Musculus sacrocaudalis ventralis lateralis
Depresses the tail and assists in lateral tail movement. Works antagonistically with the dorsal tail muscles.
Origin: Transverse processes of caudal vertebrae
Insertion: Ventrolateral caudal vertebrae
Action: Depresses and laterally deviates the tail
Innervation: Caudal (coccygeal) spinal nerves
Persistent tail clamping (ventral tail muscles overactive) can indicate pain, fear, or back discomfort in horses.
Persistent tail clamping (ventral tail muscles overactive) can indicate pain, fear, or back discomfort in horses. Signs include: Tail held tightly clamped against the perineum; combined with other pain behaviors; may indicate hindquarter, back, or reproductive tract pain; common in mares with ovarian pain.
See the Sacrocaudalis Ventralis Lateralis on our interactive 3D horse model. Open 3D Model