Rectus Capitus Dorsalis Major and Minor
- Oct 27, 2017
- 1 min read
Rectus Capitus Dorsalis Major and Minor (Equine)
Major
The Major Rectus Capitus Dorsalis originates at the spinous processes of the axis and inserts into the squamous of the occipital bone (Budras 2011). The muscle is innervated by the dorsal branch of the cervical nerve 1 and its action is to extend the head (Budras 2011).
Minor
The Minor Rectus Capitus Dorsalis originates at the dorsal tubercle of the axis and inserts into the nucheal crest of the occipital bone (Budras 2011). The muscle is innervated by the dorsal branch of the cervical nerve 1 and its action is to extend the head (Budras 2011).
If issues arise in the Rectus Capitus Dorsalis the horse may show signs such as excessive stretching, carrying the head in a low position while moving and at rest and become unwilling to flex and bend in a particular direction (Haussler 2012). The horse may also become head shy and become difficult when putting on the bridle or head collar. Reasons for this muscle becoming tight could be the rider constantly pulling on the reins, sudden changes in direction or a horse that pulls back when tied up. Tightness in this muscle is common in dressage and carriage horses as they require relatively constant collection, flexion of the head and neck and a high neck carriage, this is particularly in carriage horses and this then create pressure from the collar (Haussler 2012).
References
Budras, K.-D., 2011. Anatomy of the horse, Schlütersche.
Haussler, K.K., 2012. Functional assessment and rehabilitation of the equine axial skeleton. American College of Veterinary Surgeons Symposium, pp.175–184. Available at: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/e8fe/c571db2291fcbaa8577152d2b07c4e7ff6ab.pdf [Accessed October 27, 2017].
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