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Based on the information in my last blog, Equine Insights: How the Equine Shoulders Affect Performance, it’s obvious that the thoracic sling is an important component in the quest for collection. Lifting the withers by activating the sling is the first stage in achieving the uphill posture and balance required for self-carriage.Regardless of whether a horse is conformed with high withers or a high croup, learning to activate the thoracic sling muscles will improve posture. I’ll describ …

Winston Churchill said, “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.”While appreciating the outer beauty of horses, I’ve always been fascinated by what’s on the inside, and, having studied athletic horses for almost 50 years as a veterinarian, researcher, and rider, I’ve learned that the inside of a horse is a marvel of structural and functional design that has produced an extraordinary athlete. In this blog, I’ll share some insights about the ath …

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 …