> Brachiocephalicus: Wide strap like muscle > > It's origin is at the base of the skull behind the jaw; and connects to > below the point of shoulder to the humerus. > > The brachio muscle moves the head from side to side, pulls the scapula > forward, raises it in collection, swings the foreleg forward. > > The brachio muscle should be well developed for good movement. Too strong > a rein contact stops free forward movement.
Okay, so why should we know anything about the brachio muscle? In the horse's neck, there are muscles all around. The muscles at the top, should end up, in the horse's training to be "larger", and the muscles in the underneck should end up, to be less prominent than the top muscles. The brachio muscle can tell us if our horse is ewe necked. The brachio muscle can also give us an indication if we are hanging on to the horse's mouth too much. Where the brachio attaches at the top, take a look, feel around. See if there's an obvious lump-type area which may be stiff. Judy http://icehorses.net http://clickryder.com
<<attachment: brachiotension.jpg>>
