Trapezius

How about lets start a new weekly post all about muscles? "Muscle Monday" anyone? Well, first up is the Trapezius (Rhomboids). The function of this muscle is it allows the shoulder to raise and permits the scapula to draw upward, forward, and backward.
From a massage stand point, I see many horses hold a LOT of tension here when dealing with shoulder pain. Horses who have a lot of work on the forehand usually carry a lot of tension here, others seem to carry their stress here like a person would their shoulders. Look carefully at some of the "Before & After" photos to see if you see the subtle drop in the scapula after releasing all the tension in the trapezius!