Muscles of the Hindlimb Flashcards
Long and Lateral digital extensors located on front of hindlimb function to
Flex the hock Extend the digit
Deep digital flexor muscle and tendon and Superficial digital flexor muscle located on back of the hindlimb function to
Extend the hock Flex the digit
When fascia is injured….
Scar tissue develops which effectively glues individual muscles together, creating adhesions
Extensor retinaculums function to
Keep muscles and tendons in place
Where it passes underneath a retinaculum, each tendon…
Is enclosed in a lubricated sheath of connective tissue
The whole body is enveloped in broad expanses of
Fascia
Fascia is connective tissue that contains
A mesh of collagen and elastic fibers
The mesh of fascia gives the fascia
High tensile strength
The presence of fascia protects the layers of muscles and ensures that their….
Surfaces slide past each other without interference
In the hindlimb, the structure of the fascia play an important role in…
Movement
The fascia has fibrous attachments to bone surfaces and ligaments and serve as…
A place of insertion for powerful muscles of hindquarters
Unlike those of the upper forelimb, many muscles of the upper hindlimb do not attach directly to _____, instead they use _____
The bones, fascia
Muscles of the hindlimb pull on the _____ and _____ pulls on the joint.
Pull on the fascia and the fascia pulls on the joint
Biceps femoris
Extends hip and stifle thus also extending the hock
One head of biceps femoris begins at _____ and the other at _____
Sacrum and Ischiatic tuberosity
Insertions of biceps femoris
Femur, lateral patellar ligament, fascia
The biceps femoris can be an…
Abductor (turns the leg outwards and to the side)
When hindleg in stance phase, biceps femoris…
Pushes body forwards, and if necessary turns body on hindquarters
Semitendinosus muscle has two origins…
Sacrum and Ischiatic tuberosity
Insertions of semitendinosus
Partly on tibia, partly in fascia
In the stance phase, semitendinosus muscles…
Extends hip, stifle and hock
Pushes body forwards
In the swing phase, the semitendinosus…
Flexes the stifle
The semitendinosus is an…
Adductor (impedes leg from splaying out)
Any ridden movement that requires the horse to _____ relies on the power of semitendinosus and biceps femoris, but also on the strength and elasticity of the fascia.
Push body forwards
Semitendinosus is on the _____ of the leg.
Inside
Semimembranosus begins at the
Ischiatic tuberosity
The action of semimembranosus supports that of the biceps femoris and semitendinosus muscles by…
Extending the hip and stifle joints and pushing the body forward in the stance phase of the stride
When the foot is off the ground, the semimembranosus
Flexes the stifle and pulls the tibia backward
Name the 4 adductor muscles
Pectineus, adductor, gracilis, and sartorius muscles
The adductor muscles bring the leg…
Toward the midline
The adductor muscles lie…
Under the pelvis
The adductor muscles assist in…
The flexion of hip and stifle joints (to prevent legs from splaying out)
What muscles are most important in the ridden horse?
Psoas and Iliopsoas muscles
The psoas and iliopsoas group sit
Underneath lumber vertebrae and connect to the pelvis
The psoas and iliopsoas muscles will _____ when rider mounts which doesn’t _____
Tense which doesn’t brace or lower the pelvis
For movement to happen, the hindleg needs to be brought _____ (pelvis need to _____)
Brought underneath (pelvis needs to lower)
The psoas and iliopsoas function to
Lower the pelvis
Brace pelvis
Bring hindleg forward
For horse to bring his leg under his body, the pelvis must be lowered and the lumber spine must be stabilized. This is the responsibility of…
The psoas and iliopsoas muscles
The _____ and _____ are responsible for lowering the pelvis and bracing the spine when the hindlimb muscles push the body forward.
Psoas and iliopsoas muscles
The horse’s natural response to the weight of the saddle and rider is to…
Tense these muscles which prevents him from stepping under with the hindlegs
If the psoas and iliopsoas muscles never soften or supple, the horse will…
Never engage his hindquarters correctly
Good way to “unlock” psoas and iliopsoas
Warm-up exercises
The superficial gluteus and tensor fascia lata muscles are interconnected along their borders and both originate at…
Coxal tuberosity
The superficial gluteus is anchored in the _____. It uses this to _____.
Fascia glutea; Flex the hip; Abducts the limb
The tensor fascia lata is anchored in the fascia lata, _____. This _____ and _____.
Tightening the fascia; This flexes the hip and extends the stifle
Middle gluteus will _____ and _____. It uses the _____ as a lever.
Extend the hip and stretch the limb backward; Uses greater trochanter
The middle gluteus has an extension, _____, which…
Gluteal tongue which feeds into the lumbar portion of the longissimus muscle
The middle gluteus transmits the push of b. femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosis to the _____ and _____
Lumbar region and back muscles
In the unridden and/or untrained horse, natural muscle bulk favors the _____ and _____ muscles.
Middle gluteus and biceps femoris
Middle gluteus and biceps femoris have the power to propel the body _____ and the suspension of the _____, protects the forelimb from _____.
Propel body forwards, suspension of the chest muscles, protects the forelimb from concussion
In horses that are ridden, the chest muscles alone do not have the capacity to _____ when it is combined with the rider’s weight.
Suspend the forelimb
What muscle contributions are important in the ridden horse?
Tensor fascia lata
Superficial gluteus
Quadriceps femoris
Step 1: Superficial gluteus and tensor fascia lata muscles used to _____
FLEX the hip
Step 2: Semitendinosus function to _____ and whole limb is brought under the horse.
Flexes stifle
Step 3: The fascia reinforces the action of the _____ as it begins to _____.
Action of the quadriceps muscle as it begins to extend the stifle
Step 4: The extension of the stifle and whole limb is then taken over by the….
B. femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus muscles
How do you strengthen a horse’s back muscles?
More exercises to increase topline NOT more eating more
Poor development of tensor fascia lata, quadriceps femoris always means _____ which leads to _____
Poor impulsion which leads to stifle wear or back pain
