PILATES
Muscles through theneck, wither and back arestretched.
Flexion of the thoracolumbar spine region.
Pelvis tiltsas iliopsoasmuscles arerecruited.
Flexion at the base of the neck and through the cervico-thoracic junction.
Abdominal musclescontract to lift the back.
Thoracic sling musclescontractto lift chest andflex the cervicalthoracic junction.
Some horsesmay trytocheat by bending afront leg to reach the carrot,however,aslong as the abdominal musclescontractand thebacklifts,thisisnot aproblem.
•Repeat 2-3timesper session gradually increasing the stretchbytaking the head further back.
•Asthe exercise becomeseasier stand nearer the tail.
GOOD FOR: •Improving suppleness through the
base of the neck and the back.
•Supporting the correctpostureofthe back •Improving the abilitytobend.
TIPS: •Perform this exercise in the stable.
•Alwaysmaintain acontactbetween your back and the horse’sribs.
•Tohelpachieve extraflexion, hold the end of his tail as well.
ABOUT GILLIAN
Gillian is passionateabout horses, anatomyand sharing all she knows forthe good of the horse.Anauthority in equine anatomyand biomechanics, aBritish Horse SocietySenior Coach, professional sports and remedial therapist, author Gillian specialisesin assessing postureand movement, devising exercisesfor improving performanceand educating horse owners. She is well known forher popular books, videos and anatomical painting on livehorseswhich she usesfor her teaching.
ent, Forfull details go to:
WWW.HORSESINSIDEOUT.COM/AIA Pleasemention Central HorseNewswhen responding toAdvertisementsWINTERSPECIAL2020 55
CARROT BETWEEN FRONT LEGS
AIM: •Tolift and flexthe withers, neck and back.
•Toincrease core stability, the musculatureofthe topline,abdominalstrength and back flexibility. This exercise isequivalent to our sit ups!
HOW TO DO IT: •Using acarrot, encourage the horse to bring his head down then back between his front legs.
•Keepthe carrot close to the lips to discourage ‘bounce’.
•Hold the stretchfor 5-10 seconds before allowing the horse to take the carrot.
•Repeat 2-3timesper session gradually increasing the stretchbytaking the head further back.
TIP: •Perform this exercise inthe
stable.Inthe
smaller spacehewill soon learn to reach forthe carrot rather than stepping back.
•Perform this exercise at thesame time of daywithin his routine so he does not continually expectcarrots!
GOOD FOR: •Flexing the base of the neck and lifting the
back by stimulating the abdominal muscles.
•Promoting correctpostureand support forthe back.
ANATOMY IN ACTION
ENJOY THIS BOOK AND BIOMECHANICS COURSE IN HORSE MOVEMENT
Of interest to veterinaryand equine professionals of alldisciplines Amultimedia publication from
HORSES INSIDE OUT By Gillian Higgins
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