Connected Healing
Posture and Alignment
Horses are a complete organism comprised of a multitude of perfectly honed parts. All these parts are in perfect position to make a grand and perfect horse. If you influence one part, you will affect all the rest. It stands to reason that if you influence the hooves in such a way, the rest of the body will also be influenced. Hooves are connected to the rest of the body via, muscles, bones, ligaments, tendons, blood, blood vessels, nerves, and meridians. And the rest of the body is comprised of all these parts as well.
Horses that have imbalanced hooves are holding their bodies in a position that can be out of alignment. The alignment of the body for a horse is imperative for survival. If a horse is compensating due to lameness in the hoof and the body is stiff and sore, they will not be able to work to their fullest potential or escape a predator. Subconsciously, the horse will try to align the body for optimum potential. We need to be aware that the horse's body is always right and in perfect balance for that moment. If the body wasn't in balance, the horse's life and survival would become threatened. A horse that is out of alignment can have nerves become entrapped. This makes the brain incapable of processing the messages it receives. If the brain isn't sure about how to align the body for better efficiency, their survival is at risk. So even if it seems out of balance to us, it truly is perfect in that moment for that horse. Let me define what I mean by alignment in this context: Alignment is the entire body, all parts working together cohesively for optimum efficiency. We can help horses find better alignment for more efficiency as we support them with body work and hoof care.
Now that we are thinking about how the hoof and the rest of the horse are all related, which came first? The unbalanced hoof or the body discomfort? It can go both ways and it can turn into a vicious cycle. Having both an equine body worker and trimmer that can understand the hoof and body and how they relate is imperative to the horse’s overall wellbeing.
Let's say for example we have a navicular horse. His hooves are contracted; he has thrush, and poor development of the digital cushion. His resting posture puts his front legs back further underneath him than where they should be. This horse is definitely foot sore. In addition to the hoof problems, he is also straining his shoulders, back, and hips in an effort to help alleviate the pain in his feet. We need to address the hoof care issues: Treat thrush, de-contract the heels, and strengthen the digital cushion. But we can't successfully de-contract the heels and strengthen the digital cushion without addressing the body pain. We need to help the horse find comfort in his body and encourage a more natural posture/better alignment (front legs being more perpendicular to the ground). By using massage therapy and releasing fascial restrictions we can better help the hoof (and body) find a more comfortable position at rest. Once restrictions are addressed in the body we can further help the hooves be more balanced and supportive of the whole horse.
So did the posture result from the hooves or something else?
Horses that travel with a hollow back posture due to back pain will hit the ground harder. Gravity is not their friend. This can also lead to heel pain as a hollow-backed horse is unable to reach full extension and land heel first. (Read in the Hoof Care section about heel first landing, it is imperative for soundness) Horses that have back pain can exhibit rear or front leg lameness, excessive shying, reluctance to work, inability to travel straight, rushes to or away from jumps, ducking out of a turn, hypersensitivity to brushing, etc. Due to back pain you can bet they hold themselves in a slightly compromised position to avoid pain which will change the way the hooves grow. So back to the question above… posture can be from pain in the body or pain in the hooves. Without addressing both posture and the hooves, they can't successfully come into balance. It can become a vicious cycle of abnormal hoof growth and body soreness.
Unilateral abscesses or lameness can cause holding patterns in the body as the horse compensates for the pain. Muscular changes can be seen on lame or compensating horses. If the right front hoof develops a lameness, weight will be shifted to the left front and hindquarters. If you stand behind a horse (carefully) and look over the hips to the shoulders you will notice the lame or previously lame leg will have a slightly smaller or atrophied musculature. The left side will have more muscular development. Resolving the lameness is step one, then rebuilding the muscles to be more supportive and releasing tension in the rest of the body will help bring the horse back to its fullest potential. Interesting note: horses that have a mane that splits, the portion closest to the withers will fall to the weaker side.
This horse has dramatically worn her right hind This horse has dragged both hind hooves due to
hoof due to compensating from severe back pain. poor saddle fit. The right hind (pictured) has worn
more askew than the left hind. She also has
lateral flaring and thrush.
Horses that have imbalanced hooves are holding their bodies in a position that can be out of alignment. The alignment of the body for a horse is imperative for survival. If a horse is compensating due to lameness in the hoof and the body is stiff and sore, they will not be able to work to their fullest potential or escape a predator. Subconsciously, the horse will try to align the body for optimum potential. We need to be aware that the horse's body is always right and in perfect balance for that moment. If the body wasn't in balance, the horse's life and survival would become threatened. A horse that is out of alignment can have nerves become entrapped. This makes the brain incapable of processing the messages it receives. If the brain isn't sure about how to align the body for better efficiency, their survival is at risk. So even if it seems out of balance to us, it truly is perfect in that moment for that horse. Let me define what I mean by alignment in this context: Alignment is the entire body, all parts working together cohesively for optimum efficiency. We can help horses find better alignment for more efficiency as we support them with body work and hoof care.
Now that we are thinking about how the hoof and the rest of the horse are all related, which came first? The unbalanced hoof or the body discomfort? It can go both ways and it can turn into a vicious cycle. Having both an equine body worker and trimmer that can understand the hoof and body and how they relate is imperative to the horse’s overall wellbeing.
Let's say for example we have a navicular horse. His hooves are contracted; he has thrush, and poor development of the digital cushion. His resting posture puts his front legs back further underneath him than where they should be. This horse is definitely foot sore. In addition to the hoof problems, he is also straining his shoulders, back, and hips in an effort to help alleviate the pain in his feet. We need to address the hoof care issues: Treat thrush, de-contract the heels, and strengthen the digital cushion. But we can't successfully de-contract the heels and strengthen the digital cushion without addressing the body pain. We need to help the horse find comfort in his body and encourage a more natural posture/better alignment (front legs being more perpendicular to the ground). By using massage therapy and releasing fascial restrictions we can better help the hoof (and body) find a more comfortable position at rest. Once restrictions are addressed in the body we can further help the hooves be more balanced and supportive of the whole horse.
So did the posture result from the hooves or something else?
Horses that travel with a hollow back posture due to back pain will hit the ground harder. Gravity is not their friend. This can also lead to heel pain as a hollow-backed horse is unable to reach full extension and land heel first. (Read in the Hoof Care section about heel first landing, it is imperative for soundness) Horses that have back pain can exhibit rear or front leg lameness, excessive shying, reluctance to work, inability to travel straight, rushes to or away from jumps, ducking out of a turn, hypersensitivity to brushing, etc. Due to back pain you can bet they hold themselves in a slightly compromised position to avoid pain which will change the way the hooves grow. So back to the question above… posture can be from pain in the body or pain in the hooves. Without addressing both posture and the hooves, they can't successfully come into balance. It can become a vicious cycle of abnormal hoof growth and body soreness.
Unilateral abscesses or lameness can cause holding patterns in the body as the horse compensates for the pain. Muscular changes can be seen on lame or compensating horses. If the right front hoof develops a lameness, weight will be shifted to the left front and hindquarters. If you stand behind a horse (carefully) and look over the hips to the shoulders you will notice the lame or previously lame leg will have a slightly smaller or atrophied musculature. The left side will have more muscular development. Resolving the lameness is step one, then rebuilding the muscles to be more supportive and releasing tension in the rest of the body will help bring the horse back to its fullest potential. Interesting note: horses that have a mane that splits, the portion closest to the withers will fall to the weaker side.
Ideally horses should stand square to the ground. You should be able to drop a plumb line from the shoulder to the ground and the leg follows that line. If the leg is in front or behind that line, there could be a potential problem if there isn't one already. In front of that line we could see founder, laminitis, toe pain, long toes (lend to tendon strains and sprains), painful hooves, back pain, and/or shoulder pain. Behind that line we could see, navicular, heel pain, contracted hooves, shoulder, back, hindquarters, and/or neck pain.
Typical goat on a rock stance. EPM caused the atrophy in his muscles. He has
upright heels. His heels on his back hooves do not come in contact with the ground.
This horse has dramatically worn her right hind This horse has dragged both hind hooves due to
hoof due to compensating from severe back pain. poor saddle fit. The right hind (pictured) has worn
more askew than the left hind. She also has
lateral flaring and thrush.
