Page 58

20302EM

�������������������������� PROPRIOCEPTION ���������������������������������������������������������������������������� No matter whether your horse’s scores and times are World Champion, Best of the Best, or just “Good enough for us” and “Better than We’ve Ever Done”, competition is rough. For an equine athlete to achieve top accolades at any level and to have a lengthy career, injury prevention is a must. Injury prevention includes strength building, training and optimal interaction with the environment. Proprioception describes your horse’s ability to know where it is in the environment and how to react appropriately. Nerves transmit data from the environment via the body to the brain and spinal column where decisions are processed and then sent 58 www.EliteEquestrian.us EE The Importance of This system of data transfer is very complex. The input from your horse’s feet tell your horse which muscles to contract and which ones to relax to stand. When a horse is standing it is using very few muscles and very little energy. This allows the animal to be ready to move in any direction at a moment’s notice. In the wild this is important because it allows the horse to keep away from the lion. A horse that is receiving altered data into or out of the nervous system will stand with legs in positions that require active muscle contraction to maintain. Abnormal posture means the horse first must relax the active muscles before being able to move. This slight hesitation may be the difference between getting away from the lion and ending up as lunch. I know very few of us have lions in our pastures but this abnormal posture also requires more energy to maintain. Horses with this situation become tired easily and one of the major causes of sports injuries is fatigue. Many of us have experienced temporary proprioception problems when we try and walk on a foot that has fallen asleep. It is very difficult to place that foot in a normal position when it is tingling but as it wakes up it becomes easier. We are able to walk even though we aren’t able to truly feel where the foot is. A horse that has a tendency to stumble for no apparent reason may be having proprioception problems like this. The problem could be located any place between the foot and the brain. A common site for a problem is where the nerve exits the spinal canal between two vertebra. If these nerves are under pressure due to a chiropractic subluxation then there will be an alteration in the transmission. Scientist Chung Ha Suh at Colorado University has discovered that the weight of a feather can decrease nerve transmission by up to 50%. This decrease in transmission will cause faulty input and output from the brain and this sorrel above that is leaning forward to maintain balance on the slight incline outside the barn. Remove the slope and your horse must either straighten out or bring his butt up underneath to keep from falling on his nose. This stance causes the body to use mobilizing muscles to stabilize. These muscles have long muscle fibers, use an energy source that must be transported into the muscle and have almost no connective tissue. When this stance is taken for any length of time there will be a lactic acid buildup in the muscles. It is a very inefficient interaction with gravity and causes the muscles to become fatigued. Fatigue is the primary cause of sports injury in any species. Not only is standing like this tiring, it also has some health indications. This stance causes your horse to have a sway back. This causes the abdominal muscle to work abnormally and can lead to altered digestion and respiration along with a sore back, riding and movement issues. Proprioception isn’t just about standing still. When the horse moves, its hoof is built to land heel first. This landing allows tendons and ligaments to absorb and convert energy, it allows the bony column to provide support and it decreases the amount of degenerative forces exerted on the leg with every movement. An examination and adjustment by an AVCA certified equine chiropractor is a good way to ensure that your horse knows where its legs are and is on its way to an appropriate interaction with the environment in which you are competing. spinal column to the rest of the body. Remember this data has to travel both ways. If your horse doesn’t really know where his legs are, how can he safely transport you on your ride? The meninges are a tissue that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, keeping fluid next to the nerves that offer them nourishment. The meninges can be distorted by a subluxation. This can affect the stability and health of the entire spinal column, with or without a rider. When the vertebral bones are misaligned, even slightly, they affect the nerves and the flow of nervous energy. Nerves are extremely sensitive and even a slight amount of pressure can affect their function. An optimal stance is one that allows minimal energy expenditure to keep the body in a stationary upright position. In most horses the front legs will be situated so that they are perpendicular to the ground and the body. This allows the stabilizing muscles to hold the horse up. These muscles have short muscle fibers, use a local energy source and have lots of connective tissue. When your horse has long toes and under run heels she is getting sensory input which may be causing her considerable problems. The horse’s hoof should only bear weight in the correct way or else the horse’s brain will think it is walking up a hill. When the brain receives this data, it responds by telling the body to lean forward. This allows the body to utilize gravity to help maintain a stable stance, just like to the rest of the body. One of the major causes of sports injuries is fatigue.


20302EM
To see the actual publication please follow the link above