Posts in biomechanics
Introducing Sound Horse Academy

I’ve been sitting on something BIG for a while….

And the time has finally come to say it out loud.

I’ve spent a lot of time asking myself - how can I help people at a distance while facilitating *real change* in my clients?

When I talk to you guys some big things come up over and over again…

  • You want to feel confident that you can pick up on subtle lamenesses, soreness, or unbalanced movement EARLY...

Read More
Long and Low: When Does The Head Come Back Up?

I originally wrote this post for our crew over at Next Level Barrel Racing but I thought it might be useful to the masses, too!

I preach a lot about teaching the horse to move with his head down - withers height or lower is usually my recommendation. This helps the horse naturally activate the “right” muscles - the ones that create the type of supportive spine we can sit on without damaging the horse over time.

And the question I got was:

When does the head come back up? Nose in the dirt won’t work for a race.

Read More
How much do you know about saddle fit?

I sent this question out to my Instagram community a few weeks back. Over 60% of respondents said they were unsure if their saddle fit their horse well or not!Truth be told, most of us are just never taught how to check saddle fit correctly. I never learned anything other than looking for sweat marks until I went through my CERP certification course! But the information is SO IMPORTANT! That’s why I made this downloadable PDF guide: Saddle Fitting 101.

Read More
Heel First Landings

I’m still hooked on hooves - so this week’s post is all about the biomechanics of the hoof!

When we walk, we land with our heels first. The soft fat pad under our calcaneus combined with the flattening of the arch helps to cushion the impact as the foot contacts the ground. As we roll over our toes, the arch raises and the soft tissue structures are stretched, which creates a more rigid foot to push off with. (This is called the windlass mechanism.)

Read More