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Have you ever asked yourself, “how do I properly sit on my horse?”Today we’ll look at where we sit on the horse’s back and how the horse’s conformation affects our leg position.In previous blogs, I’ve explained how the vertebrae are joined together to form a bridge connecting the forelimbs and hind limbs that transmits forces and coordinates movements during locomotion. The vertebral column also forms part of the ribcage that protects the internal organs. The ribcage consists of the v …

Part three of the deep dive into the reality of kissing spines.Horses afflicted by kissing spines become more painful when ridden because the rider’s weight causes their back to hollow and presses the spines closer together. The horse tries to reduce back movements by tensing the muscles; as a result, the back stiffens and ceases to swing.It doesn’t take long for a horse to realize that pain is associated with having the tack on, and this may lead to an aversion to being saddled with th …

Part two of the deep dive into the reality of kissing spines.We learned last time that kissing spines is a potentially painful disease in which the spines of the vertebrae rub against each other. Let’s take a look at what causes the development of kissing spines.What causes the development of kissing spines? It occurs most often in Thoroughbreds, Warmbloods, and stock horses, which include Quarter Horses and Paints. Recently, it has been found that genetics play a role, and at least two …