Perfect Balance Equine Body Work by Jules Davis

03/18/2026

https://youtu.be/xV0em6C7zvY?si=P6ITcvUdhnZF3rxu

In this episode, José García-López, VMD, DACVS, DACVSMR, joined us to discuss nuchal bursitis in horses. He talked about the clinical signs, risk factors, tr...

03/18/2026

There seems to be a very thin line between:

'Every hoof should look like this - otherwise it’s unbalanced.'

And:

'Whatever the hoof looks like, it should stay that way.'

The first view often comes from people who work with very few horses, or from pure theory.

The second often comes from burnt out practitioners who have seen too many hooves that refuse to change - or only improve temporarily before returning to the same problems.

Whilst both positions are understandable to some degree, they are both also very limiting.

Because if every hoof must look the same, then we ignore biology.
If nothing can change, then we ignore biomechanics.

I believe the line between those 2 extremes is exactly where the true science lies, and where the most space for real understanding and development exists.

What if the shape of the hoof is not random or 'just' created by the vague and misterious 'conformation' - but it is determined by a specific set of underlying biomechanical factors?

Understanding those factors may allow us to do much more than just try and make the hoof look an ideal or than trim everything to a fixed method.

It may allow us to understand why they look the way they do, what problems we may be dealing with in this specific type of a hoof, what forces are we fighting, where the potential pathologies may be expected, what intervention may be needed and what limitations to expect. It may help predict growth tendencies, localize areas that need special protection and help develop a more comprehensive plan to help each individual limb in the best possible way.

This is exactly what I try to explore in the DCA series, including a proposed framework of nine dorsopalmar hoof types based on limb conformation and load distribution.

Link to the latest article (Part 5) in the comments.

02/18/2026

Rethinking Collection: Forehand Organization in the Research of Hilary Clayton

Modern equine biomechanics research increasingly supports what massage therapists, bodyworkers, and skilled trainers have recognized for decades: true collection develops through the horse’s ability to lift, stabilize, and suspend the trunk between the forelimbs.

Seventeen years of kinematic and kinetic investigation led by biomechanics veterinarian Hilary Clayton, BVMS, PhD, DACVSMR, MRCVS, at the McPhail Centre for Equine Performance at Michigan State University have produced some of the clearest objective descriptions of how horses organize their bodies in collection.

Clayton’s findings consistently demonstrate that collection arises from the coordination of the entire horse.

Force-plate and motion analyses show that:
• the hind limbs increase flexion
• they step further beneath the body
• and these adjustments contribute to a broader redistribution of forces

Collection, therefore, is a whole-body event.

The hindquarters provide propulsion and articulation while supporting elevation of the forehand through coordinated interaction with the trunk and front end.

Weight Distribution Explains Why Forehand Organization Is Essential

The average horse carries approximately 58 percent of its body weight on the forehand and 42 percent on the hindquarters. This inherent distribution clarifies why the development of forehand organization is central to achieving an uphill balance.

Clayton’s research demonstrated that the horse learns to direct force upward through the forelimbs, enabling elevation of the trunk. In this arrangement, the hind legs support the body and generate propulsion while the thorax remains lifted.

In simple terms:
• the hind legs push
• the forehand lifts
• the trunk is suspended between them

The Trunk and Chest Are the Keys to Elevation

Clayton’s work showed that during true collection:
• the ribcage and sternum rise between the forelimbs
• the center of mass elevates as part of this action

This occurs through active engagement of the thoracic sling, which raises the body higher between the limbs.

The Thoracic Sling as a Primary Balance System

Unlike humans, horses lack a clavicle. No bony strut joins the forelimbs to the trunk. Instead, the thorax is suspended in a muscular and fascial apparatus commonly referred to as the thoracic sling.

Clayton’s studies confirmed the importance of this system, including:
• the serratus ventralis
• the pectoral musculature
• associated stabilizing tissues

Together, these structures:
• support and elevate the trunk between the scapulae
• demonstrate high activity during collection
• underpin self-carriage

Functional integrity of the sling is fundamental to the development of collection.

This interpretation aligns closely with osteopathic and myofascial models that describe the horse as a suspended, integrated structure.

Forelimbs as Active Participants

Clayton’s work further illustrates that the forelimbs continue to bear substantial load in collection. What changes is the strategy by which that load is organized.

With effective sling function:
• shock absorption improves
• limb timing becomes more elastic
• scapular mobility increases

These adaptations help explain why collection built around trunk elevation is frequently associated with enhanced durability.

Sling Asymmetry and Crookedness

Crookedness may arise from multiple contributors, among them asymmetry within the thoracic sling, particularly in developing horses.

The serratus ventralis spreads from the scapula onto the ribs and toward the base of the neck. Differences in function between sides can influence:
• the height of the withers
• shoulder path
• trunk position

Straightness therefore develops through attention to limb alignment together with symmetrical sling activity, allowing the chest to remain centered and buoyant.

The Role of the Pectorals in Forelimb Control

Clayton also observed that the pectoral muscles increase in strength and cross-sectional area as the chest organizes upward, especially during:
• smaller circles
• accurate turns
• lateral movements

These muscles stabilize the limbs in stance and guide crossing in swing. Their development reflects a posture that is carried rather than held.

Collection as a Coordination Challenge

According to Clayton’s data, collection is supported by:
• neuromuscular coordination
• precise interlimb timing
• trunk stability
• elastic storage and return of energy

Structure and function operate together, and balance emerges from the orchestration of the entire system.

Rider Education Matters

Because thoracic elevation is not always visually dramatic, Clayton emphasized the importance of informed riding.

Her research indicates that:
• thoughtful cues assist the muscles of balance
• rider posture influences trunk mechanics
• stability in the rider encourages stability in the horse

As understanding improves, riders cultivate lift, elasticity, and coordination. Collection then appears quieter, lighter, and more sustainable.

Where Massage and Fascial Therapy Fit

Understanding that collection depends on tissue elasticity and precise neuromuscular timing naturally raises an important question: how can we prepare the system to perform these tasks more easily?

The thoracic sling represents a continuous myofascial network linking limb, trunk, neck, and sternum. Within this network, fascia contributes to force transmission, elastic recoil, and sensory communication.

For effective elevation, tissues must be able to:
• glide
• adapt to changing load
• transmit force efficiently
• deliver accurate proprioceptive information

When these qualities diminish, coordination becomes more difficult.

Massage and myofascial therapy support the conditions that allow coordination to emerge.

By encouraging hydration, sliding surfaces, circulation, and mechanoreceptor responsiveness, bodywork may help the horse access:
• greater trunk freedom
• improved shock absorption
• elastic joint behavior
• refined body awareness

Manual therapy prepares the conditions that allow collection to develop.

The Big Takeaway

Clayton’s research positions collection as the lifting, stabilization, and suspension of the trunk through the thoracic sling.

These findings provide objective biomechanical context for observations long shared by osteopaths, bodyworkers, and accomplished trainers:
• balance precedes power
• elevation precedes engagement
• posture reflects neurological organization expressed through tissue

Together, they continue to shape modern approaches to sustainable performance.

https://koperequine.com/the-bow-the-string-and-the-corset-how-equine-ligaments-and-myofascial-systems-support-movement/

08/13/2025

Pre p***c tendon rupture

The pre p***c tendon attaches at the front of the p***c bone where the p***c symphysis is located and it innervates(Musculotendinous junction) into the re**us abdominis. It is vital for thoracic integrity but also to keep the pelvis in a favourable angle for the hind limbs to function well. Stifle function is closely related to pelvic angles and this is why I commonly see stifles that have been diagnosed as problematic with pelvic collapse.

In the mare below who had a full pre p***c tear mid pregnancy the change to the pelvic angles is clear, she also had notable changes to the thoracic spine. If you have ever attended a dissection you will understand the weight of the internal organs. It takes 4 grown women to carry out all the internals on a tarpaulin, this weight plus a foal is what causes this injury.

No comments on the condition of the mare or her feet, farrier work was a challenge for her and vets advised to keep her light so her colick chances were kept low. She raised a beautifully healthy foal and shes at rest now. Ive seen photos of this mares life, shes was excellently cared for.

A full video of this mares injury is available on my patreon page.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/prepublic-tendon-136347818?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

*this mare had three foals and not all back to back.

06/16/2025

06/02/2025

A study on hyperflexion. Rollkur, behind the vertical (BTV), low deep and round, whatever you want to call it, we know it's bad for horses, even though we see it every day in photos and video on social media. It's detrimental to equine welfare and now science is building more evidence that this is the case.

"When testing this group of dressage and show-jumping horses with the 100°-ground-angle poll flexion positions, in comparison to the 85° poll flexion position, multiple upper airway dynamic dysfunctions were significantly more frequent, and the highest scores were attributed to nasopharyngeal collapse, palatal instability/dysfunction, and intermittent bilateral arytenoid cartilage collapse. In addition, most conflict behaviours were significantly more frequent at this poll flexion angle, with the highest scores attributed to excessive salivation (drooling), mouth opening, and turning the ears backward."

You can read the full study here:

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/10/1714?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3at1dQLMUZbNe4QohOmlAO3sixBZ5IIuct9lgmQPCuVNdWiaG6L_vJxco_aem_AV658EQ7_xVDVHAMl6zaED_9AoLzQQK4vTMOnve6Wx0j_C5VGZcIC1fE2Bb9atZnuN-7p29Abh4rNkcYiScNSywu

04/26/2025

Why horses need body work, reason 40097. They are creative chaos on and off 4 legs.

04/15/2025

01/20/2025

INDIVIDUAL STABLING FOUND TO ALTER IMMUNE RESPONSE

Research has found that horses moved from group housing to individual stabling showed changes in their white blood cell counts and plasma cortisol levels. These changes could mean they are at a higher risk of infectious disease.

Equine scientists at the University of Hohenheim in Germany studied 12 warmblood geldings aged 2-3 years old during several management changes, monitoring their behaviour and immune response.

The horses used were all living in a group, turned out at pasture. For the first part of the study the group was then split into two, each kept in a separate paddock so that the horses in one group could not see the others. After a trial period of eight days all the horses were returned to their original group, living together. They were then were left out at pasture for eight weeks.

For the second part of the study the horses were all moved into individual stables, where they could see and touch their neighbours through bars. During the first week of being stabled, the horses were given 30 minutes of turnout in an indoor area. From the second week onwards, the horses were lunged.

Throughout the study the research team collected blood samples from the horses to analyse their immune cell numbers and cortisol concentrations.

The results showed that moving the horses to individual stabling led to acute stress-induced immune changes. However, dividing the larger group into two smaller groups at pasture did not.

“The number of eosinophils, monocytes and T cells declined, whereas the number of neutrophils increased resulting in an increased N:L ratio. This pattern of change resembles the well-known picture of an immunomodulation induced by acute social stress."

The plasma cortisol concentrations didn’t change after dividing the group into the two smaller groups at pasture, but there was an increase in cortisol concentrations one day after stabling which then returned to the previous levels eight days later. However, the researchers reported that “Although cortisol concentrations returned to baseline level after 8 days, the alterations in most immune cell numbers persisted, pointing to a longer-lasting effect on the immune system of the horses."

The team also found that some of the horses started to perform stereotypical behaviours as soon as one week after stabling.

The team reported that the results “strongly indicate that social isolation is a chronic stressor with negative impact on welfare and health of horses and highlight the advantage of group housing systems in view of immunocompetence."

The researchers concluded that “relocation to individual stabling represented an intense stressor for the horses of the present study, leading to acute and lasting alterations in blood counts of various leukocyte types. In contrast, fission of the stable group did not result in behavioural, endocrine or immunological stress responses by the horses."

This sudden change from group turnout to individual stabling with training being introduced is a very common scenario for horses being started for the first time. This study gives us yet more evidence that stabling horses individually is stressful for them and detrimental to their physical and psychological wellbeing. The majority of the horses I see are stabled for the bulk of the day. I do wonder how much evidence is needed before horse owners, yard owners and professionals act on this information and change their management to increase turnout and group living...

The research is free to access and is a very interesting read: Schmucker S, Preisler V, Marr I, Krüger K, Stefanski V (2022) Single housing but not changes in group composition causes stress-related immunomodulations in horses. PLoS ONE 17(8): e0272445.