We Can't See What You See Part 2: Eyes on the Spine

“We just can’t see what you see” Part 2

Here we’re going to stick with our side view and the same horses from Part 1, but we’re going to focus our eyes specifically on the spine.

The spine is the (hopefully) stable base off which everything else moves, so dysfunction in the spine can have far-reaching consequences in movement and posture.

Therefore, having the ability to quickly screen for spine dysfunction is super handy!

Once again, this is not diagnostic, dysfunction here can happen for many reasons. This is big picture stuff that might key you in that a horse needs an evaluation from a professional.

First let’s talk about what the spine *should* look like. We want to see:

Smooth Lines
Supportive Core and Thoracic Sling
Neutral Spine

We do not want to see

Sharp angle changes
Dip in front of withers (unsupportive thoracic sling)
Steep angle behind withers
Saggy belly (unsupportive abdominals, tight tippling muscles)

Here’s some example photos - same horses as before - to help train your eye to “worse” and “better.” This stuff is a bit harder to see sometimes than what we discussed in Part 1 so I’ve drawn on the photos for you! I’ve noted angle numbers in some of these - don’t get hung up on the numbers, this is more to just help us see the change.

Just like last time, some are “way better” and some are “slightly better” or only better in some aspects.

Noticing small improvements is just as important (maybe more important?) as the big stuff in my opinion - you need to know how to recognize progress or subtle declines!

Originals and marked up photos included - look back and forth and see if you can see it!

If you missed part 1 don’t fret! It’s linked here: We Can’t See What You See: Part 1