Welcome to the foundation of movement. On this page, we invite you to explore the intricate design of the animal body. From the complex interactions of the distal limb to the fascinating world of fascial networks, our resources are designed to help you understand how structure dictates function. Dive in to discover the science behind how horses move and how you can apply these biomechanical principles to your clinical care.
Among the many takeaways from this great webinar is that, with “kissing spines”, we shouldn’t just jump from radiographs to surgery – we need to ascertain where exactly the impingements are, if they are causing pain or not, etc. Also, before jumping to surgery, there are other treatment options we should look at.
Whether we should try to change something or just let it be is going to be a difficult conversation with some owners and trainers who feel the pressure to be “perfect”. Particularly for those riders, owners, trainers who believe they lost points due to an asymmetry situation that they feel could be corrected. There’s money on the line for them, and that changes everything. But learning about true lateratility vs. asymmetry will influence my assessment and use of bodywork modalities going forward.
As an equine bodyworker, I am always wondering how to approach asymmetry and laterality. Do I want to change something or rather leave it so as not to compromise functionality. Dr. Haussler’s webinar helped to make me even more aware of this challenge. Also, going forward, I will look at research papers with a more skeptical eye…
Great presentation and discussion about laterality vs. asymmetry in the horse, and when to intervene, or when not to. My biggest takeaway is that certain instances of laterality may lead to overuse of certain anatomical structures. It may be advantageous to intervene in these cases, in an attempt to minimize the risk of overuse injury.
I enjoyed the Laterality webinar and was looking forward to it as I am currently taking the Saddlefoot 4 Life Ergonomist course. Several of the course modules discuss asymmetry, especially with respect to fitting a saddle to an uneven shoulder. I have several horses in my barn, and have seen client horses and horses at our local handicapped riding center who have asymmetries and have always wondered how those influence the rider and saddle fit to keep the horses comfortable. As a former dressage competitor, Masterson Method Certified Practitioner, and one who trims her own horses, it was also interesting to think of all those implications. This presentation gave me much to ponder.