36/ AUGUST 2019 THE RIDER


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Does your horse have bounce? In previous issues we


have been discussing how to find musculoskeletal asymmetries in your horse while he or she is standing still. We compared boney landmarks, hoof shape and muscle tone. Now let’s take a look at our horse in mo- tion to assess his or her musculoskeletal health. The main aspect we


are going to be assessing is whether or not our horse has ‘bounce’. Why Is ‘bounce’ an indicator of muscu- loskeletal health? Horses are prey animals designed to travel long distances, dur- ing which they may need to suddenly run from potential danger. For horses, bounce = elasticity. And elasticity = energy conservation. The ability to store elastic en- ergy and then quickly tap into it can mean life or death.


Let’s begin by observ-


ing our horse’s legs in movement. Horses have no


muscles below their knees, only connective tissues in- cluding tendons, ligaments and fascia. Tendons can be thought of as the elastic continuation of a muscle. They attach muscles to bones and often stretch over one or more joints. Liga- ments are also elastic and connect bones to bones. The main function of a


tendon is to transfer the en- ergy created by its muscle attachment to the lower limb (below the knee). For example, the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT) is at- tached to the deep digital


flexor muscle. The tendon is stretched and loads with elastic energy during the stance phase of a stride (the point at which the hoof is in contact with the ground). Think of it like a spring being tightly coiled. As the hoof leaves the ground, the spring (tendon) recoils and releases the stored energy. This action allows the mus- cles attached to the tendons to conserve energy. So, back to the beginning: bounce = elasticity and elas- ticity = energy conserva- tion.


One way to assess


your horse’s elasticity is by observing him or her in trot. Watch the hind leg as it folds up. This is the initial loading phase when he can coil his spring and create bounce. How much articu- lation do you see in the sti- fle and hock joints? Is the fetlock leading? Does the outline of your horse’s back appear to be moving uphill? How far under the belly does the hoof land? How far back does that hind limb swing after it has pushed off? Do his feet have a mo- ment of suspension off the ground? In other words, does he have air time? If


you’re answering “yes” to many of these questions, it’s likely your horse has bounce. If you’re answering


“no” to these questions, contact a Certified Equi- Bow Practitioner to discuss how bodywork may help your horse get his bounce back. Search the directory of practitioners in your area on the Equi-Bow website at www.equi-bowcanada.com


Angela Saieva,


CEBP/CETP/CEMT info@elevationequine.com www.elevationequine.com


15th Annual International Society for Equitation Science Conference


15th Annual International Society for Equitation Science Conference The Countdown is On!


June 18th, 2019 (Guelph, ON): Only a few days until the 15th Annual Inter- national Equitation Science Confer- ence is here! Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to ‘Bring Sci- ence to the Stable’ by attending lec- tures, seminars, and hands-on workshops from world renowned equine scientists. It is all coming to the University of Guelph August 19 - 21, 2019.


Register Now at TheHorsePortal!


- https://thehorseportal.ca/course/ises- 2019/


Keynote speakers include Dr.


Sandra Olsen, Dr. Camie Heleski, Dr. Nic de Brauwere, and Dr. Andrew McLean. Their topics range from the historical horse-human relationship, the development of equitation science, how human behavior effects equine welfare, and learning theory across different species. A special presenta- tion on using current research to man- age both wild and domestic horses will be shared by Clever Hans speaker Dr. Jonaki Bhattacharyya. There will be pre-conference workshops that include looking at


equine behaviours in ethograms with Dr. Marc Pierard and how to commu- nicate scientific information to eques- trian communities with Christina Wilkens and Kate Fenner. The pre- conference also includes a large ani- mal emergency rescue training session so you can be prepared for anything! The third day of the conference


is a practical day which includes demonstrations and seminars that fea- ture some of the latest technologies in equitation science.


Learn more about these amazing


speakers and topics at the ISES 2019 Blog; become part of the community that’s working to continue to improve equine welfare. Some of the blog posts include: • Give your Riding Precision with “Vert” • Working Towards a Better Under- standing of Equine Welfare at the Farm Level • Revolutionizing Equestrian Sport: A Dashboard for Horses? • If the Unspeakable Happens, Are You Ready? • The Myths of Saddle Fitting – Help- ing Horses one Saddle at a Time! • Equine Behaviour Expert Dr. An- drew McLean • Can we all agree on what horses do?


An ethology workshop with Dr. Marc Pierard • A short evolutionary note of Equi- tation Science to be presented by Dr. Camie Heleski • Digging Deeper into the Life of Equine Archaeologist Sandra Olsen • Clever Hans speaker Jonaki Bhat- tacharyya: What feelings and images does the thought of “wild horses” evoke in you


About the International Society for Equitation Science The International Society for Eq-


uitation Science (ISES) is a not-for- profit organisation that aims to facilitate research into the training of horses to enhance horse welfare and improve the horse-rider relationship. www.equitationscience.com


For more information contact: ISES Honorary President Janne Winther-Christensen presidents@equitationscience.com


Local Conference Organizer: Katrina Merkies, PhD Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph (519) 824-4120 x54707 ISES2019@uoguelph.ca


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