Are you limping? - Compensation in horses and people
I wanted to talk a bit about compensation today because it happens every day to all of us. And it happens to our horses.
The other day I was coming back from the tack room, getting ready to put my horse away. As I walked down the aisle, a friend of mine asked: "Why are you limping?????"
To be honest, I hadn't even noticed. My hips felt a bit tight and achy earlier in the day - too much time sitting at the computer doing research - but I hadn't really registered what my body was "saying" for a while.
As I turned around to answer my friend, I tuned back into my body. And suddenly the tightness in my hips started "talking to me" again. But to be honest, they had been "talking" all the time. Now I noticed, I felt it, I became aware again. The truth is, we are designed by nature to continue to function even when it is in a compromised way. My friend's comment got me thinking about all the myriad ways we move and don't even notice.
The first time this was really driven home to me was when I fractured my wrist. I am now the proud owner of some mighty fine Titanium hardware. And while the actual experience was not pleasant, I would not trade it for anything. I was able to fully experience the power of compensation and how the body stabilizes and protects itself.
But more importantly, over the next several years, I learned first-hand how compensatory patterns can continue to pop up and continue to effect us even if we are not aware of them.
Just as I was not aware of limping the other day, I sometimes wasn't aware of NOT using my left hand to pick up a heavier bag, or push open a door. It had become a habit to protect my left wrist. And without really thinking about it, my body set to work to do what it was designed to do - FUNCTION. I can tell you that it took a lot of conscious effort on my part to overcome movement patterns that had become ingrained. I had to even convince myself to use my left hand/arm in a bigger way. As you can imagine, our horses just don't have the ability to say: "it hurt back then, but it's healed now. I just need to build up the muscle again and regain strength."
They don't rationalize their way through an injury, strain and tension.
They simply continue to function in their bodies in a very instinctual way. They keep moving and complying and working with us. Our horses start bracing and adopting movement patterns that can put a tremendous amount of pressure on structures such as organs, blood vessels, nerves, tendons and ligaments. And in turn, the body will lay down additional patterns to continue to function.
Compensation does not always mean lameness! Yes, that's right. Just because your horse isn't lame doesn't mean he is not compensating for many things!
What are some of the reasons?
- tack fit (tight nosebands, ill-fitting saddles, bridles putting pressure on sensitive areas)
- shoeing (for instance shoes that are too small, or toes too long)
- unbalanced riders
- arena footing too hard or too deep
- training is asking for too much too soon and does not incorporate enough recovery time
- training started too young before the horse's body is ready to support it
- not enough turn-out
- ulcers
- reproductive health
- breathing problems such as heaves
- stressful herd dynamics
- pasture accidents
- being unbalanced while being worked on the lunge line
And what are some of the signs that your horse is compensating?
- shorter strides
- stiffness
- smaller range of motion
- inability to collect
- bucking
- rearing
- head-shyness
- girthiness
- dips and valleys in horse's top line or muscles
- inability to build correct musculature
- over-reacting to stimulus
Since fascia connects everything in the body, a physical strain can effect many things, including the health of the organs or even the function of individual nerves.
As I mentioned above, just as injuries, discomfort or pain can cause brace and tension, so can stress such as a training program that is asking too much too soon, living conditions such as being stalled most of the day or herd dynamics that cause mental and emotional stress. We also tend to bring our own tension to the barn, and our horses notice and adjust. Take a rider who is frustrated and impatient. His horse will brace against those emotions.
All of these factors can then cause tension patterns in the soft tissue effecting the way a horse moves and uses his body. And when those movement patterns become habitual, like it happened with my wrist, they settle into the body and create a web that continually builds layer upon layer. Fascial restrictions run as deep as the individual cells!
That's why bodywork is a bit like peeling an onion. Some of the patterns can really go deep. The other day I was working on a horse's gluteals, performing some myofascial release work, and suddenly I could feel little "bubbles" coming up underneath my hand. And then his digestive tract started rumbling and it kept going for quite a while.
As I was facilitating the release of tension and the tissue softened, it started spreading throughout his body, including the fascia which surrounds his digestive tract. The horse sighed loudly and relaxed even more deeply. And then his ribcage started opening and became much softer.
As you can see, this work can have far reaching benefits throughout the entire body.
Since fascia is a continuous web throughout the entire body, fascial restriction in one area can then start pulling on another area, creating a new restriction.
“Look for the symptom, look elsewhere for the cause.”
That's why, no matter how the horse presents, I always address the whole body. Most restrictions and compensatory patterns took years to develop. Re-educating the body does take some time. So please don't expect over-night results although I see some pretty amazing changes in some of my client's horses.
And of course, you must eliminate, if at all possible, the cause. This means taking a look at his tack, the footing, life style etc. The biggest area we have control over? Your horse's work and training. What adjustments need to be made? Do you need to spend a longer time warming up or incorporating more exercises to help your horse become more supple and flexible? Do you need to change your training routine and not drill the same thing over and over? Do you need to cut down on the number of days you ride and add some in-hand work?
The key to a healthy and happy horse is not about eliminating all restrictions. That would be an unattainable goal because life is life and it just happens. But we CAN work towards your horse feeling his best physically, emotionally and mentally.
As for my own situation. I continually work on keeping my wrist flexible, moving and strong. There are days when the weather causes it to ache and it tightens up and I can feel those patterns starting to develop throughout my entire body. There are days when I don't even remember my titanium hardware. It is a daily, sometimes hourly, dance of adjusting to the NOW the body lives in.
And as I became aware of my limping, I was able to adjust my posture enough to open my body. Even my walking changed in a short period of time. That night I incorporated some myofascial release work with a tennis ball and some stretches into my bedtime routine.
Bringing awareness to restricted areas is a key step in releasing them and healing the trauma no matter what the cause. Tom Myers calls this kinesthetic awareness. And bodywork can greatly assist you and your horse in this journey.