05/17/2026
Dysfunctional Coordination in Horses and Training Issues
Before we tuck into issues related to dysfunctional coordination in horses, we need to start with a quick description of the spinal and pelvic movements. The reason the spine and pelvic movements are important is because the use of the spine and pelvis determines overall coordination of the body and how the limbs are used.
Lateral Bending is a sideways arc of the spine. It is lateral flexion of the vertebrae that causes asymmetrical placement of the pelvic bones, moving one side farther forward than the other.
Rotation is a sideways twist of the spine. It is rotational movement of the vertebrae around the spinal cord that causes the pelvic bones to tilt sideways, with one side higher than the other.
- Lateral Bending and Rotation of the spine are always coupled. One cannot happen without the other and both affect the lateral stability of the pelvic bones.
Longitudinal Flexion is an upward movement of the spine. It is what we call “lifting the back” that also causes the pelvic bones to stabilize, or engages the hindquarters.
Longitudinal Extension is a downward movement of the spine. It is what we call “dropping the back” that also causes the pelvic bones to tilt forward, or vertically disengages the hindquarters.
- Longitudinal Extension of the spine is always coupled with hyper Rotation, a side to side twisting of the spine and excessive Lateral Bending. The pelvis tilts forward and side to side.
How a horse coordinates the use of the spine and pelvis during motion directly impacts steering, speed adjustments, precise leg use, positions of the head and neck and muscle use throughout the entire body. The skull, spine and pelvis are called the axial skeleton because the entire body revolves around how it is used, especially during motion.
When the axial skeleton is used dysfunctionally, it has a direct impact on our everyday experience........
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