A CRANIAL OSTEOPATH’S OPINION

Anxiety creates a stressed mind, often labelled as ‘bad behaviour’ and the result can become an accelerating battle between horse and rider. The most direct way to transform performance is to change the pattern of breathing.

Deeper steady core breathing sustains energy and function.

Restriction of natural movement suppresses mental capacity, creates stress and impedes natural flow.

Any restriction of the tongue directly affects energy, rate and performance. The tongue is capable of highly sensory sensations. The vascular tongue is connected to the thyroid gland, the regulator of energy, rate and performance.

Suppression of tongue movement and swallowing restricts performance.

The muscles of the underside of the neck finish at the jaw. These muscles are responsible for chewing, a relaxed jaw will assist relaxation through the poll area.

Restriction in the poll area will create huge tension and excess mouthing.

Horse structure is supported by an important layer of fascia (like packing material!). Important impulses transport messages through the body giving instructions on how to respond. Long term memory is stored within the fascia with every physical trauma stored as an emotional memory. These communications become disturbed when the natural flow of motion is impeded.

The head and neck counter balance the motion from the hind limbs, any restriction creates imbalance and inability to coordinate.

Movement from the front limbs dictates the depth of breathing as it creates a pumping action through the rib cage and lungs.

Tight nose bands, draw reins, tight reins cause tension within the neck and poll. This impedes freedom to move and breathe naturally.

Only a horse able to move with a natural fluidity and posture together with a rider supported by natural posture awareness can come together to produce any harmony. The core breath will support this empathy as when the rider is breathing with steady deeper core breathing, the horse will calm and mirror this rhythm. This pattern of breathing will calm the mind and thoughts of both horse and rider and help to gain a connection of both trust and comfort. This is the path of horsemanship - to ride with ‘more trust and fewer gadgets’