Masterson Method: Hyoid/TMJ/Poll Release

[Cowgirl]

I am having a certified Masterson Method practitioner work on my horse. Horse is really good, healthy, sound and even in her body–this is supportive. When the practitioner worked on her, she spent a long time releasing the poll/TMJ/hyoid (all the way down through the chest). Horse holds most of her tension in her mouth. Practitioner is going to work on her for several weekly sessions, then bimonthly, then monthly.

Anyone experienced these releases on their horse? What results did you get? Long lasting?

One of the things she said is that after the hyoid is released a horse can actually appear taller at the withers. I found that interesting. Just looking for some information.

[keysfins]

No experience, but I am interested in any responses.

[Bogie]

I have used the Masterson Method on my horse, based on his books & videos. My horse holds a lot of tension in his poll and I’ve found it to be very helpful.

[luvmyhackney]

I used to have it done monthly to my old show horses and it worked beautifully if they were tight in the poll/upper neck area. I purchased the books and watch the videos, plus had the worker that did my old show horses taught me how to do some of the stretches/releases. My current pony loves the poll release and the hind leg release.

[IPEsq]

Yes…my chiro vet always checks poll, hyoid, and tmj. I know releasing tension makes my horse feel good by his reaction, but I have not found much translation to his behavior or carriage.

[quietann]

Another thing I need to do for the mare, who is tiiiiiight in the poll.

We were at a clinic last year, and she was stalled most of the time, and worrying herself in that setting. There was a Masterson method expert there, and she gave the mare a free session. Unfortunately we don’t live close to her. But many of the exercises don’t require a trained practitioner…

[IPEsq]

@quietann

Another thing I need to do for the mare, who is tiiiiiight in the poll.

We were at a clinic last year, and she was stalled most of the time, and worrying herself in that setting. There was a Masterson method expert there, and she gave the mare a free session. Unfortunately we don’t live close to her. But many of the exercises don’t require a trained practitioner…

Yes, some of these moves are not very hard to do. I do one of the MM TMJ releases myself. I have a hard time getting my horse to relax down for the poll releases, though, but I use a chiro vet and a massage therapist who both use basically the same methods as Masterson for poll release, and my horse is pretty compliant when they do it.

[cayuse]

I used to do the TMJ release on my little mare and she would always give me a huge yawn and seem more relaxed afterwards. I was doing it in hopes that it might help with her head shaking syndrome and it may have slightly. She certainly enjoyed having it done. I miss my mare.

[Cowgirl]

She had her second session today–2.5 hours!–and I am waiting for the report. I did notice her moving a little freer after the first one. Practitioner said that tightness in the hyoid apparatus can affect freedom of the front legs. She had super extended trot this weekend. My mare is in massive transitional heatbright now so it may be a while before I notice less tension in her mouth.

[Bogie]

@quietann

Another thing I need to do for the mare, who is tiiiiiight in the poll.

We were at a clinic last year, and she was stalled most of the time, and worrying herself in that setting. There was a Masterson method expert there, and she gave the mare a free session. Unfortunately we don’t live close to her. But many of the exercises don’t require a trained practitioner…

The CDs that he sells are VERY clear and well done. I’ve found them to be quite helpful. He also has a YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/mastersonmethod

[MidlifeCrisis]

I attended one of his 3 day courses and go so much out of it. My riding horse now knows the shoulder release and loves it. I’ve just started adding the hyoid release that was posted on Jim’s Facebook page. The result is that my horse is less braced in his jaw. My retiree has navicular syndrome and low ringbone. He walks like he’s on eggshells. His poll is rock hard. Every week that I seem him, I plug away at doing the poll and cervical releases. That horse now throws body parts at me that he wants released. The Masterson method is simple, easy to learn, and won’t harm your horse if you do it incorrectly.

[Cowgirl]

Well I’ve been seeing improvement since the last session. My horse gets worked on again on Monday. She just seems overall more content and relaxed. I am also seeing improvement in a reduction of mouth tensions when I am riding her. The practitioner said that with her carrying her tension in the mouth, it may take a while to “peel the onion” and to also get her to trust staying relaxed with the bits in her mouth because the tension probably made the bits uncomfortable for her. It is interesting that the hyoid apparatus attaches under the chest muscles. The practitioner explained that when a horse is very tense in their hyoid and tongue, each stride will make a little jerk to the hyoid. I am very excited to continue this journey for my horse.

I have the DVD “Your Dressage Horse Optimized” and the companion book, but I simply do not have time to learn this or do the exercises myself due to my work schedule, so I am grateful that I found a certified practitioner.

[andhourspass]

Cowgirl - please keep us updated on your mare and how she continues to do with the sessions. I have Masterson’s book and although it is extremely well done and easy to follow along with, I have not been able to dedicate more than a few minutes to trying it on my horse due to my crazy schedule. I wish I had some time to really play around with it. I did “like” Masterson’s Facebook page so will look for the hyoid release spoken about here.

My big question is, and maybe those of you who have spent some time using the MM can chime in, can you just do one release? Or must you start with the Bladder Meridian and go from there? Could I just jump right into the hyoid release, for example, before a ride?

[Cowgirl]

My horse is having her 3rd treatment today. On the weekends, we overnight at a friend’s place where I can use a regulation size arena to work on GP dressage movements. Since the MM bodywork, my mare now is so flexible that the steep half pass change of hand in trot and the zig zag in canter are extremely easy now. This is an improvement in 2 weeks! I was surprised that she was able to go so much more sideways and carry so much more bend. I did notice the increased flexibility in her carrot stretches that I do before riding, but it really played out in a big improvement in flexability this weekend. I am not so sure whether it is helping yet with her mouth tension issues, but that may take more time. In the meantime, I have gone back to starter type bits. Even though this horse can be extremely strong in the hand, the MM bodyworker told me that the tension she holds in her hyoid apparatus could make the action of the bits much sharper for her. Now using much milder bits (which I never thought would be possible before) and she is largely quiet in the mouth. This bit of information was crucial. I still feel my contact is not as consistent as I would like and that as she works harder movements and gets a little stressed, that is when the contact becomes inconsistent. I am hoping that with more work she will trust the contact enough to stay relaxed. All in all, I am pleased and impressed with the results of the work being done on my mare and will continue this bodywork.

[Cowgirl]

Nice report from the bodyworker and a video of my horse doing massive releases at the end of a 3 hour treatment session. Bodyworker confirms that lateral flexion has increases and longitudinal flexion has increased slightly, but needs more work. More mobility in the poll and tmj but still needs more, so while I am in Omaha for the WC, we have hired a certified craniosacral therapist to work on her while the MM bodyworker observes (and she will get some MM work as well). We are now going to bimonthly MM bodywork sessions.