Episode #1: Posture & Performance
I used to think that I knew my horses well. I would spend hours each week carefully grooming them, running my hands over them, checking their legs and their feet. I would watch all of their subtle facial expressions carefully. I was convinced that I knew them.
Geez, was I ever wrong!
With all of that attention, I never actually stood back and looked at them. I hadn’t ever noticed their posture, nor did I ever notice their stance.
Standing back and observing was a real game changer for me. And, to this day postural assessment is a huge tool I use when looking at the horses in my Bodywork Practice. It’s when one stands back and looks that all the clues as to what is going on with the horse becomes evident.
This the information that will truly let you know your horse. It will show how he is feeling (physically and mentally), how he will perform, and ultimately how he will develop as an athlete.
The majority of behavioral, performance and soundness issues we see in sport horses stems not from running or jumping, but from how they stand. With that in mind, it’s time we take a stand on how our horses stand!
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Links mentioned in this episode:
Please note: The ideas expressed in this podcast are opinions only, and are not substitutes for proper veterinary care, veterinary medicine and other forms of bodywork. The opinions are not intended to be prescriptive or diagnostic in nature."