I have always found that ground work is worth coming back to and weaving into my program. After a basic lesson with Kirsten long lining my very forward mare, I could see how it would benefit both of my horses to begin to engage their hind ends. Well, I was amazed at the response from my horses. After 6 very intense sessions, both are dragging their noses on the ground, stopping and backing instead of going forward. I can see their brains on overload! So, what next?
Then & Now: A look at 3 years of progress
My Christmas gift this year was a brand new computer, and in getting organized and moving files around to transfer from my old laptop to the new one, I stumbled across images from the very first time we met Storm. We visited him at the barn where he was being consigned and were pleased with what we saw. Looking back, there were some key things that we didn’t pick up on that would have helped us be better prepared for who Storm really was, but in the end the decision was a good one.
Finding the photos proved to be invaluable in a look at just how far we have come over the course of 3 years that Storm and I have been together. The changes that have happened in Storm’s body are amazing. Without further ado, Storm from 2008 to 2011.
Storm - front, April 2008
Storm - front March 2011
Yellow Arrow: Note that his stance is much closer to square in the current photo. His both of his hind feet are clearly visible in the 2008 photo, where as they are set much further apart in the 2001 photo.
Blue Arrow: Being under weight is noticeable from the front view. Additionally, notice that his ribs are pushed out to his right (the side that the arrow is on), but in the photo from 2011 his posture is much straighter, with an equal amount of rib on either side of his body.
Storm - back, April 2008
Storm - back, March 2011
Blue Arrow: Storm’s stance is uneven, his head is off to the right, reflected in the position of his feet. His hips are very uneven across the top.
Yellow Arrow: In the 2008 image his ribs are not even visible, and his hindquarters are much less muscled than in the 2011 image.
Purple Arrow: Storm’s stance has improved, standing much closer to square with a much wider set to his feet.
Storm - left, April 2008
Green Arrow: The difference in the muscling is obvious across his topline, including the dip in front of his withers from being tight through the trapizius muscle. Storm, left - March 2011
Red Arrow: The hollow behind the withers from saddle damage has smoothed out in the 2011 image, and his back is visibly less dropped.
Blue Arrow: The overall shape of his entire rump is much rounder and less angular having developed muscles for Storm to push forward rather than pull with his neck.
Yellow Arrow: Reduction in the muscling on the bottom side of the neck from using his topline/hindquarters to move forward rather than “pulling” with his front legs and lower neck muscles.
Purple Arrow: Despite his stance, there is visibly more weight on the forehand in the 2008 image versus the 2011 image. Storm’s front leg is more straight under him, rather than back at an angle, in the 2011 image, indicating that his weight is not as heavily anchored on his front legs even when standing still.
Similar things to note from the right side. It is also noticeable in this set of images that Storm’s head does not appear as large in the 2011 image. This is due to the fact that his neck is more appropriately developed, along with the rest of his body. His head is no longer as out of proportion with the rest of his body.
Storm - right, April 2008
Storm - right, March 2011
When I look back at these photos the changes are stunning. Storm has developed into a beautiful well balanced horse. He looks good, really good, and even inexperienced horse people (and non-horse people alike) comment on how he looks in positive terms. I realized as I put these images together that the exclamation of “Look at the size of his head!” is rarely uttered anymore. He looks in proportion and is pleasing to the eye. I shutter to think what might have happened if we were not brought together. And I relish in the future changes that will continue to take place.
Brain Storms: In the beginning
In the beginning, as with most things, you often begin by wandering aimlessly until an action starts a chain reaction that brings you to a point in time when things converge. And so my journey has been.
My story begins quite a handful of years ago, though not as a child. I wasn’t blessed grow up in a horse-household, and so my connection with the horses that were in my blood remained on paper until I was much older. Events came together and showed me a view of the traditional style of teaching, which I was not able to accomplish. I struggled and was miserable, but had no concept of any other way. I left that situation and as time rolled on a door opened to a much more natural type training and I was finally able to find a method I felt good about, and could learn. After several years of studying and working with other people’s horses everything finally aligned for me to purchase my own horse. After several months of searching, the new journey with Storm Watch finally began.
Storm’s journey started six years before I found him, and from the little I know it started in the kindest way possible, as far as a horse’s journey goes anyway. He was started late, which is always a good thing, and by the time his first six years passed he had spent a few months in dressage training, and some training with a natural type person (with tarps and barrels is what I was told), done a little jumping, and had already been out hill topping with the hunt.
First session at home
We found each other because the teacher always finds the student, even if the student isn’t conscious of the relationship. The journey began with the struggle of getting to know a new companion. With people at least there is choice involved, with a horse, there is only the choice of the human. With time and dedication the layers of the horse begin to reveal themselves. Some wonderfully positive, and others much more of a challenge.
Storm, being himself, is a challenge in that he is large. 17.3 hh and 1,895 pounds large to be exact. Many things that most people would write off with a small horse are actual problems with a larger horse. You simply don’t get to manhandle something that is that much bigger and infinitely more powerful than you are.
Storm quickly revealed that he was the leader of the herd, and that fact went undisputed from the moment he stepped foot among them. There were challenges, but nothing more than a threat was ever uttered among the rest of the herd. He also revealed himself to be a quiet gentle leader that rarely had to exert more than a twitch of an ear to set another in their place. And he certainly wasn’t looking for a leader outside of the pasture either. He demanded that I be the best herd leader in order for him to respect even the simplest of requests. He forced me to step up my game in order to even register in his radar at all.
Storm also quickly showed me that he had some body challenges. He was reasonably cooperative with most suggestions until I asked him to move off on a circle to the right. He very firmly (in his rather large way) refused to do so, and would be quite creative in his objections, often finally moving to the right only to quickly flip around and tear off to the left as if chased by a demon. Ever so slowly, one lesson at a time, one month at a time, we began to peel back Storm’s layers and help him begin to find balance. With the assistance of body work from Jeffra and many slow hours of hand walking he began to find his balance again. Our rides began to get more focused as I learned to support his balance.
After a year and a half of getting to know him and developing our relationship I needed knee surgery. Despite being out of commission, Kirsten still worked with Storm for each of the lessons once a month. It became apparent when she was able to push him a little bit that he was still a long way from being strong and balanced. Only getting worked once a month through the winter proved to be a set back in our relationship. Once I was finally able to begin working with him again, he had other ideas. Leaving him to be more focused on the herd and on himself, he was not interested in finding his balance and everything converged on a windy day with lots of chaos going on in his environment. The plan was to begin long lining him again to work on his balance, and that went straight out the window when he decided it was a good time to do his dancing giraffe impression. It rattled me so much that I had to pass him off to Kirsten so that she could help him find calm again, and give me time to unfreeze and find calm myself.
At that point we went back to square one. The round pen became my friend and my safety net. Storm was free to cavort and do whatever he needed to do and get it all out without concern of hurting me. It was empowering to be able to stand calmly in the center of the round pen while he bucked and raced around the 60′ circle. Some days it was a challenge to get him into the safety of the round pen, but slowly those days became fewer and further between. The reward of the time spent there was tenfold. There would be moments when Storm would absolutely look to me for companionship, and for enjoyment. He would come out of the hay feeder just to say hello and head out to play. Slowly but surely he found calmness at the walk, and then began to find balance at the walk. Kirsten guided us into moving upward in the gaits to improve impulsion and ever so slowly he began to find balance at the trot, too. His canter was improving by default, but was still a tool to reset the impulsion when he needed it.
And so here we are. We are finally getting out of the round pen and into the arena back on the long lines and even into the balance bands. Storm’s body is showing the positive effects of the diligence with the work, his top line looks beautiful, and his body overall is getting softer and more rounded. We have so far to go, but looking back over the two years that we’ve been on this road together we have come so far together. We just keep having our brain storms and keep moving forward. www.ajourneyofbrainstorms.com
How the Horse’s Spine Lifts
The first segment of this entry is repeated from another blog entry but it is worth writing again and then taking the information further. How a horse is supposed to “lift its back” is a topic of great confusion for many riders – at ALL levels of riding.
The information presented is what I learned in lectures given by Gavin Scofield. This is how the information was handed to me, and I pass it on to you – the words helped me develop images in my mind.Providing real examples of horses working with lifted spines has proven to be challenging even when reviewing high level riders in our industry. Please use your imagination and a good book on horse anatomy to fill in for the lack of graphics. The good news is that horse anatomy IS common to all breeds and ages!
Lifting the Spine
The lifting of the spine combined with an increase of the horse’s weight shifted back onto the hind legs allows the horse’s feet to push against the ground with greater force, which not only provides stability but also increases speed and/or power. This is important for all horses from those that only get ridden on trails to those that are looking to maximize their performance. Using the body correctly is simply the healthiest and most efficient way for a horse to function, no matter the goal.
There are two different ways to describe, “lifting the spine” and this term can be a source of great confusion.
1. A spine can be perceived as ‘lifted’ by rounding the back and extending the spine upwards. This is what happens when a horse lowers its head below the withers. While this provides an excellent stretch for the top line muscles, it also shifts the horse’s body weight primarily onto the front legs. This stretch and extension would be similar to a human bending forward to touch his toes. The back rounds and spine extends outward. The horse’s body weight must go onto the front legs in this type of “lift” through the back. So, although it is a useful posture during the process of training, it is not the end goal. Eventually a habit in this posture will damage a horse if this type of “lift” is sustained long term.
2. A spine is also “lifted” through lengthening, extending or slightly separating the spinal joints causing the whole spine to organize into a neutral alignment. The extended spine, acting as one unit then translates back as the horse increases weight bearing to the hind legs. As weight is shifted back the entire top line will round slightly as a result of the pelvis rotating, hind legs bending and the hindquarters coming closer to the center of the barrel. The overall effect of rounding is similar, but not the same as, what is described in the first example. Most notably, the degree of joint extension differs. This second example of “lift” would be similar to a human stretching his body upwards and then shifting his weight onto his heels. The back does “round” but not as drastically as when weight was shifted forward to touch his toes.
The Spine in Neutral Acts as One Unit
As the spine lengthens or extends, it lifts or suspends and become integrated as a complete unit, which can then act as a lever. Each vertebra in a horse’s long spine moves only a little and each movement is critical. If one joint of the spine is corrupted with too much flexion, too much extension or is out of place laterally, then the entire spine is compromised and its ability to act as one lever becomes impossible. Straightness and suppleness are two very important ingredients for a correct lift of the spine.
When each section of the spine is able to operate freely in a neutral position the joints extend slightly and the entire spine can suspend and move back as one lever. The spine, acting as one unit becomes the lever that stabilizes the back and allows it to act like a bridge and lift the entire forehand. The leveraged bridge allows the legs to reach farther forward as the weight shifts to the hind end of the horse. This creates an overall impression of roundness in the horse’s posture without exaggerated curves in any one section of the spine.
Because people focus on “rounding” without understanding the full meaning, some sections of the spine, such as the cervical in the neck, are commonly over extended. Other sections such as the thoracic (dorsal) vertebrae in the back will over flex to compensate. This compromises the ability of the spine to function as a whole and inhibits the horse’s ability to shift weight backwards. The spine must be straight and neutral first in order to suspend. The roundness will then happen appropriately as the spine translates backwards with the weight shift to the hind legs.
The suspension of the spine creates more suspension in the horse’s movement and the entire frame will become slightly more compact from nose to tail. This is not a frame or posture that would appear uncomfortable or difficult with obvious areas of extension and flexion. It would appear instead almost a neutral posture with natural and comfortable looking curves from nose to tail.
There are also some key areas along the spine that are important to understand.
The Sacrum and Lumbars
One of the critical sections of the spine is the sacrum. The lengthening of the sacrum is quite a small movement, but once it lengthens and extends, everything changes. The angle of the pelvic bones changes, the lumbar vertebrae can then lengthen and extend downward and the hind legs can come closer to the center of the horse’s body for greater leverage and weight bearing.
Thoracic Vertebrae
Again, this is not very mobile segment of the spine because the vertebrae are attached to the ribcage. Once these vertebrae are able to separate slightly and suspend, the ribs will begin to flare open and the ribcage will expand outward. This movement also eases ventilation as the thorax opens and the sternum elevates.
The Neck
The cervical vertebrae are the most mobile section of the spine. People will focus on bending the neck into a frame in order to get the rest of the spine to lift because that appears to be the easiest solution. The problem with this is that it is very easy to over extend the neck, stressing the range of these vertebrae and compromising the lift of the entire spine. Also because the neck is so flexible there are many positions that may appear correct but they either interrupt the alignment of the spine or are outside of optimum position just slightly. By focusing on the head and neck carriage first to encourage engagement, the odds are grossly in favor of getting it wrong.
While it is important that the long neck come closer to the body, it is also important that the horse’s weight is not drawn down and forward. Since the neck obviously cannot telescope inward, it must flex somewhat as the vertebrae extend and separate. The joint between C6 and C7 at the base of the neck is actually the most critical for the correct position of the neck. If the joint lengthens to extend and then translates up and back, then the base of the neck lifts first, lifting and creating flexion in the rest of the neck appropriately. If this joint flexes downward or over extends upwards unable to translate back, then it brings the weight of the neck down and forward onto the front legs.
The Pole
At the top of the neck is the pole, which is comprised of the Oxiput, C1, C2 and C3. The relationship of the Oxiput to C1 allows forward, backwards, up and down movement of the head and spine. As the joint between the two extends appropriately it puts the pole into alignment with the rest of the spine and empowers the entire spine to lift and suspend.
The spine lifts during engagement of the horse’s hindquarters. But the spine must first be straight in order to lift during engagement. This is why straightness is one of the very primary skills I try to develop in a horse. By understanding exactly how the spine has to organize and align in order to lift, you can begin to see why all those old masters harped on and on about “straightness” as one of the cornerstones of training. To me, straightness = spinal alignment. This is how I determine internal straightness no matter how well or how poorly the horse can maintain an external path of travel.
Be The Horse
My horse Jasper has been working hard to change the way he walks. It is really very hard for him, more mentally than physically. He has to change the way he has been walking, learning to balance himself while shifting his weight to his hindquarters. I can see that it is hard for him, and I can accept intellectually that it is hard for a horse to change the way he walks, but how hard can it be, really? I mean, it isn’t like sparring, right? Now that’s hard…
I had my first knee operation when I was 17. I favored my left knee for so long afterward that I ended up damaging my right knee. I had three more on my left knee and one on my right by the time I was 40, even spent a couple of months in a wheel chair. I learned to move — or not to move — to reduce the pain as much as I could. But by the time I had my last operation (I was 40, 3 years ago), it was obvious I had to change what I was doing (real obvious when my surgeon said “Dude, you really have to change what you are doing”).
So I started changing what I was doing, which eventually led to sparring — stand-up Muay Thai — and sparring is all about moving. But moving is still hard for me, and balancing while I move is pretty tricky.
The other day I’m sparing someone who is a lot better than me, and I started to get upset — emotionally overwhelmed, not angry. I still can’t get my balance right and move fast enough. And the guy is good enough that if I don’t move, then I get hit — hit hard. I was starting to get really upset and overwhelmed! Every time I didn’t keep my balance and move fast enough, I’d get punched or kicked in the gut! I mean I was really getting overwhelmed and was about to freak out … That’s when it hit me, my OMG moment — this is EXACTLY what Jasper goes through. I was Jasper! OMG
Now I understand. I really understand.
I am still surprised how much we have in common with horses, and I’ve learned that we have more of a link between mind and body than we really like to admit. So if it is hard for me to relearn how to move, and my brain is 3x larger, then it must be really hard for Jasper. But he keeps working at it, and so do I (he’s a good role model).
Brian
Horse Lecture by Dr. Gavin Scofield, D.O.
Instead of going over my version of Gavin’s clinic, I thought you might enjoy some direct quotes. I taped as much as I could from Gavin’s lecture in Kentucky, October 2009 and below is a transcription of highlights. Enjoy!
We know what correct is don’t we? We have been riding horses for thousands of years, we must know by now how horses are meant to move. Now the answer to that question is no, we don’t. Now why is that we don’t really know? And I mean that absolutely sincerely. We really don’t have a unified, international agreement on how horses are meant to move, which is a massive problem in the industry. We are all interested in the welfare of the horse. This is in no way a criticism of what people are doing with horses. We just need to stay truly objective and learn what we can about correct movement. I have been seeking continuously what correct is meant to be in order to help people work horses in a healthier manner.
Working with a horse can be and should be of great benefit to both parties. When I say benefit I don’t just mean emotional and psychological terms, I mean physically and physiologically of benefit. So if we took the horse that was in the wild and compared it to your horse we should be able to show that your horse is better off in health and function terms than its wild compatriots. This is the crux of riding in the 21st century. The only way you will be able to justify what you are doing is through knowledge. That is why I am sharing with you the scientific knowledge to defend and justify what you are doing and why you are doing it. So that you know in your heart that what you are doing is the best for the animal – it is actually a good thing for the horse.
For a long, long time people didn’t think along these lines. People didn’t really think correct was important. Correct depended on what you wanted to do with the horse. Correct was based on the utilitarian purpose – correct for carriage horses, racehorses, or polo horses were all different. This was the mindset. It was genuinely believed for a long time that it was ok to work the horse in a way that suited you provided that the horse would do what you wanted it to do. And that came from the mindset that people wanted the horse to do the job and last as long as possible. But if you were used to the horse only lasting a very short time, then that was the standard to work by. To have horses in their twenties was quite rare, even horses working through their teens was not common. But this is changing. One of my client’s oldest horses is 48, ridden until it was 46. The lady’s attitude was that nothing was unusual about this. Her youngster was 32.
The attitude of riding has changed hugely compared to the utilitarian use of what people did in the past. Most people didn’t even ask or think about what correct was. Correct was a secondary issue to the horse doing the job it needed to do.
It was very important that I knew or had some understanding of what I could call correct because the whole point of any sort of health care is – the ultimate aim of any treatment is to give the body back to itself. In other words putting the body back in control of all the functions that should be there. This is a huge respect to the fact that, however clever we think we are on the outside, that body, however flawed it might be, however damaged it might be, however diseased it might be, somewhere within it is something that knows what the hell correct is.
And that is how all medicine works, orthodox medicine as well. It’s how it all works. Every time you put an antibiotic in you are relying on the fact that the immune system has got function. The antibiotic can come along and help by sticking onto a nasty bacteria and make it more attractive to the white blood cells. But if the body isn’t doing its bit, then doesn’t matter what you do. The patient has got to get himself better. All you can do is pin up a break, strap it up and hope that the body rejoins the bones and sometimes it doesn’t happen. None of it works if the internal physician; the intelligence of the body; does not recognize normal above abnormal.
As a practitioner you’ve got to have some idea of what it is you are aiming for. So, there I was coming into equine practice thinking I’ve got to work out some idea of what is correct.
I spoke with people all over the world, read lots of books – but everyone was saying something slightly different. Same words could mean different things and sometimes people used different words but meant the same thing. But if I cant get a straight answer from the humans – trainers, books, historical views of correct and research papers, then maybe it needs to come from the horse. There is actually precious little about correct and almost all of it is reductionism view, because medicine works that way. But in reality an awful lot of what actually influences the horses movement and function is not pathology or disease. Most of your problems actually have to do with what we call dysfunctions, which has to do with imbalances in the soft tissue tensions, imbalances in overall function. In other words, most symptoms that people go to the doctors for are not gross pathologies but problems with function in origin.
How can I take this a step further? Maybe the answer is with the horses in their natural state. Newborn foals are another one. Surely they must be moving correctly. But they were all moving differently. There was some common ground, but a huge variety of differences. But look at the human. We are all functioning. But are we moving correctly? The question was then, if a load of these horses are mooching around, which is best? What should we try to achieve?
What do we mean by correct anyway? What I am talking about is asking the question, “Is that individual moving in a manner that is allowing them to reach their full potential?” “Are they moving at their optimum or are they moving at a fraction of what is possible?”
And I have to define what is meant by optimum – moving in a way that is mechanically comfortable, mechanically safe for the horse, and this is critical, moving in a way that mechanically allows every joint, every muscle, every hard and soft tissue to operate to its optimum and in the way it was designed to function.
Nature is quite simple in some ways. Nature adapts to internal and external stresses all the time. What I mean is that those trees are the shape they are because of the forces that have been put on them during growth and development and because of the function they have to carry out. You are the shape you are because of the functions you have to carry out. In nature there is a lovely principle – the shape and size of a structure is determined by the function it has to carry out. On the whole, structure governs functions and functions are determined by structure.
This principle is the crux of everything we are going to talk about. Structure governs function and so therefore function governs structure to some degree.
When you look at a skeleton the shape of the structure is frankly bizarre. They look ridiculous at first glace, an engineer might think, “what’s that all about?” But I tell you what, it’s a hell of a clever piece of engineering. It’s extraordinary. What’s even more extraordinary is that every little curve, every little shape, everything you are looking at there is the way it is because of the function it has to carry out. That’s what so bizarre.
Every bone is exactly the right size, exactly the right shape to take the muscles and ligaments that attach to it to allow them to pull and have strength. Instead of having a nice smooth bone, there are prominences in various places. What are they for? They are literally where soft tissues attach and they create lines of pull and force etc. so the size of this prominence is going to be determined by the force exerted on it. This is structure-function at work. You can analyze, you can look at cross sections of bones, and you can work out what sort of work they are meant to do. You can work out what direction forces are meant to fall through that bone. You can work out what direction forces are meant to fall through a joint. You can work out how much range of movement that joint is meant to have. You can work out how much force a ligament is meant to take. You can analyze and work out how what function each structure is meant to carry out – which is simply determined by the structure. This principle is true in all animals, in all aspects of nature. It’s all very clever stuff.
This is done in the human health field, but not done so much in the equine industry. I had to go back to the skeleton, the bare bones, back to the structure. Dissecting, analyzing and studying the structure, you can work out how each bone is meant to move, what plane it is meant to move in, how much movement is meant to be there and what you can do is therefore work out what bits of structure were meant to do what jobs. So, that gave me the ultimate answer for correct. It gave me a vision, a picture or a model of how the entire structure was actually meant to move – how much movement was meant to be in that joint, where the weight was meant to be distributed, and that gave the ultimate answer. If you are going to work out what correct is for this structure, the only way to do that is to study the structure in detail. Look at that structure, analyze what each piece is meant to do and then put the jigsaw puzzle together. That was my job, to put it together. This is what finally gave me a truly scientific explanation of what the equine structure is meant to be doing movement wise.
So that structure – function relationship is the key. If you understand that then you are a long way to being able to work out and understand how a horse is supposed to move.
Red – The Newest Addition
A horse named Robert Redford came into my life this past July. “Red” as I affectionately call him is a 17hh, chestnut Thoroughbred gelding that was practically given to me by a good client in Ocala.
Working with Red at liberty when I first met him
Red was first introduced to me as a very challenging horse who had not done well in his previous training. He had proved difficult for the first two trainers that worked with him trying to get him started under saddle. When I met him he was still an overly sensitive and mostly un-safe horse to ride for the owner. Laura, the owner, had bred this horse from a lovely racing mare and grade stakes winning stallion. Red comes from an amazing lineage of top Thoroughbred racehorses, including Mr. Prospector as his grandfather. He is bred to race, but never even graduated his initial starting under saddle. Laura decided not to enter him into the racing world because she was concerned he would wind up being abused due to his temperament. Such a shame!
I adored this horse from the first moment I worked with him. He was riddled with talent that was all wadded up and stuffed inside him. I could see his frustration, his confusion and understood why he acted out so dramatically. I just “got him” – I tend to be a “difficult chestnut mare” myself! Once again, here was a talented, sensitive horse that was labeled “difficult” – this time by “natural horsemanship” trainers, and top level trainers at that! Some things just never change.
Since getting on the big boy was no easy matter I needed his full cooperation!
As Laura put it, “Red took to my training like a duck to water.” Red and I just got along and Red transformed into a calm, reliable riding horse for Laura. Because Red is too old to start racing now, his talents needed to be guided in another direction. When Laura needed to sell a few of her horses, she called me about Red and made me a deal I simply couldn’t refuse. Both she and I knew Red still had a big future in dressage or jumping. All that talent needed to go somewhere!
Red is a fourth horse for me, a financially daunting endeavor. Luckily one of my clients fell in love with him as much as I did. Alex, who is new to horses, wanted to work with Red. She agreed to go back through the process of groundwork and re-start him again under saddle with my guidance to make sure the two of them would be safe. Alex leases Red and has developed her own relationship with him. I think I may have lost my horse! Red couldn’t be happier and is proving to be a reliable, friendly and safe horse for Alex.
Alex and Red - happily in love
Nothing makes me happier than seeing Red turn around completely – from “difficult” to “first horse” is a transition that makes my heart sing. Did I mention that Red is currently 11 years old? So, yes, new beginnings do come at every age! I still hope to take Red into the show ring one day, but his turnaround and his happiness make us feel like champions already.
Basic Functions of Horse Bio-Mechanics
Some of the common indicators that people use to determine if a horse is moving correctly include:
- An arched neck with the head on the vertical
- Lengthening the stride so the horse is over tracking its front hoof prints
- Light or no rein contact
- Fast speeds or exaggerated movement
- The fact that the horse “can do” a maneuver or job
None of these common indicators however prove or disprove balance. They may be present once balance is achieved, but the presence of any one of these peripheral indicators in no way guarantees that a horse is moving in correct balance.
From Dr. Gavin Scofield:
“Because a body is a closed system, balance or imbalance in one part will always affect the rest of the body. In other words, true balance cannot be faked, or indicated in isolation. Every part of the body must be functioning correctly, appropriate to each form, or the entire body will be out of balance.”
Appropriate use of the body can more reliably be assessed through the observation of weight load distribution. If the horse in motion shows greater weight load through the front legs compared to the hind legs, then the horse is not functioning correctly no matter what the frame, head position, stride length, speed or ability the horse appears to convey.
Weight distribution indicates how forces are affecting the general structure of the horse. While a horse is quite capable of compensating to make one of its extremities appear “correct”, weight distribution actually confirms or denies the correctness of the movement. Compensation patterns for overall imbalance then become obvious.
When a horse learns to balance its weight equally side to side and carry a majority of its body weight on the hind legs then many of the popular indicators will begin to emerge as a result. A perfect frame, lengthened strides, power, speed and efficiency in maneuvers or jobs are the end result of balance, but not always the means to balance.
When trying to assess if a horse is moving correctly, it is helpful to know the horse’s body and some basic functions to further understand why weight bearing is so important.
Head and Neck
The head and neck are used by the horse to recover balance or compensate for inappropriate weight distribution through the legs. This area of the body is extremely mobile and flexible so the horse uses it to compensate for a loss of balance or to regain balance much like humans use their arms. The chosen head and neck position of the horse is a reflection of the current weight distribution through the legs. An unstable head and neck position simply reflects unstable weight bearing through the legs.
How this affects training:
“Setting” the head and neck or overly restricting movement with devices or rein contact can inhibit the horse’s ability to find or maintain balance. A rein contact should offer a horse support or guidance from the rider while still allowing a natural range of motion. When the horse is able to freely alter its head and neck position the rider gains true feedback about the horse’s weight distribution and the activity in the hindquarters.
Front Legs
The front legs are attached to the horse’s skeleton only with soft tissue. A horse does not have a collarbone like a human that attaches the arms to the rest of the skeleton. Instead the sling of muscles and soft tissue that connects the horse’s front legs to its body supports the position of the legs and allows an extensive range of motion.
The general shape, organization of joints or angles of the front legs are straighter compared with the hind legs. This design allows the front legs to act like pillars for stationary weight bearing while a horse is resting or grazing. The design of the front legs also shows us the weight load must fall straight through the front legs or they will be compromised. During movement, the front legs reach out and forward to cover ground, but then stabilize during the weight bearing phase of the leg movement. When the horse’s weight is borne primarily on the forehand in motion, the front legs will bear weight while at a backwards angle. When extending or lengthening a stride, it is critical that the front legs do not reach forward so far that they load while in a forward angle.
How this affects training:
Resting a majority of body weight on the front legs while stationary or grazing is a natural state for a horse. Since domestic horses lead a sedentary life compared to wild horses who move an average of 25 miles per day, domestic horses seldom discover how to shift a majority of weight off their front legs during motion. It is important that the training program includes teaching a horse how to use its hind legs for weight bearing in motion. Without active help, domestic horses will most likely continue to function with an inappropriate amount of weight on their front legs, even while being ridden.
Hind Legs
The angular positioning of the bones and joints in the hind legs compared to the front legs allows the hind legs to act as levers. As the horse’s body weight shifts to the hind legs, the joints flex and the legs bend, allowing the body to stabilize in motion and absorb concussion during the weight bearing phase of the leg movement. The flexing of the hind legs also allows the horse to push off the ground with greater force, increasing power and speed.
How this affects training:
While there are many benefits to working a horse at various speeds, most horses must learn how to bear weight on their hind legs during motion before the speed and power can be released with healthy function instead of adrenaline or patterns of compensation. In other words, a horse may need to slow down and shorten its stride for time to learn how to balance its body weight correctly. Allowing a horse to stabilize increased weight bearing on the hind legs first, at any speed or stride length, then allows the horse gain power and agility through correct function.
The Pelvis
The hind legs of the horse are attached to the rest of the skeleton through the hip joint and pelvis. The position of the pelvis and hind legs determine the hindquarter’s relationship to the body and the degree of engagement or capacity for leverage.
A neutral pelvis allows the hind legs to be straight down underneath it. The hindquarter is neither engaged nor disengaged and may be at rest. During engagement of the hindquarter the pelvis rotates up at the front end and down at the back end. This rotation of the pelvis allows the hind legs to reach farther forward, closer to the center of the horse’s torso for stability and leverage.
During disengagement the pelvis rotates the opposite direction, down in front and up in back, causing a loss of stability and leverage. During disengagement the position of the hind legs will be farther from the center of the horse’s barrel, lessening their capacity to bear weight, absorb concussion or create thrust.
How this affects training:
It is a trained skill for a ridden horse to learn how to engage the hindquarters correctly and without tension. The result of practicing disengagement as a training technique can create even more challenges for a domestic horse to achieve correct, engaged motion. Increasing speed, stride length or incorrect lateral work before a horse is stabilized in correct engagement can also make engagement more difficult to achieve.
Back
The back acts as a bridge between the hindquarters and forehand of the horse. When the hind legs flex and pelvis rotates during engagement, the back lifts the horse’s front end which allows greater mobility of the lighter front legs. The muscles of the back must be supple enough to stretch into a complete range of motion during engagement and strong enough to support the lift of the spine and suspension of the front end.
The back is actually lifted back to front and bottom to top – meaning that the hindquarters must engage first. Then, as the hind legs step closer to the center of the barrel, the layers of muscles in the abdomen contract. The contraction of the abdominal muscles more accurately “pushes up” the back by lifting the ribcage from the bottom. This process also acts to normalize the pressure in the abdominal cavity helping with gut function and reducing tension in the long back muscle, allowing the back muscle to move through a healthy range of motion.
The long back muscle (longissimus dorsi) is one of the longest muscles in the horse’s body, attaching in front around the withers and in back around the pelvis. If this muscle is restricted, tense or weakened at either end it affects the entire function of the back. Fascia, a strong, fibrous soft tissue that is less pliable than muscle, covers the back of the horse over the long back muscle as well as the gluteal muscles in the hindquarters and continues down into the hind legs creating a continuous chain reaction between the back and the hindquarter.
How this affects training:
If the back is too tight or tense it will not able to lengthen when the pelvis rotates during engagement. This can have the effect of restricting the position of the entire hindquarter and impede engagement. If the abdominal and back muscles are not strong enough to sustain support while lifting the front end, then adding the extra weight of a rider will make engagement of the hindquarters very difficult for the horse. The back of the horse must be both visibly strong and palpably soft for the horse to function correctly with the weight of a rider. This is why groundwork is so important to successful riding.
Spine
The spine runs from the back of the skull through the horse’s top line, right into the tail. Similar to the horse’s back, in entirety it also acts like a bridge. The spine properly aligned acts like a giant lever, lifting the front end of the horse as the hind end lowers, providing stability and power to the entire body. As the spine lengthens or extends, it lifts or suspends and become integrated as a complete unit, which can then act as a lever. Each vertebra in a horse’s long spine moves only a little but each movement is critical. If one joint of the spine is corrupted with too much flexion, too much extension or is laterally rotated out of place, then the entire spine is compromised and its ability to act as one lever becomes extremely difficult. When each segment of the spine is able to operate freely, then the joints can align appropriately, extend slightly and the entire spine can then act as one unit. Correct lift of the spine creates an overall impression of roundness in the horse’s posture during motion without unnatural looking curves in any one section of the spine. The suspension of the spine creates more suspension in the horse’s movement and the entire frame will become slightly more compact from nose to tail. This is not a frame or posture that would appear uncomfortable or difficult with exaggerated curves. It would appear instead almost a neutral but powerful posture with natural and comfortable looking curves.
How this affects training:
There are two different ways to describe, “lifting the spine” and this term can be a source of great confusion. A spine can be ‘lifted’ by rounding the back and extending the spine upwards. This is what happens when a horse lowers its head below the withers. While this provides an excellent stretch for the top line muscles, the horse’s body weight also shifts primarily onto the front legs. This “lift of the spine” would be similar to a human bending forward to touch his toes. The back rounds and spine extends outward. A spine can also be “lifted” by lengthening to extend the joints causing the whole spine to suspend slightly. The extended spine then translates backwards when the horse shifts weight to the hind legs and the back will round slightly as a result of the pelvis rotating and the hind legs bending, stepping closer to the center of the barrel. The overall effect of rounding is similar but not the same as described in the first example – the degree of joint movement differs dramatically. This second example of “lifting the spine” would be similar to a human stretching his body upwards and then shifting his weight onto his heels. The back still rounds but not as much as when he shifted his weight forward to touch his toes.
Because people focus on “rounding” without understanding the full meaning, some sections of the spine, such as the cervical in the neck, are commonly over stressed. Other sections such as the thoracic (dorsal) vertebrae in the back have to compensate by shifting the opposite direction. Too much flexion in one area creates too much extension in another area and compromises the ability of the spine to function as a whole. Not being able to use the spine appropriately also inhibits the horse’s ability to shift weight backwards. The spine must align first in order to suspend. The “roundness” then happens appropriately as the spine translates backwards as more weight shifts to the hind legs.
Joints
The joints of a body are what allows a skeleton to be flexible. If a skeleton was bone to bone without any joints it would be rigid and move awkwardly. Functionally joints act as shock absorbers, to protect the bones from concussion and stabilize or help balance the body in motion. The motion of the joints also extends the body’s range of motion and provides leverage for maximizing power and strength.
The shoulder joint and hip joint of a horse are similar in that they are both ball and socket structures which allows an extensive range of motion. Ball and socket design accommodates flexion, extension, adduction, abduction and rotation. The detail of the hip joint compared to the shoulder joint are different however - the shoulder is better designed for range of motion while the hip has better capacity for weight bearing. The carpus (front “knee”) and hocks on the hind legs are also similar designs in that they are comprised of many small bones stacked together. The designs are similar enough to provide both with an excellent capacity for flexion and extension (straight forward and back) but a limited range in any other direction. Again, the detail of the carpus compared to the hock shows us that the carpus is better designed for range of motion and the hock is better designed for stability, weight bearing and thrust. The elbow joint on the front legs is another ball and socket type joint that is wonderfully designed for range of motion but a poor design for weight bearing. The stifle on the horse’s hind leg is actually the horse’s knee, with a patella. Just like the human knee, this joint has an excellent range for flexion and extension but little lateral or rotational ability. The stifle is designed to be used for weight bearing in motion and leverage.
How this affects training:
Just taking a brief look at the design of the major leg joints in a horse it becomes apparent that the horse is better suited for straight forward leg action, flexing and extending the joints, than it is for lateral work. Just like a human, moving laterally is possible but it poses a challenge to the body. If the muscles are not supple enough or strong enough to support and protect the ideal function of each joint while the legs are moving laterally then the forces exerted on the joints can become inappropriate. Inappropriate loading of the joints can seriously compromise their function and integrity.
In simpler terms, premature or incorrectly executed lateral work and repetitive disengaging can compromise joint function. Lateral work and disengaging a horse is often done with the belief that bending the horse creates engagement and greater flexibility. This work can however have the reverse effect and compromise the horse’s ability to move forward and move correctly.
Muscular System
The muscles throughout the horse’s body will develop to support the habitual function of movement. Whether the horse’s function has been correct or incorrect, the muscles will develop and strengthen to sustain the habitual use of the body. A horse that has been functioning correctly will have smooth, symmetrical muscular development without obvious peaks and valleys from nose to tail. A horse that has been functioning with too much weight on the front legs as a habit will appear more developed and stronger on the front end compared with its hind end. The muscular development of the horse is the result of habitual function. Muscles gain strength through contraction and gain suppleness through relaxing. A balance of strength and suppleness, with a muscle moving though its full range of motion, is what allows the body to move with maximum power and flexibility. A horse that has been habitually functioning out of balance will have a lack of muscle development in some areas and muscular tension in others.
How this affects training:
In the beginning stages of restoring a horse’s healthy function from unhealthy function, time and patience are required. When a horse has built muscle around patterns of incorrect function then muscular tension must be released first, restoring a full range of motion to each muscle. Tension free muscles that are able to work in a complete range of motion make it possible to change the posture or function of the body. Once the function has changed, the muscles will strengthen to support the habits of movement. In the process of change, the horse may begin using muscles that were weak or atrophied from previous lack of use. A change in the horse’s way of moving can mean that the horse tires more easily or can do less in the early stages of training. Once the muscles are visibly developed to support correct function, the horse will have more stamina and power than ever before.
Horses and The Form-Function Principle
The form-function principle as it relates to a horse’s body, suggests that each part of the body; each unique form, is designed to carry out a specific function. How the form-function principle pertains to horse biomechanics, has been the work of Dr Gavin Scofield.
Dr Scofield would say that “each structure within the body serves a purpose and the exact form of each body part is related to its purpose; its function”. Overall, the design of a horse’s body is what it is because of the things a horse needed to do to survive in the wild. Healthy function means that the form or design of the body is used appropriately, to the fullest extent possible. 
For example, the hip joint is a ball and socket structure that has a deep socket with a small ball. Ball and socket design allows extensive range of motion for the leg and the deep socket/small ball structure is engineered for stability and weight bearing. Increased weight bearing on the hind legs is appropriate use of the structure. The shoulder joint is another ball and socket structure but has a shallow socket and a large ball. The change in design for the shoulder joint supports an even greater range of motion than the hip joint and is less mechanically suitable for weight bearing as it lacks stability. Bearing a majority of body weight on the front legs is inappropriate and damaging to the horse’s structure. The horse’s body is also designed symmetrically, meaning that the structures on the left and right sides of the body mirror each other. This tells us that appropriate weight bearing is also equal side to side for healthy function.
Analyzing each part of the anatomy and understanding the form-function principle begins to reveal what constitutes bio-mechanically correct movement. Having a general understanding of the horse musculoskeletel design and taking into account the Form-Function Principle, helps in the understanding of correct and healthy movement. Looking at the details of the horse’s inherent, natural physical structures tells not only how each should ideally function, but how the overall body should function. Once this concept is understood, it becomes very easy to see that the horse is designed to carry a greater percentage of body weight equally on both hind legs compared to its front legs.
From “Adams’ Lameness In Horses” – 5th edition:
Traveling heavy on the forehand sets the stage for increased concussion, stress and lameness.
So what does this mean for the horse owner/rider? It means you have the power to effect and encourage the horse to use its body in a mechanically efficient way; a way that promotes long term healthy physical development.
It means your ground training and riding sessions should reflect your encouragement of the horse’s healthy biomechanical use. Ignoring this reality can lead to chronic soreness, behavioral problems and even lameness for a horse that is continually crooked and/or front-loaded. Nature never intended for horses to operate this way. Domestication however can encourage a horse to function for years with patterns of crookedness and an inappropriate amount of weight on the front legs . My work as a horse trainer includes not only making riders aware of their impact on the horse’s use of its’ body, but teaching riders how to effect and encourage the horse to use good mechanical form.
The greatest benefit of understanding the simple principles regarding correct horse function is that it helps you sort through information, opinions and personalities when it comes to what is best for the horse. The horse’s body tells us how it should ideally function, no matter what level of training you are currently working at. The result of good training will be a horse that is habitually functioning the way its body was designed.
Tom Dorrance and Horsemanship
Tom's book - The only image I can provide legally. You can google 'Tom Dorrance pictures' for more photos.
The day I accidentally met Tom Dorrance was a really important event in my life. I knew of him by reputation and was surprised to find him at a Ray Hunt clinic in Gustine, CA.
While Ray Hunt was teaching, Tom was working on the sidelines with a big, dark Thoroughbred mare I had seen before at several Buck Brannaman clinics. A lady named Iris owned this mare and I had watched Iris ride through a few clinics with the horse bucking and pretty consistent unruly behavior even outside the arena. I already had a true admiration of Iris’ ability and persistence with her horse. The situation reminded me a great deal of my own struggles with Phinneas, my first horse and also an off-the-track Thoroughbred. So Iris and her mare were always a point of interest for me at these natural horsemanship clinics.
Since I was an auditor at this Ray Hunt clinic, I gravitated over to where Tom was working with the horse. Tom was sitting on what looked like a little stool and had Iris’ horse at the end of a long lariat rope, facing him and also on top of a small hill. He was just sitting there, looking at the horse and would make an almost imperceptible movement with his hand every once in a while. The mare was standing stock still, with her eyes riveted at Tom, her head held high and ears pricked straight forward. I watched for about 30 minutes. Each time the mare would get distracted and nervous, Tom would barely tap the rope and she would look at him again. I eventually wandered off to watch Ray teach – it looked like this deal with Tom and the mare had been going on for a while and nothing much was happening. Little did I know then!!
About another 30-45 minutes later Tom came whizzing up from where he was towards the clinic arena, trotting the mare next to him while he was driving a golf cart. The mare looked quiet and calm, focused on Tom and trotting along side with slack in the lariat rope. “What the hell?” I thought to myself and trotted off myself after the golf cart.
Each time Tom would stop the golf cart the mare would wait patiently, calmly and remain focused on Tom – despite all the activity and distractions provided by the clinic atmosphere. I knew this was entirely new behavior for this horse and decided to follow Tom around the rest of the day.
I ran into Iris many months later while trail riding through the redwood forests. There was Iris, on her mare, in the forest – the mare calm and walking along on a loose rein through steep, single-track trails with other horses and mountain bikers coming around blind turns. Needless to say, I HAD to talk with her. She couldn’t say enough about what happened at the clinic and the help she received. Tom, Ray and Buck all helped give this mare a new lease on life and made riding safe and enjoyable again for Iris. Already sure I wanted to learn more, Iris and her mare cinched the deal and turned me into an insatiable student.
Watching Tom Dorrance work with horses that day was indeed a crossroads in my life. Not because anything spectacular happened. He was actually pretty boring to watch (the importance of which took me years to understand). What was specifically important to me personally was what Tom Dorrance looked like coupled with what he could accomplish. Here was a man who had an amazing reputation as a horseman and he was not a huge, strapping, muscled up cowboy! I’m only 5’4” and all the really good cowboys I had seen absolutely towered over me. I had always believed that at some point success with unruly horses was going to become a matter of physical strength – so I never fully believed it was possible for me to work with young or difficult horses.
It was also later in Tom’s life when I met him. I don’t know exactly how old he was at the time but suffice to say he was no spring chicken. Again, this impressed me greatly that he didn’t appear to be a whole lot stronger than me in his body. Since he obviously didn’t use physical strength to get the job done, I was able to observe that his “powers” were in his mind, in his timing, his feel and his observations. He was creative and patient, something that even I could learn to be.
I had heard people say that size and strength have nothing to do with horse training, but the reality was I had always seen strength used at some point. But there I was, seeing for the first time that all the incredible ability that man had was coming from his insides. The horses would change without drama or incident. Watching Tom Dorrance work made something shift in my brain – it really didn’t take brawn and might to be great with horses, any horses! I finally believed with every fiber of my being that I could become excellent with horses if I put my mind to it.
I picked up Tom’s book not long after that clinic and I still read it annually. Each year it makes more and more sense to me as I gain experience and knowledge. The respect I developed that day for Tom Dorrance remains the same. I am still on my own journey of horsemanship and still striving, but I share this story because it was a personal experience of changing the image of a horseman – that then changed my life. That day, observing Tom Dorrance, I comprehended the end result of what I was moving towards. Even if I never make it in this lifetime, it doesn’t matter. The image guides my daily development, helps me choose teachers wisely and recognize the difference between a really good result and everything else.
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