Footwork

Oh its happened again Lynda Joynt lol

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Soul 2 Soul trims on this stunning day 🌞

Truth

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Brilliant explanation , and a reminder of the importance of a whole body approach to hoofcare.

Almost everything we struggle with in horses starts from the most common pattern the body presents.
This pattern is true for most mammals.

There are individual nuances and variations particularly if there is injury or a repeated loading that nature did not account for but when all is stripped away this is the pattern most mammals fall into.
What is truly fascinating is that it has nothing to do with handedness because even lefties like me still fall into this pattern.

The problems start when professionals identify parts of the pattern and attempt to change or fix them in isolation. This inevitably causes more chaos long term through giving the body short term improvement and reprieve in local regions at the price of compensation in the regions they did not identify.

I want to be clear I am in no way excluding myself from this generalization, in fact this is how I learned and figured all this out.

What then happens as a result of only local intervention is a breakdown in other areas which brings us to what we all know so well … just putting out fires. If we understand that all these things are part of a pattern we stand a better chance at helping the body come back to a better place.

It is important to understand that any change in patterns of motion or loading will give you some short term improvement, this is why addressing only parts of the pattern works for a little.
But this is the short game and body functionality and health is always a long game, if you want to to facilitate long lasting change that you can build on and not just put out fires you need to play the long game.

If we don't change the whole pattern by addressing everything it encompasses(this is why teamwork is important)we are only getting short term reprieve and later paying the price through injury or other area breakdown.

Before I look at the pattern, know that no pattern can be addressed or complete without feet and teeth. They drive and hold the pattern they are the make and break of change.

I have talked extensively about internal asymmetry v external symmetry and how it drives the pattern around respiration. Even though I have explained it extensively, for many it is still as clear as mud. I will attempt to make it so it means something rather than explain it.

Basically there is a shear through the horse. What does that mean ?

If we think of the horse as two halves : movement requires oscillation between the two halves.

Right - narrowe, internal rotation, exhalation , diaphragm is restricted cranially, neck, ribs, lumbar are overactive, pelvic floor is sucked in, right ilium is forward and medial, more dental occlusion on the right lower ramps , cone like upright foot.

Left - wide, external rotation,inhalation, neck , ribs and lumbar underactive , diaphragm restricted caudally, pelvic floor is pushed out, left ilium caudal and lateral, less dental occlusion often higher ramps, flat wide foot.

This comparison is an oversimplification but a good starting point. It’s a good clear explanation of the difference between left and right but for locomotion to happen limbs need to work actors the diagonal can we see where this would be a problem ?

The biggest problem with this presentation is not just locomotion it is that pressurizing the system for fluid and air exchange becomes challenging. The body is kep alive by pressurizing fluid and air.

In an attempt to compromise the body will recruit other structures to help maintain pressure in the system, often it is the neck and shoulder musculature that makes up for the lack of synchrony between both sides of the body and the struggle to maintain pressure.

This inturn locks down the lumbar spine which is already struggling because the sacrum is locked in relationship to the diaphragm. Additionally, the gut is unhappy because of poor organ mobility due to incorrect pressure as a result of the diaphragm restriction affecting the lumbar spine, so it’s a codependent double whammy.

The more the body struggles to maintain normal function the tighter everything gets the more the spine becomes restricted in extension and rotation the less motion possibilities the body has the more restricted the diaphragm and the pressurizing mechanism becomes.

This inturn limits loading and motion possibilities of limbs that shape the hoof capsule and create distal limb pathologies . Which we as humans with the best of intentions attempt to rebalance with little consideration of the pattern driving the shape.

The body will sacrifice limb for breath every time.

The brain will want vestibular balance of ears and eye with the horizon every time it will sacrifice most of the body particularly non vital functions to achieve horizontal equilibrium and maintain respiration.

So there you have it, one more attempt at explaining what I am always harping on about. Hope it helps.

Trim with a view , chad and the goat and a 🌸🌼🌷🪻🌺

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Interesting how hay bales are stacked to dry

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Well there is some relevance to share here 😅🤣🕊💚

Summerpic

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