Helping Your Horse Release Tension in the Ribcage and Diaphragm

Signs, Exercises, and Tips for In-Hand and Under Saddle Work

Horses, just like humans, can develop tension in their ribcage and diaphragm, which can restrict movement, affect breathing, and impact overall performance. Recognising the signs of tension and knowing how to help your horse release it can make a world of difference to their comfort and athletic ability. In this post, we’ll look at how to identify tension, exercises to help your horse, and the differences between working in-hand and under saddle.

How to Notice Tension in the Ribcage and Diaphragm

Spotting tension in your horse’s ribcage and diaphragm is the first step to helping them. Here are some signs to watch for:

• Restricted Breathing: Your horse may appear to be holding their breath or taking shallow breaths, especially when asked for more strenuous work.

• Reluctance to Bend: Difficulty bending through the body or resisting lateral movements can indicate tightness around the ribs.

• Shortened Stride: Tension may cause your horse to take shorter steps, especially through the back and hindquarters. Some people may see this when the horse is cantering, where the inside hind cannot step deeper or easily underneath the ribcage.

• Bracing or Hollowing: A tense horse may brace against the aids, hollow their back, or lift their head to avoid engaging their core.

• Behavioural Changes: Irritability, tail swishing, or even pinned ears when being saddled or ridden can all be linked to discomfort in this area.

• Head Carriage Restrictions: Horses moving with their heads up high or behind the vertical, can be due to or cause tension or discomfort in the ribcage and/or diaphragm.

Exercises to Release Ribcage and Diaphragm Tension

Once you’ve identified tension, try these exercises to help your horse release and relax:

1. Gentle Ribcage Massage: Using your hands, gently massage along your horse’s ribcage, starting just behind the shoulder and moving towards the flank. Apply light, circular pressure, watching for licking, chewing or sighing which indicate release.

   1. When under saddle, you can do this with your inner thighs - as you feel the swing of the ribcage left and right, if the swing is not equal both ways you can gently apply the inner thigh on the opposite side to where the ribcage is not moving furthest away to encourage the horse to open more through the restricted side. Do this at walk in serpentines.

2. Breathing Exercises: Encourage your horse to take deeper breaths by working at walk in a relaxed frame. Transitions between halt and walk, with plenty of praise for calm, slow breathing, can help your horse learn to breathe more freely.

   1. Check in on your breathing - are you holding your breath too? Take a moment to exhale deeply and think "can you feel your own diaphragm expanding down and out towards the saddle?"

3. Lateral Work: Exercises such as leg-yield, shoulder-in, and gentle turns on the forehand encourage your horse to stretch through their body and ribs, improving flexibility and releasing tension.

4. Brief Canter: A canter in both directions can unlock deeper breathing in your horse-especially the heavier breeds. Aim for the horse doing the big relaxing snorts. No more than 30 seconds on either rein/lead, and come back to walk to continue.

5. Carrot Stretches: Ask your horse to bend around towards their girth or flank for a treat. These stretches help increase suppleness in the ribcage and promote relaxation of the diaphragm.

6. Ground Poles: Walking over raised poles encourages your horse to use their core, lift through the back, and stretch the ribcage, all of which can reduce tension.

7. Professional Help: Get a bodyworker, chiropractor or physiotherapist to see/treat your horse. As they may pick up on things you might miss. They also have a wonderful number of exercises they can give specifically for your horse too.

   1. For people in the Canberra region, you can find the professionals here.

      
      

Working In-Hand vs Under Saddle/Ridden

There are key differences in how you approach releasing tension depending on whether you are on the ground or riding:

In-Hand Work

• You can closely observe your horse’s reactions and subtle body language.

• It’s easier to incorporate gentle massage and carrot stretches.

• You can start with slow, controlled movements, focusing on relaxation and correct body positioning.

• Horses often feel less pressure and may be more willing to release tension.

• You can use your arm, body or whip to bring awareness (i.e. by pointing or touching) to the horse to a particular part of their body to help them remove the restriction.

Under Saddle Work/Ridden

• Rider balance and posture become crucial – a tense or unbalanced rider can create or worsen tension in the horse.

• Use lateral movements, transitions, and pole work to encourage suppleness and correct breathing.

• Be mindful of tack fit and girth tightness, as these can directly impact the ribcage and diaphragm.

• Reward relaxation – if your horse blows out, stretches long and low, or gives a big sigh, allow them time to process and relax.

• Use your own body to help influence the horse's movement. Can you apply soft aids (like a soft inner thigh to open the opposite side of the ribcage) to help the horse functionally move and remove the restriction?

Give your horse the chance to feel any changes in their body after you help them become aware and remove restrictions. What does this mean? I use the term "wobble walk". This is when you let the horse walk around the area with no aids or cues being applied to them so they can process the new feelings in their body. Give them at least 30 seconds of this, and the reassess.

Final Thoughts

Helping your horse release tension in their ribcage and diaphragm is about patience, observation, and gentle support. By learning to recognise the signs and using these simple exercises, you can improve your horse’s comfort, movement, and wellbeing. Whether working in-hand or under saddle, always prioritise your horse’s relaxation and willingness, and you’ll both reap the rewards.

If you’re unsure or your horse’s tension persists, consider consulting your coach or a qualified equine physiotherapist or bodyworker for further guidance.