Blog

In this blog, I will describe the horse’s chest and shoulder region focusing on how they differ from our own and the implications this has for locomotion and performance.Locomotion is defined for humans.People are bipedal – we walk on two legs with our bodies in an upright posture. During the transition to bipedal locomotion, the forelimbs evolved into arms and hands with opposable thumbs enabling us to perform tasks that require dexterity and fine motor coordination. We don’t use our ar …

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 …

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 …