At this time I would like to describe some of the most common and impactful examples of difficulty changing eyes in perceived confinement that I observe in my daily practice as a professional student of horsemanship.  The idea of “changing eyes” as an educational endeavor for horses first came to my attention on a couple of pages in a small book on “groundwork” published by a very well-known professional.  The text on the subject was about as spare as the rest of descriptions below the black and white photos and only highlighted a specific set of movements with no theoretical basis.  The author did try to convey that working on this would help you avoid trouble when you went to get on, but with no greater emphasis than any of the adjoining information.  This thin book was my primary resource when I started my first horse who also happened to be my first un-touched mustang.  I followed the steps meticulously and somehow got along ok.  As I began to gain experience and information from some of my most important human teachers, the importance of helping a horse to feel comfortable “changing eyes” was continually presented to me with considerable gravity.   When I looked back through that book a few years later, it was easy to see that at least 75% of the activities advocated to prepare a horse for riding were likely to be affecting this mechanism.  

 

In my work today with horses of widely varied breeding and background, attempting to alleviate discomfort changing eyes or having a foreign stimuli pass through a blind spot continue to be the most reliable and rewarding places to spend my time.

 

 

 

Examples:  I have attempted to order these common interactions so that they might show how each progressively more complex interaction adds increasingly more “changing eyes” related potential for difficulty.  I have by no means named every possible scenario, but my hope is that the reader may be able to imagine any possible configuration they encounter in these terms and decode where and why a given horse may be experiencing stress.

 

The horse at rest:  A horse which is not moving is not necessarily “at rest”.  In a confined space, without sufficient education, a horse will experience nearly constant anxiety to some degree.  In the absence of an obvious threat to “fight” and insufficient territory into which to “flee”, the 3rd choice: “freeze,” comes into play.  This of course does not imply that a horse will be rooted in place at all times; they have to move.  The real damage is internal as the horse’s mental, emotional, and physical states suffer from both the effects of ongoing stress and the dysfunctional movement often associated with these nervous system states.  A being who feels like they may come under threat at any time without a strong possibility of escape AND who must commit themselves to the possibility of an ambush every time they put an unknown quantity in their blind spot will understandably move with a bit of hesitation

 

Practical example:  A horse is standing still while being groomed.  I am on their left side and a strange sight or sound appears behind them.  At this moment they happened to have their head turned slightly to their right.  They are now in a serious dilemma:  Their natural response would be to turn to their right in order to present their body perpendicular to the unknown stimulus.  In order to do so, they are going to have to wipe me out.  Through our interactions up until this point, or those with other humans, they are likely aware that this action would certainly carry consequences.  They are now stuck between the devil they know: me if they are standing on my foot, and the devil they don’t know: whatever it is that made the sound behind them that could be life threatening.  In many scenarios, a horse chooses not to choose: they retreat internally and hope to survive.  In many other cases, the horse never stands still in order to avoid finding themselves in an impossible choice.  For me, in a best case scenario, the horse may notice an external stimulus, but has had plenty of education about the fact that they are likely in no danger from strange things in general, and that they are definitely in no danger of attack in their blind spot especially when I’m around.  I wish for them to be able to hear something, look over their right shoulder out of curiosity, find no trouble, and then effortlessly change eyes in the presence of potential danger to check back in with me on their left side.  The most unlikely concept to a horse: changing eyes towards peace.

 

Practical example: A horse tied.  I take immense care in attempting to prepare a horse for this extreme example of confinement.  A horse’s understanding of their ability to change eyes behind, in front, and under their chin must be highly developed in order to avoid disaster.  Like in the above example, in order to truly be able to exist at rest in this circumstance, the horse must be fully aware of their options and feel confident that they can exercise what freedoms they do have in order to find a lack of terror in an example that should by nature be deeply distressing.  To explore an example:  A horse is tied to a solid wall or fence with about 6 feet of rope between the halter and the point of anchor.  If we imagine the radius of possible space the horse could occupy relative to the wall as half of a clock face, a horse would naturally choose to stand roughly half-way between the wall and the “6 o’clock’ position.  This allows them the best compromise between being able to regard the world “broadside” as discussed in part 1, and avoiding the maximal confident of being up agains the wall.  Something startles them behind and their nature causes them to accelerate.  They are quickly confronted with either the confinement of the wall, the confinement of the feeling of the end of the rope, or both.  The horse can gain additional real-estate by changing eyes and swinging to the other side of the “clock”, but in the absence of education this is likely to be too overwhelming to consider as viable solution.  The next common step is for the horse to attempt to escape the confinement by any means necessary, usually in the form of “pulling back” agains the halter and rope with whatever force is necessary.  The feeling of pressure from the halter on the top of the head creates an exponential feeling of confinement and can send the nervous system into a true crisis response state.   A horse in this same situation who has been well educated about their ability to change eyes confidently in front and behind may find very little trouble.  Sufficient familiarization with strange stimuli in the blind spot under their chin is also highly valuable in preventing pull-back episodes as many of them are precipitated by unexpected occurrences in this area such as something innocuous as a curious horse knocking over a grooming box.  The educated and regulated horse may experience the same startling apparition behind them and choose to take a step or two forward.  Because they are not consumed by the fear of the unknown, nor the reality of confinement, there is enough cognitive bandwidth available in order to simultaneously monitor the movement of the potential threat on one eye while keeping a constant awareness of the distance to the wall and the end of the rope on the other side.  As the rope nears coming tight, this horse will calmly prepare to turn their head to the new direction, and allow their body to swing smoothly across in order to regard the unexpected sight on the other side.  If I have done my preparation exquisitely, a horse could theoretically believe that I will never tie them in a place where they could come to harm and as a result they will never feel strongly threatened by goings-on behind them.  If however, this is not completely the case, a horse who feels completely confident in their ability to move through every position on that “clock face” and change eyes on their terms when it seems appropriate will be generally very adept at self regulating by spreading out the cognitive load evenly across both “sides” of the horse.   Eventually, if they know they can move if the want to, they might just choose to look over one shoulder, then the other, and go back to standing peacefully: at rest.

 

While Leading:  This is usually the first example observed of what I would consider “Dynamic Confinement”:  we are moving through space, but the conditions of the confinement follow where we both go.   Riding is another type of dynamic confinement, whereas something like working in a small pen is more static.  The conditions stay the same while we work within it.  In this dynamic movement relationship we may been to perceive in real-time the forces of “acceleration” and “stuckness”.  Most undeveloped horses will prefer one of these coping strategies more than the other, but both are usually present in some measure and will show up in different situations.  To give an overly simple example, the horse who attempts to walk faster than their human companion is likely accelerating to avoid contact with potential danger.  The one who drags its feet is more likely to be attempt to retreat internally so as to avoid fully experiencing the reality of the world around them.  I cannot stress enough that in my work I have not found these states to be mutually exclusive: horses who start out profoundly unresponsive may end up being the most explosive when they are invited to fully participate.

 

Practical example:  A human is leading a horse on a halter and lead rope.  The horse is keenly alert to its surroundings and has judged the most prudent course of action to be to walk noticeably faster than the human.  Under these circumstances, it is also likely that if the human is on the left side of the horse, the horse is looking slightly to the right.  In most cases humans lead horses from the left, and if the horse has been exposed to this for much of its life, the human is at least a more “known quantity” than all of the hypothetical dangers of the outside world.  As a result, they will prioritize monitoring the side of their body open to the greatest percentage of risk.  If the horse succeeds in out-walking the human by enough to reach the end of the rope, we see a partial repeat of what we discussed in the “horse tied” example but with one crucial difference: the horse is confined in front only by implied or actual pressure of the halter.  At this time, the horse has a complex decision to make.  If they feel the end of the rope, they have the following options: keep accelerating forward as initially desired by attempting to overpower the human/halter, slow down or stop in response to the confinement thereby exposing themself to whatever perceived danger might be pursuing, or continue to move forward, but have to change eyes to avoid resisting the halter/lead rope.  All of these possibilities should generate anxiety in an uneducated horse especially if they are already mildly activated by their environment.  This of course becomes even more complicated if they are afraid of the human as well.  If the human is aware of the horse’s position and attempt to counter-act their forward acceleration in any way, the horse then must choose whether or not the potential threat of the environment is great enough to risk a confrontation with the human.  Similar to the tied example, if the horse deems it appropriate, they may summon all of their available strength in order to ensure that they could escape the immediate confinement if they feel it necessary.  By contrast, a horse with sufficient experience and clarity is able to consistently feel the human’s presence and desired proximity while continuing to assess their surroundings.  If the human slows down or goes backwards, the horse may confidently move into its blind spot behind thanks to the belief that they human would never ask them to step unwittingly into danger.  They may easily change eyes with their surroundings without any tangible effect on their progress through space in any direction.  While I have deliberately chosen to leave most “training” information out of this, I will share that I often find it quite telling to have someone lead a horse in a straight line while I walk behind them maybe 20ft back.  I will casually move from being slightly off their left hip, to slightly off their right, and back watching for how intently they track my progress with their eyes and any other perceived signs of stress or acceleration.  I like to see a horse so confident in their human and themself that they give me only a passing curiosity and continue calmly with their person with their head never moving above their withers.

 

Work on a Circle: For whatever reason, a very large portion of the work we currently ask of the ridden horse takes place on a partial or complete circular arc.  This presents a unique set of difficulties for a horse who has a hard time changing eyes in confinement and I believe this represents the lion’s share of “training issues” in most disciplines due to the increasingly intense convergence of mental and physical distress.  As explained in part 1, at any given time a horse will naturally prioritize one eye to scan for potential danger from the environment.  When a horse is traveling on an arc of any radius, this will always be the “outside” eye simply because the area on the outside of an arc is always greater than that on the inside.  In the especially finite case of a complete circle, once they have been all the way around once, they are pretty sure what is on the inside of the circle will stay the same, while the outside world remains infinitely threatening.

 

This posture is also particularly advantageous in the event that a threat should materialize:  When traveling on an arc with their head turned to the outside, a horse’s center of balance is naturally arranged disproportionately over their “inside” feet.  In this way they are strategically “out of balance” so as to facilitate acceleration and tightening of the radius of the arc in order to increase the distance between their body and harm.  Given their preference to avoid changing eyes until they have achieved sufficient escape distance, they are also prepared to then gradually widen the arc as the run away, but never ceasing to look over their shoulder to the outside.  By constantly shifting their “blind spot” into their field of vision by distorting their body and balance, they have gained evolutionary continuity.

 

It is an almost universally held constant in modern riding disciplines that in order for a horse to carry a rider in a way that is remotely comfortable for both parties the horse must learn to achieve a more neutral or even “outside” foot biased balance profile while traveling on an arc.  In the absence of a knowledgable and skilled human partner, this task can often seem insurmountable to the horse.  

 

Practical example: A human has asked a horse to travel on a circle while attached to them via a long lead rope or “longe line”.   For the sake of simplicity, let’s say the horse begins traveling at a constant and desired speed/gait.  We will also assume that the human acts absolutely perfectly in their ability to communicate their wishes to the horse with their available means.  Obviously this is stretching the bounds of a “practical” example a bit, but this is not an essay on training particulars.  If the horse is undeveloped, they will inherently look to the outside as the describe the circle.  The handler may at this time wish for the horse to look to the inside as is generally desirable in ridden disciplines.  If they do so by applying pressure to the head through the lead rope we may observe the following:  The horse must first decide whether or not they are safe enough in their present environment to change eyes at all.  If they decide they are not, they are now risking a confrontation with the human.  They may attempt to avoid non-compliance with the pressure on the halter by maintaining their shape, but altering their course in order to make the circle smaller and maintain a relative pressure on the halter/rope.  If the human responds by applying driving pressure to the horse to encourage them to widen the circle again, they will soon feel the confinement of the halter and be presented with a similar dilemma to that discussed in the previous section.  Should they choose to change eyes, because of the already present inside-heavy balance profile, they will only be able to swing their head and neck to the inside of the arc for a moment before their ability to stay upright will become precarious.  When a horse feels like they are about to lose their balance and potentially fall down, especially in the presence of a predator or other potential outside threats, they will tend to do whatever necessary to avoid an incident.  In this case, the will either quickly restore their head to the outside of the circle so as to effectively counter-balance their body as it is so arranged, or they may again change their trajectory so as to move their body back into a balanced alignment relative to the new position of the head and neck.  They have now made the circle smaller and restored the inside heave posture: see above.  This entire dynamic will also likely be exacerbated by their natural tendency to accelerate while changing eyes.  Even a slight increase in ground speed in an already shaky balance proposition will tend to increase stress across all elements adding increased urgency to their tough choices.  If they found this interaction distressing, they may attempt to shut down and resist for longer before they try another time, or as in the previous example, decide they must attempt to overwhelm the halter and rope in order to gain relief.  If a human is accomplished in communication through physical pressure, they may be able to encourage a horse to momentarily re-organize its balance profile so as to put more weight on the outside feet.  As in the typical example, the head and neck will naturally move to the other side of the body.  The result may be a moment of the desired circle posture.  However, in the absence of a complete understanding of changing eyes, this attempt is likely to facilitate friction.  Firstly, the horse is mechanically incapable of producing the necessary movements to change the balance profile while accelerating.  As in the “leading” example, in order to choose to change eyes while maintaining pace or decelerating, the horse must accept the increased risk of ambush.  If they have managed to achieve the desired posture, they are now faced with whether or not they can accept the inversion of their natural posture.  With their head to the inside, they are neglecting their best view of the outside world, and with their weight arranged accordingly they are one step behind for an explosive escape.

 

While I wish to leave the in-depth discussion of this theme for part 3, I will speak briefly here on the physical ramifications of these interactions:  I have often heard some variation on “Horses weren’t meant to travel in circles” as some abstract explanation for why ridden horses seem to often undergo miserable physical and mental changes over the course of a career.  The truth is, they were “meant” to do exactly what is described in part 1, and this includes occasionally traveling on an arc in the described posture.  These mechanisms were exquisitely honed to preserve a horse’s life.  In this way, examples of feral horses in the United States are often glorified as “ideal” examples of horse development.  While they way they move and organize their body structures is highly effective for their goal of living long enough to produce many foals, it is clearly not the end of the discussion in terms of what could serve them best.  The way a human can move and play as a child is not harmful to their body, but if we were to distill those movements and develop fitness equipment to make them repeatable I predict we would find little benefit in putting in an hour a day as adults. 

In the recent past we have begun to understand things about the potential operation of a horse that are hidden to them in their natural state.  Just in the way that we have figured out practices for the human body that go beyond merely maintaining a natural state of performance but achieve incredible enhancements in both capability and longevity the same is unequivocally true for the horse.  However, at present, many training interactions rely on the horse finding enough discomfort to seek an option that is less miserable but not necessarily “good”.  I believe many aspects of their bodies remain out of reach to all in the absence of a centered mind free of the need to accelerate or retreat internally.  Until such a time, any repetitive movement will preclude discomfort and compensation. 

 

Mounted, at rest: Mounting the horse and progressing from a place of rest to any kind of desired movement is strong nodal point for all of the previously described factors.  I spent a large portion of my professional career starting horses under saddle for the public, and much of my interest and study around “changing eyes” was motivated by a strong desire to avoid an altercation at this specific moment.  This is a very common place where a horse’s entire ridden life can go awry and in my experience, if this difficulty is not resolved, it will persist indefinitely.  Wearing a saddle at all can pose significant challenges:  It lives permanently in their blind spot directly behind their head.  When they move, it responds, when they attempt to run away from it it follows and makes more visual, auditory, and physical noise.  If a horse lacks the necessary experience and education in a variety of themes, they will either refuse to stand still while the human approaches with the intent of mounting, or perform a profound state of “stuckness” as they attempt to hide internally from the experience and its implications.

 

Most people mount from the left. When the human’s leg passes through the plane of the blind spot behind the horse’s head and comes to rest on the far side of their body, the horse’s attention will naturally be drawn to this input.  If they are worried about changing eyes under these circumstances they may respond in the following ways:  If they are not prepared to take the risk of changing eyes behind without accelerating (staying still) they may stay engaged on the left eye.  At this time they must determine if they can accept the risk of not fully assessing what may be happening on the other side of their body.  If they choose to follow the stimulus to the far side, but remain in place to avoid a confrontation with the human in confinement, their stifled instinct to accelerate while changing eyes will be stored as additional stressful energy in the system.  They will also likely have their head in a raised position so as to remove any obstruction of their vision presented by their own body or mane hair.  This posture alone will help them to remain “stuck”.

 

Under more ideal circumstances a horse will have ample confidence about foreign objects passing through it’s blind spot both behind its physical body, and over top of its body but still behind its head.  With all of the additional preparation needed to allow a horse to exist comfortably in a wide variety of confined environments, this one will hopefully feel no different except for the presence of a well known object: the saddle.  I would wish to see the horse’s head in the same present, but relaxed position I like in all areas of non-athletic interaction.  When the human enters the blind spot and calls attention to the off-side the educated horse could calmly swing its neck to the right just far enough to regard the human’s position with mild curiosity and hopefully minimal concern as we might confirm by observing the head staying in the same neutral posture throughout the interaction. 

 

Mounted Moving in Space:  With the principles of part 1 in mind, it is fairly easy to predict how a horse might naturally move off from a stationary position with a rider.  Firstly, as in lead rope work, it is highly unlikely that a horse will choose to travel forward in a “straight” line trajectory under stress.  If their head begins in a centered, but elevated position, it is likely an indication that they are at least partially removed from their sensory reality.  Usually by means of a physical input the human may convey to the horse that they wish for them to move through space.  At the moment the horse decides it is going to respond to the request, they will likely choose to move their head and neck to one side.  They are at this moment subject multiple potential sources of stress:  All of the environmental factors from the previous examples are of course still present.  They are also now experiencing visual, auditory, and physical sensations on both sides of their body AND in their vulnerable blind spot behind their head from a potentially unknown collection of objects and a potentially dangerous human.  Finally, they are likely aware that carrying additional mass that is not under the control of their own nervous system will potentially have known and unknown effects on their ability to react to any given combination of upcoming events.

 

If they are carrying any residual stored energy from inputs that would have normally caused movement but that in this case seem too risky, it may now come to the surface.  A feeling of tension may pervade a horse who would like to move more, but is afraid of what unknown factors may arise if they do.  A different horse may become “un-corked” as soon as the seal is broken.  Their first few steps will likely be on a shallow arc with their head to the outside like in the previous “work on a circle” example.  A well prepared horse will softly proceed in a manner congruent with the energy level presented by the human.

 

Mounted Moving “Straight”:  Based on what we have covered so far it will likely be unsurprising to consider that traveling in a “straight” line with a rider is one of the most non-intuitive actions we can request of the horse.  Horses in nature, even when relaxed, do not take a direct path between two given points as this creates a “static” field of vision and leaves them vulnerable.  A calm horse walking with its head below the withers still rhythmically swings its head from side to side to constantly keep a dynamic watch over its blind spot behind.  And anyone who has seen the well established routes worn into the landscape in a pasture or feral horse environment can see that all routes are slightly circuitous.  Horses are aware that conserving energy is important, especially in the natural environment, but walking a dynamic path to create a more complete picture of their surroundings is clearly worth the extra calories.

 

I specifically chose to address this here and not in the “leading” section because unless we are holding a horse very close by their head, we do not have the means of asking them to travel in a straight line without moving their head to either side to expand their range of vision.  Once we are mounted, especially if we have something on the horse’s head that allows us to assert influence over its position relative to the body, this becomes something that we can attempt.  Ironically, riding a straight line is often regarded as one of the most “simple” movements to perform under saddle.  Given what we have discussed so far, it may become obvious why so many dressage scores are weighed down by a poor mark for “down centerline”.

 

If we as an unprepared horse to move forward and restrict them from either shaping their body or orienting their head so as to prioritize vision on one side, it is likely they will experience anxiety.  At this time, like in the other examples, they may attempt to retreat internally to avoid confronting the reality of not being able to cover their blind spot behind, and/or ask to move more slowly or stop entirely to avoid traveling forward into their blind spot in front.  Alternatively they may ask to travel forward more quickly in order to minimize the chance of being attacked by an unseen pursuer.  This horse will likely be asking constantly for permission to shift its balance or head to better facilitate its instinctual solution to this feeling of vulnerability.  If we continue to block these attempts, the acceleration or internal retreat behaviors will likely continue and escalate, but they may trade one for the other at any time.  Present or implied confinement will always bring discrepancies to the forefront.

 

Mounted Moving On an Arc: Simply put, for the horse this combines the potential difficulty of the “work on a circle” section with the added confinement and potential demands of “Mounted Moving Straight”.  Furthermore, the added mass of the rider,  so far above the horse’s roll-center, brings another dimension of potential incongruity.  The horse traveling on an arc in nature has its weight arranged primarily on the inside feet in order to be able to change direction as quickly as possible in a pivotal moment; much the way a modern fighter aircraft is designed to be deliberately unstable for greater maneuverability.  As soon as a green horse takes its first few steps with a rider, it becomes keenly aware of the potential effects on its ability to change its balance profile quickly.  Even if we assume that the rider in these examples is exquisitely practiced in aligning themselves with the horse’s center of inertia, it might still feel similar to if a human had to perform complex maneuvers with a moderately heavy backpack that was mounted high up on their body.  If I was already worried about being attacked all the time, adding mass that my body didn’t specifically control would probably not soothe my anxiety even if the backpack was structurally sound and well fitted.

 

Practical example:  an unprepared horse is traveling on an arc with a balanced rider.  The rider has allowed them to travel how they wish, and they have assumed their natural posture.  At this time, the added mass of the rider and possibly saddle, have changed the overall balance profile of the system.  Even in the most ideal cases with the most competent riders, the horse will likely feel that the overall balance profile has been shifted slightly forward and to the inside.  Their natural inclination will be the same as yours or mine if we were carrying a tall stack of plates and it started to lean forward and to one side a little: we will accelerate in that direction in order to compensate.  If this occurs and the human attempts to ask the horse to slow down, all of the mechanisms mentioned in the preceding passages regarding confinement come into play.

 

If the rider is learned in one of many schools of horse development, they may know that in order for the horse to find a more palatable balance in ridden work they must be able to travel with a greater portion of weight arranged on their “outside” feet while traveling on an arc.  Again, we see the same consistent factors making this hard on the horse with increasing and compounding complications as we add more focussed confinement:  In the ridden work, the horse may now risk a physical confrontation with the human at nearly any moment and on nearly any part of their body.  They are also confronted with the fact that even complying with the demands of the rider may put them at risk if they are unable to manage any unforeseen changes in their balance which come from movements of the mass on their back which they cannot control.  If they  succeed in understanding what is being asked, accept the risk, and are able to change eyes on an arc without becoming restricted by any of their natural sticking points, they must then choose if they can accept traveling through space in a comparatively unsafe position with the knowledge of what it took to get there and the fact that they may be asked to attempt the same feat again if they cannot stay.

 

Practical Example:  An adequately prepared horse can travel on a balanced arc immediately on their first ever ride.  If due time, care, and knowledge has been applied to help them understand all of the component parts so that they may only have to momentarily ponder the best way to put them all together, this movement can actually be as trivial as it appears on the surface.

 

Mounted Changing Direction:  If you have read this far, I hope that this phase of the progression will be somewhat self-evident.  All of the previous information can be applied directly to this, and in fact, any conceivable variation.   If we consider that a horse almost never truly travels on a “straight” path, any change of direction whether from one arc to another or “across the diagonal” will bring the changing eyes conundrum to bare.  

 

Practical Example:  A rider is describing a large arc at one end of a dressage arena traveling to the right, and directs their horse across the center of the arena at “X” in order to “change rein” and travel on an arc to the left at the other end.  If the horse has already been traveling in their “natural” fashion in the right hand arc, looking slightly to the left, with their weight arranged more on the inside feet, they will likely continue on path of a certain not-quite-straight type towards X.  As the rider signals their intention to change direction and travel to the left, the horse will have all of the above factors with which to contend.  Depending on the character of the horse, the character of the human, and their combined experience, they horse may perform the change of eye as quickly as possible while accelerating and attempting to raise their head.  Alternatively, they might try to stay on their previous “eye” and flexion profile on the the very last second.  They may ask to slow down in order to gain more time to execute the movement or as an artifact of attempting to retreat internally so as to lessen the experience of the related fear.

 

This seemingly exhaustive list covers only what many would consider to be the most “basic” maneuvers a horse is asked to perform on a regular basis.  This series of explanations of the mechanics of each scenario also assume that the horse is not experiencing any additional physical discomfort from injury, poorly fitting tack, etc.  We also assume that human is applying each input perfectly, sitting perfectly centered relative to the horse’s center of balance at any given moment, and not applying any other energetic or emotional pressure of any kind.  If it seems remarkable that any horse is able to contend with this myriad of factors, it truly is.  It is my hope that by being able to imagine what every horse is working with at any given time in any situation, the reader may be able to craft greater compassion for their difficulty, greater patience for their tribulations, and much greater urgency to craft better strategies to help the horse.

 

 

Effects of chronic dysfunctional body movement due to discomfort changing eyes:

In my experience, and I believe that of my colleagues, the vast majority of physical, and almost always comorbid mental discomfort in horses is derived from consistently dysfunctional movement exacerbated greatly by the additional physical forces of a mounted rider.  Modern research and centuries of practice by shrewd horsemen continue to support the idea that the horse without significant human development is deeply unsuitable to carry any significant weight over a prolonged period.  With careful education and immense re-patterning of the horse’s baseline physiology, it is however possible to teach them to engage new muscle groups, carry weight more evenly on all 4 legs, and protect their inherently damage-prone joints and junctions.  

 

As we progress in this area of study, one inescapable conclusion has continued to emerge:  The physical structures used by the horse to arrange themselves for fight/flight/freeze are not just counterproductive to the postures that benefit the horse’s wellbeing, they are specifically antagonistic.  Furthermore, it is particularly unrealistic  if not impossible to attempt to develop the more beneficial structures if the horse is still mentally in a state of fear or tension.  In my observation, discomfort with confinement specifically related to fear around changing eyes is one of the most, if not the most significant obstacle to the horse’s ability to find a better way.

 

The horse traveling in relative dysfunction in nature is not specifically a problem as they change orientation, gate, and direction with sufficient frequency to not over-stress any particular part of their body.  They also are generally free to chose how much moment or rest they need or desire.  We see the most profound damage in horses’ bodies when they are subjected to repetitive, sustained work in physical dysfunction.  The effects are magnified greatly even by the addition of a “perfectly” balanced rider.  They are made far more extreme if the rider is “unbalanced” or is adding further fear, tension, pain, or other discomfort to the system.

 

I cannot even begin to describe the breadth of physical damage and ailments that can befall a horse from prolonged exposure to this type of activity, but a short list might include: Kissing Spines, Navicular Disease, Severe Nerve Compression in all areas, Arthritic Changes throughout the body, and damage to pretty much any available tendon, ligament, or cartilaginous structure anywhere that is under constant strain.  I simply cannot understate how profound the effect of dysfunctional movement is on the working horse in every aspect of the equine world.  This is the most fertile ground for those who wish to pursue true stewardship of the animal and their wellbeing,.

 

An excellent explanation/illustration of many of these concepts is available from the work of Celeste Lazaris and the Balance Through Movement Method.