr Karina Bech Gleerup from the University of Copenhagen entitled “The Equine Pain Face” has shown us that a horse can shows signs of stress and tension in the face when its uncomfortable and that when it is relaxed and free from pain or discomfort its facial expressions. More work and investigation into facial tension could reveal more information as to when a horse is uncomfortable or in pain. One method of alleviating facial tension is through massage. Massage can help the body and is often an effective holistic approach. To learn more on owner massage and how to help relieve tension, watch the DVD by Angela Hall of the UK’s Equine Massage Academy, which is referenced below.
Karen Allott BSc(Hons) Equine Therapy and Rehabilitation and EMAP (Dist) Specialist Equine Massage Practitioner. Karen has worked with horses for 30 years and been a practitioner for the last 5 years as Allott RT Equine Massage. Karen is also currently studying at Nottingham Trent University for her Masters Degree in Equine Performance, Health and Welfare. Work includes full range of rehabilitation programs from injury to change of discipline. Fitness programs and diet, Sports Massage, Remedial massage and muscle alignment. For full information and reviews see website allottrtequestrian.wixsite.com