Horses use their necks the same way humans use their arms when the torso gets unstable. When we slip, trip or almost fall, we stick our arms out to the side and move them in order to help our torso not fall. Since horses arms are on the ground, the front legs, they only have their necks to make the same type of adjustments when their torso gets unstable. While a horse’s skull and neck is part of the axial skeleton, meaning it needs some stability, it is functionally used like a limb, meaning it needs a lot of mobility. How we use the reins, with or without a bit, not only affects a horse’s head and neck, it affects the torso balance too. Trying to manipulate a head-set in horses often causes dysfunctional coordination through the back and hindquarters because that adjustment has to go somewhere!

Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.org

Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer developer of Training for Optimal Balance www.kirstennelsen.com

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