InTune Equine

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗨𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗬 𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗦 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗢𝗗𝗬 𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗡 𝗔 𝗛𝗢𝗥𝗦𝗘 𝗚𝗘𝗧𝗦 𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗧?

This morning I assessed a very large horse who had recently been cast.

His owner had noticed that he was particularly sensitive around the 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻.

But when I assessed him, the interesting part wasn't one isolated sore area.

It was the pattern through his whole body.

When a horse becomes cast and can't get enough room or traction to get back onto his feet, he doesn't simply lie there.

He struggles. He pushes. He braces. He twists his trunk and repeatedly tries to reorganise his body to get enough leverage to stand.

And in a horse of this size, that's an enormous amount of force travelling through the body.

𝗦𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗴𝗼?

This is where osteopathic anatomy becomes really interesting, because we can't think only about bones and muscles.

Inside that twisting trunk are the 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗮.

The abdominal organs aren't simply sitting loose inside an empty cavity. They have their own mobility and relationships with the surrounding fascia, ligaments, abdominal wall, spine, pelvis and diaphragm.

So if the horse's pelvis and rib cage are being compressed and rotated while the abdominal contents have their own weight and inertia, there can be considerable demand on the tissues supporting and surrounding those structures.

And then sitting between the thoracic and abdominal cavities is one of the most important structures in this whole story:

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗺.

We tend to think of the diaphragm simply as the horse's main breathing muscle.

Osteopathically, I look at it as much more than that.

The diaphragm is a major 𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 between the thorax and abdomen.

It moves cranially and caudally with respiration while pressure continually changes on either side of it.

But it isn't floating independently inside the horse.

Its attachments connect it into the 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘂𝗺, 𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗮𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻.

Its crura extend caudally into the lumbar region and have close relationships with structures including the ventral longitudinal ligament, with the right crus being particularly substantial.

So mechanically, the diaphragm sits right in the middle of a system involving the:

𝗿𝗶𝗯 𝗰𝗮𝗴𝗲 – 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘂𝗺 – 𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗮𝗿 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲 – 𝗮𝗯𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗮 – 𝗽𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗶𝘀.

And every breath requires movement within that system.

Now put that system inside a very large horse who is cast.

His trunk is compressed.

His pelvis is twisted.

His rib cage is asymmetrically loaded.

His viscera still have mass and movement within the abdominal cavity.

The diaphragm is still moving.

Thoracic and abdominal pressures are still changing.

And he is repeatedly bracing, pushing and twisting against his own bodyweight trying to stand.

𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆.

That is why, after an incident like this, I'm interested in much more than whichever leg appeared to be trapped.

In this horse, I found the 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘂𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗳𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗲 , the ilium held/restricted in a latero-ventral direction, essentially 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀.

The sacrum was also held in an oblique-axis pattern, with the right side down and directed medially/left into the horse.

Together, those findings gave me a significant torsional pattern through the pelvic ring.

And I don't then stop at the pelvis.

The pelvis has relationships with the abdominal viscera, fascia, lumbar region and diaphragm, so I want to know what has happened further forward.

In this horse, the 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝗯 𝗰𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆, with restriction and tension through the diaphragm on that side.

The diaphragm itself was held in an 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗯𝗶𝗮𝘀, with considerable tension and spasm through the left side of the diaphragm and ribs.

So the original thing his owner had noticed - 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 - suddenly became much more interesting.

Was I looking at an isolated sore abdominal muscle?

Or was I feeling the consequence of a much larger alteration involving the 𝗽𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗶𝘀, 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗮, 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗺, 𝗿𝗶𝗯 𝗰𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗸?

Then there was another extremely sensitive area:

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘅𝗶𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘂𝗺.

Again, anatomically I don't want to isolate that finding.

The diaphragm has a sternal attachment in this region.

The xiphoid region also has relationships with the abdominal wall, while the sternum itself is mechanically integrated with the ribs and thoracic sling.

So think again about what was happening while this horse was cast.

The rib cage was being compressed and twisted.

The viscera were being subjected to changing position and pressure within that trunk.

The diaphragm was still having to move with every breath.

The abdominal wall was bracing.

And the horse was repeatedly attempting to lever a very large body back onto his feet.

At the other end of the pattern, I found the 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗯/𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗽 - the scapulothoracic junction held/restricted 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 (inwards) 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 (towards the head).

Again, that made mechanical sense.

A horse has no bony articulation attaching the forelimb to the trunk. The thorax is suspended between the forelimbs through the muscular and fascial structures of the 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴.

If a huge horse has spent time heavily loading and bracing through one shoulder while desperately trying to push himself upright, those forces don't simply stop at the shoulder.

They are transmitted through the 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗰 𝗷𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘂𝗺.

And from the sternum and ribs we're straight back to the diaphragm.

From the diaphragm we're connected mechanically with the lumbar region and abdominal viscera.

And from there we're back to the pelvis.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀.

Rather than asking:

𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗯𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘁𝘀?

I'm asking:

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺?

The owner noticed sensitivity in the left abdomen.

My assessment found a left ilium held in ventral outflare, an oblique sacral pattern, altered position and tension through the left rib cage, a diaphragm held in inspiration, marked sensitivity around the xiphoid process and a significant downslip through the opposite scapulothoracic junction.

Written as a list, they can look like unrelated findings.

Put the 𝗯𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀, 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗮, 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗮, 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗺, 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝘀 back together and they start to tell a very different story.

I can't say which restrictions were present before he became cast and which developed during the incident.

But anatomically, the pattern makes sense in a horse that has been 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱, 𝘁𝘄𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱.

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁.

If your horse ever experiences a significant physical event; 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁, 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹, 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗰𝗸, 𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝗱𝗹𝘆 or any other substantial trauma - please have them thoroughly assessed afterwards.

In my opinion, it is very difficult for an animal of this size to fall, become trapped or spend a prolonged period struggling to get up without there being some consequence somewhere in the body.

And yet, so often the story I hear is:

𝗬𝗲𝘀, 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗼…

Or even:

𝗛𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗮𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲.

Was he?

Getting up, walking away and looking relatively normal doesn't necessarily mean that the body came through the event without consequence.

Remember, we're dealing with a 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹.

Horses can continue to move and function despite discomfort and restriction. They also have an incredible ability to 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗲 > reorganising movement around an area that isn't functioning as it did before.

And compensation can work.

𝗨𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁.

Sometimes the thing that happened months or even a year ago turns out to be an extremely important piece of the history when I'm trying to understand the pattern I'm finding in front of me today.

That doesn't mean every restriction I find was caused by that event.

But it absolutely means I want to know about it.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀.

A horse being cast isn't simply:

“He got stuck, we got him out and he seemed fine.”

Think about what his body may actually have experienced while he was there:

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗧𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗔𝘀𝘆𝗺𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁. 𝗔𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝘀. 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘅 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻.

And potentially a huge amount of force travelling through the pelvis, spine, viscera, diaphragm, ribs, sternum and thoracic sling.

He may stand up and walk away.

But that doesn't necessarily mean his body has simply reset itself back to exactly where it was before.

And that's why after a significant event, I would much rather assess the horse 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 than meet him months later when the compensatory pattern has become part of the way he moves.

𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

Image: Horse & Hound magazine

Haunted by the Horrors

You are a witness. You have seen things done to horses. Too much pressure, beat-ups, brawls, antagonising horses, forcing them, intentionally scaring them, intimidating them.

When these things are done, they are described with words by the people practising them. Those words often do not match what you are seeing.

"This is for their safety."
(As the horse is dragged dangerously into situations they are not safely prepared to handle yet.)

"This is for their health."
(As the horse's body contorts violently in an attempt to escape what is being done to them, compromising muscle and tendon health in the process.)

"This is for their behaviour."
(As the trainer enters into hand-to-hand combat with the horse, teaching them that fighting is what will be used against them if the human feels threatened.)

We have all witnessed stuff done to horses that haunts us. I have.

If you are like me, you have done your best to face the truth of what you saw. You have done your best to tell yourself the truth about it.

E.G. It was not done for their health, it was done so the horse could be used more by people. It was not done for the horse's behavioural benefit, it was done because the trainer feels, deep down, insecure about a horse's size and power and teaches horses to fear people so they can be "safe", feel more in control around horses, or more powerful in their disempowered lives. It was not done for their safety, it was done reflexively because if the trainer actually tried to educate a horse how to be safe without using violence, they might have to reevaluate their whole life, their whole world. Marriages could crumble. Job security could be lost. There is too much at stake within violence, so violence is used and the result is called safety.

I know these mechanisms. I see straight through them, because I was taught them to the point of professional competency- then have been given hundreds of opportunities to perpetuate them, but didn't.

Today, I try to call a thing a thing. Violence is not safety, health and good boundaries. It just isn't. Nobody will change my mind about that.

But when we have witnessed these things and chosen to walk away, we often find ourselves in an equally difficult place.

A Reflexive Rejection.

We feel like we have made different choices, but sometimes what we have actually made is a rebuttal, a rejection of what we witnessed, and then made the result of that rebuttal our entire personality.

We actually didn't make a difference choice. We rebounded into an opposing opposite extreme, so that we could heal. We have not yet reached the point where we are actually free to choose, because we remain haunted by what we saw and experienced.

E.G. We witnessed riding done in an abusive manner. So we "chose" to stop riding, when deep down we wish we still could, and dream of riding in a way that benefits the horse.

We punish OURSELVES for what we saw OTHERS do to horses.

We didn't do those things, they did. Yet we punish ourselves because we struggle to hold others accountable, are scared to do so, or because it would be dangerous for us to call it out, so we internalise it.

We take the violence we were taught to use with horses, internalise it, become internally conflicted, and wonder why our horses feel braced and stuck around us.

I do not know who needs to hear this today, but please stop punishing yourself for what you saw others do.

And if you were one of those people doing those things to horses, and you have stopped, forgive yourself. The Guilt Olympics doesn't innovate horsemanship. It keeps your talents locked away in a jail of shame, unable to contribute towards future developments that could actually benefit horses.

When you punish yourself for what you witnessed, or what you did, you create a deep lack of trust in yourself. You become worried that one day that punishment might jump outside your body and onto your horse.

So you form a complex self-identity that "controls" the punishment your body holds and has not let go of yet.

"I do not think I can ride in a way that actually benefits the horse."
"I do not think horses should be ridden."
"All training is fundamentally exploitative."
"Wild horse populations are the epitome of welfare and all domestic horses are compromised by domesticity."

These reflexive rebuttals can sound logical and feel ethical. And for some people, they may be sincerely held conclusions. But what I have found is that sometimes they can also become a complex identity mechanism that gives someone permission to never again face what haunts them about horsemanship.

What they witnessed, or did, now fuels a deep sense of dread, shame and hopelessness that has collapsed into an identity that allows them to feel, once again, in control.

And yet, the horses are in the middle of all this. Experiencing directly the vast array of human conflict, internal and external. Open and ready to try stuff again.

The longer I do this work, the more I believe that the horses are the most sane and logical creatures amongst all this human drama.

The human drama, though I study it and try to understand it, is ultimately so boring to me compared to the task I feel driven to accomplish.

And that is to face training, horsemanship and equitation again.

And give it an edit.

Redact the violence. Withdraw the bu****it. Refine the parts of it that are true, whole and good.

And then teach it.

Relentlessly.

Every year I post ugly pictures of excessive adipose tissue accumulated in the nuchal crest, around the croup, or around the abdominal cavity.
And every year, I face the same picture during dissections.
So it is time to repeat the plea.

Please learn to recognise and score both the Body Condition Score (BCS) and the Cresty Neck Score (CNS).
Learn that this amount of adipose tissue is not simply an extra energy store. Excessive fat is a metabolically active tissue that alters numerous biochemical and endocrine pathways throughout the body.
Obese horses are not "cute" or "just good doers." They are at risk of serious health problems, including insulin dysregulation, laminitis, and reduced quality of life.
They need educated help.
But first, they need you to recognise that there is a problem.

Killing with kindness is still killing.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2769846/
https://totallyvets.co.nz/body-condition-score/
https://hygain.co.nz/blogs/library/cresty-neck-scoring-how-to
https://ker.com/equinews/body-condition-scoring-horses-practice-makes-perfect/
https://www.vet.cornell.edu/about-us/news/20230721/equine-obesity-talk-about-equine-metabolic-syndrome-and-laminitis
https://ker.com/equinews/the-heavy-hand-of-equine-obesity/
https://www.avonvaleequine.co.uk/blog/equine-obesity-how-it-impacts-welfare/

The hardest part after a dissection…..

Is to reconcile the work into a meaningful way, to take what we see and not spend days crying for the horse or being angry at the injustice. To know how strong a horses body is once it’s mature and to see the break down in horses bodies before they are even mature. Words never feel enough. To be confronted with the library of the horses trauma shown throughout the body is sobering indeed. If you have attended a dissection you know the burden of this knowledge. It’s a burden of knowing and often wishing you didn’t.

It’s a lonely road but also one that has brought me together with many amazing women who share the burden. These people together forge the road ahead of what is a realistic expectation to place on a horses body. What is respecting the horses biology weighed against our human expectations. Horses are sentient beings and they try to work for us until they can’t any longer.

I started this work with the moto that “behaviour IS communication” and that has not shifted in the time I’ve been doing this work. Everything we do with a horse is either building them up or breaking them down.

The team has just completed a two day dissection of a 7 year old TBxcob who was roped as a 2.5 year old. When the owner collected him had rope burns to his legs and a wound on his near side hind fetlock that remained a scar. his legs were roped for training and I don’t think the type of roping to just pick up legs. I mean the type of roping to mentally break a horse. This is why it is so incredibly important to really know a trainers ways before sending off your precious horses. To do the kind of damage to a horse this size and build that we saw is violent roping in my opinion. Watch a trainer work with horses, gather intel from previous clients so you are confident in your decisions.

This horse was lucky that he ended up with a trainer who said, his body is too broken. An owner left devastated by the loss of a beautiful horse. It’s not fair and I share this story not to blame anyone because that is pointless but to show the reality of brutality to horses. If I am overtaken by the sadness I can not cope with the work so please be kind. Treating horses better starts with how we treat each other.

It’s been a big week, two horses dissected this week…accidents happen absolutely but some are avoided when we work with the horse and not against it.

Below is the accessory ligament/femoral head ligament that connects the hind limb to the pelvis. Both were damaged but the near side was the worst. The force exerted to damage this area would require immense mechanics. The near side hip socket(Acetabulum) looked like late 20s horses.

It’s midnight in New Zealand and I’m struggling to shut my brain off…..