Massage of the hindquarters

There are several muscle groups in the hindquarters of the horse.  The main function of the hamstrings and gluteal muscles are propulsion.  These two groups of muscles make up the powerhouse that push the horse forward or up over a jump.  The hamstrings are made up of several muscles including the biceps femoris, the semitendinosis, and the semimembranosis.  These muscles become sore and tight in horses that jump frequently, work in hilly areas, and perform a lot of collected work.  The gluteal muscles are involved in almost every function of the hind end and most importantly contribute greatly to the flow of energy from the haunches to the back.  In addition there are several adductor muscles on the inner surface of the hind leg that allow the horse to perform lateral movements such as half pass and pirouette.  These muscles can become very tight in dressage horses.

 It is very important to release any tension in these muscle groups to give the horse greater freedom of movement and more elasticity in the stride.  When the horse becomes sore in any of the muscles of propulsion the stride will become shorter and the horse will not be able to transfer his weight back to the haunches.  The goal of massage in this area is to keep the muscles supple and allow the horse to use them correctly.