Being A Detective

The Horse’s Quandary

My Approach to Bodywork for High Level Competition Horses

Each horse is an individual, each rider has different skill levels, therefore when assessing my approach to doing bodywork on high level competition horses, it can vary greatly from athlete to athlete, discipline to discipline.

Interaction begins mainly with the trainers. I initiate the session by asking numerous questions with respect to the discipline the horse competes at, the current performance level of the horse, the goals, daily training regime, level and experience of the rider, and of course tack.  The basic information provided gives me a good baseline to start my investigation.  During this portion of the conversation, performance stumbling blocks, if any, come to light.

Next, no matter what discipline, I delve into my speciality, performance dilemmas. In conjunction with  palpation, questions often arise during the static and dynamic observation phase.  Starting from the ground up in the static evaluation, I take particular account of foot balance and dental balance, from my perspective the top two most important pieces of information one can gather. The feet are the foundation for the rest of the body.

What do teeth have to do with the equation?  At the tip of the iceberg, unbalanced teeth and asymmetries can cause problems with the TMJ, jaw excursion and poll mobility, potentially setting up a multitude of complex issues.  Often unrecognized as  a root cause, unbalances and asymmetries are capable of presenting as decreased performance and poor behaviour.

As an Osteopath and MastersonMethod Practitioner it is my opinion that improper foot balance and dental imbalances are often primary culprits in setting up compensations and asymmetry throughout the body.

In Osteopathy we look at the body as a whole unit, believing structures and functions are interconnected.  Siting the above paragraph, it is important, then, to recognize that some of the horse’s performance hardships are possibly symptoms of those imbalances manifesting in less than desirable performance or behaviour.

The dynamic phase is equally as important. Watching a horse move at walk, and trot, on straight lines, curved lines, tight turns, backing up and sometimes under saddle form a principal part of my evaluation.

For example, while working on an Intermediare 1 dressage horse I noted during my preliminary assessment that the shoulder on the right was tighter and had less range of motion than the left. I did note during the static observation one scapula was more vertical than the other, one foot had a higher heel than the other.  Interestingly the horse’s jaw was  slightly offset to the left.

My question to the rider/trainer was an inquiry as to whether the horse had more difficulty half passing to the left in the zig zag counter change of hand.   The answer was yes.  One piece of the puzzle, but it told me something.  What about the flying changes?  Is the change more fluid to the right or the  left?

During manual assessment I generally work my way from front to back; at the point I asked the question to the trainer I had not yet assessed beyond the shoulders.  As I progressed with my assessment additional clues relating to the spine and pelvis were already accumulating.  One question inevitably  leads to three more

We decided to look at the horse under saddle, specifically the half pass at trot and the zig zag with counter change of hand at the canter.  Here is what I saw on during the  left half pass and counter change of hand:   less bend to the left, less engagement of the left hind limb that was pushing rather than carrying,  restricted cross over of the right forelimb during the trot half pass,  slight left head tilt meaning the  right ear was lower than the left.  The flying change from the right lead to the left lead was sluggish and earthbound, less lateral balance.

The rider was sitting to the right and somewhat twisted to the left through her upper body.   Having this information was important because there could be several factors involved.   Is the horse pushing the rider over to the right, or does the rider sit to the right generally?  Keeping these things in mind I keep hunting for further information.  How does the saddle sit considering one scapula is more vertical than the other?

In conclusion, from an Osteopathic point of view, I discovered this horse had some spinal rotation and pelvic asymmetry.  Specific Osteopathic and MastersonMethod techniques were selected to successfully improve the horse’s symmetry, fluidity, engagement and collection.

Foundational imbalances also need to be addressed, improved or rectified to help prevent compensations and restrictions from continuing and to aid in dissipation over time, allowing bodywork modalities to be last longer.

My assessment and work on a high level para horse would differ considerably, for example, from that of high level dressage horse or hunter.

The para horse will develop unique tensions and muscle compensations due to their job.  One needs to appreciate the rider’s Para Grade, classification and challenges to determine an appropriate plan for this pair.  Para riders are often challenged with balance.

Understanding  demands the para discipline makes on these special horses as  athletes is of extreme importance. The aforementioned  horse has a special job to do.  As a bodyworker I take into account what his job requires of him at his level, how he needs to use himself in order to do what is required of him, not forgetting the rider is part of the team.   What are the effects of the rider on the horse?

We cannot let it fall to the wayside that specific compensations enable para horses to do their job.  Taking them away could spell disaster.  Once again extensive knowledge  and understanding of the discipline is necessary to be able to put a plan in place for appropriate bodywork sessions.

Bodywork is not a substitute for veterinary care.  High level performance horses are under careful scrutiny by veterinarians on a regular basis.  I view Bodywork as  a complimentary element to veterinary work.

The highest level of respect, confidentiality and trust should exist between the bodyworker and trainers.  To keep the horse performing at his optimum, teamwork is fundamental.

Therefore, it is vital to know of any previous injuries or conditions as well as current veterinary issues.  Something that happened long ago may have been forgotten, but over time a compensatory pattern perhaps has developed which is now presenting as a viable primary source of decreased performance.

Frequency of sessions varies to once a month for general maintenance and wellness, upwards of  three  times a week for challenging matters. Choosing the modality I employ is individual to each horse and their unique circumstance.

Putting the pieces of the puzzle together to find the primary cause is indeed detective work.  It takes years of hands on work on hundreds of horses, studying movement, biomechanics, anatomy and knowing the disciplines to have a truly positive impact on high level performance horses.

Even then, the learning never ends.

To repeat myself, foundational imbalances need to be addressed, improved or rectified to help prevent compensations and restrictions from continuing and to aid in dissipation over time, allowing bodywork modalities to be last longer.

This blog is meant as a broad overview of how I approach working with high level athletes.  It no way signifies as an in-depth perspicacity.

It takes a village to keep these athletes happy and performing at the high levels asked of them.  We all need to work together; trainers, riders, farriers, equine dentists, veterinarians, owners, for the betterment of the horse.