Lucia Lhotak Performance Horses

06/26/2026

BEHIND THE SCENES

Bucky & Bucky

06/23/2026

Oh pistol.

06/23/2026

06/21/2026

Cosmo was a rock star his first time out in the hills. Really loves cows too.

06/20/2026

Can you spot vertical balance in a horse?

More importantly, can you help them find it in movement?

In this month's webinar, The Importance of Vertical Balance in Rehab Training and Injury Prevention, Dr Karin Leibbrandt; Equine Health and Training dives deeply into the role that vertical balance plays in posture, movement, performance, and long-term soundness.

Vertical balance is about far more than standing straight. It is about how the horse organises its body around gravity and how forces are distributed through the musculoskeletal system during movement. When a horse is vertically balanced, movement becomes more efficient, posture improves, and tissues are loaded more appropriately. When balance is lost, compensations begin to develop.

The image shows a horse moving on the lunge both in and out of vertical balance. Notice the alignment of the forelimbs, the position of the head and neck, and the curvature of the spine between the two images. These subtle differences can have a significant impact on how the horse moves and how forces are distributed throughout the body.

As rehabilitation professionals, understanding vertical balance gives us another lens through which to assess movement, identify compensations, and guide horses towards healthier, more biomechanically efficient patterns of movement.

To learn more about this webinar, comment EQU and we'll send you more information to register.