All Ears

The Horse’s Quandary

All Ears

Horse’s ears should move passively in the rhythm with the head and neck

Did you know there are 16  muscles involved in moving your horse’s ear?  We can tell a great deal about how a horse is feeling by the ‘posture’ of his ears.

Poorly fitting tack, hard hands, jaw restrictions, atlas imbalance, dental issues, ancillary aids that restrict the movement of the head can cause considerable tension that in turn can affect the muscles of the ears.  

One of those muscles, an important one where I find tension consistently present during a bodywork session, is called the parotidoauricularis.  

The parotidoauricularis muscle is a long ribbon shaped muscle located at the base of the ear and connects with the parotid gland; it is the muscle that pulls the ear downward. You can basically locate it just above the junction just above where the browband of your bridle intersects with the headpiece and follow it down to the connection at the parotid gland; the parotid gland is one of three main salivary glands

How do you know if your horse is experiencing discomfort?  When I arrive at the stable to work on a horse, owners, trainers and riders often mention contact issues, head tossing, head shaking and ear pinning as a concern. 

It is not surprising to find tension in the parotidoauricularis muscle during a bodywork session. Although there are other causes for this behaviour, ruling out tension in the parotidoauricularis is fairly simple and often overlooked as a source of discomfort.   In most cases once the tension and soreness of the parotidoauricularis is relieved the horse ceases the behaviour.  Be aware though, that tension anywhere in the body can be referred or spirals throughout the body and should also be addressed

How can the tension and/or soreness be released?  Apart from the removal of the obvious causes listed above,  bodywork using the Masterson Method® technique of SRSR (search, response, stay, release) is highly effective and something everyone can learn to do. 

A very light touch with your finger at the base of the ear using SRSR  is one way.  Very softly and slowly search around the area until you see you horse blink.  Once you see the blink, simply stay softly on that spot until you get a response from the horse.  It could be licking and chewing, it could be a head/neck shake, yawning or a response as subtle as quivering lips.

Photobiomodulation, (PBM) also known as Photonic Light Therapy or Low Level Laser Therapy, (LLLT) is also beneficial.  This modality is best left to a trained professional unless you are aware of the appropriate settings to use.  Light Therapy assists by reducing pain and inflammation.  It is drug free, non-invasive and is a pleasant experience for the animal.

Sometimes resolving the issue is a simple as changing to a properly fitting browband.  It should be long enough that the crown piece is not pulled forward into the horse’s ear base, nor should the noseband be so tight it pulls down on the crown piece putting pressure at the browband and crown piece junction.  Consider switching to an anatomical bridle; they are a horse’s best friend!

One tell tale sign that the horse is tension free in this area is that the horse’s ears will move passively in the rhythm with the head and neck.   If the ears are not moving rhythmically, tension in the parotidoauricularis  muscle could be a likely culprit.