| Believe it or not a horse's fight or flight reflex is | | | | you have to ensure that the seventh cervical vertebra |
| triggered by the position of his seventh, or last, cervical | | | | is in the down or relaxed position. That's the only way |
| vertebra. | | | | to be sure he is operating from his parasympathetic |
| You can see the logic of this when you think about the | | | | nervous system, rather than his "fight or flight" |
| position of your horse's head and neck when he is | | | | sympathetic nervous system. |
| relaxed versus when he is ready to flee. | | | | A Little Horse Training Experiment |
| When a horse is alarmed, his head flies up and his | | | | If you don't believe all of this hooey, I don't blame you. It |
| neck becomes more vertical. A relaxed horse keeps | | | | does sound a little fantastical to be true. However, |
| his head lower, and his neck is more horizontal. Makes | | | | here's a little experiment for you to try. Take the |
| sense, right? | | | | exercise of backing and try it two different ways. |
| Now think about the "hinge point" of the neck. The | | | | #1: Back Your Horse Any Old Way |
| hinge point on the horse's spine, in layman's terms, is | | | | Put a halter on your horse. Now just get him to back. |
| where his neck joins the rest of his body. In more | | | | Allow his to position his head and neck in anywhere he |
| specific terms, this hinge point is the seventh cervical | | | | wants. If you don't do his exercise with him often, |
| vertebra, or the last vertebrae in the horse's neck. This | | | | chances are that he will have his head up and his neck |
| unique vertebra is shaped like a bear claw. Depending | | | | fairly vertical. Back him 10-20 steps. Notice the |
| on this position of this vertebra, your horse will either | | | | expression on his face and the look in his eye. He will |
| be relaxed or ready to fight or flee. This knowledge | | | | probably be resistant as you try to back him, although |
| can be very useful when it comes to horse training. | | | | he may lick and chew after you are done. You are |
| Using the Seventh Cervical Vertebra in Horse Training | | | | moving his feet with this exercise so he may |
| So your horse changes the position of this crucial | | | | acknowledge that at the end with a lick and chew. |
| vertebra when he is alarmed by throwing his head up. | | | | Now try it the second way. |
| By doing so, he flips over into his sympathetic nervous | | | | #2: Back Your Horse with His Head Down Low |
| system, the one wild horses use to get going when | | | | This time, squat down on the ground and ask your |
| faced with predators. When your horse relaxes again, | | | | horse to drop his head. If your horse will drop his head |
| he changes the position that vertebra again, and flips | | | | on command, you don't have to squat. Now, from |
| back into the parasympathetic nervous system, which | | | | whatever position you can manage, ask your horse to |
| is associated with rest, relaxation, healing, and | | | | back a few steps with his head down low, with his |
| rejuvenation. | | | | neck at least parallel to the ground or lower. Now |
| Many people already use this in their horse training | | | | observe his expression. I'm betting that if he manages |
| program by teaching their horses to put their heads | | | | at least 3 steps with his head down, you'll get an |
| down on command. That is because they know that | | | | immediate lick and chew release. He will most likely |
| by changing the position of this vertebra, they can | | | | also have a very soft, almost sleepy expression on his |
| deliberately cause a horse to relax and to operate | | | | face. That tells you he is very relaxed, and operating |
| from the parasympathetic nervous system. | | | | from his parasympathetic nervous system. |
| In fact, one reining trainer I know trains all of his horses | | | | I've tried this experiment with each of my five horses |
| to become "dirtologists." That is, he teaches his horses | | | | now, and gotten the same results each and every |
| to put their nose all the way down to the ground, in the | | | | time. That tells me that the position of my horse's |
| dirt, on command. He then asks all of horses to do this | | | | seventh cervical vertebra is crucial to his state of |
| while standing on the "X" in the center of the round, | | | | relaxation. |
| before the reining round begins. His horses are among | | | | A Good Horse Training Exercise for Horse Shows |
| the most relaxed reiners in any given competition. It | | | | Now take this one step further. What if you teach |
| works. | | | | your horses backing exercise, first on the ground and |
| Making Sure You Have the Right Hinge Point | | | | then from the saddle? This gives you a way to |
| In most horse training programs, there is an emphasis | | | | immediately put your horse in a relaxed state at a |
| on the placement of the horse's head, either because | | | | horse show or any other event where he might be |
| the discipline calls for the horse to be "on the bit" or | | | | alarmed or stressed. |
| because the trainer truly understands the role of the | | | | Suppose your horse keeps spooking at a golf cart |
| seventh cervical vertebra. | | | | parked outside the arena at a horse show. Wouldn't it |
| Now here's where it gets really interesting. Often times | | | | be helpful if you could back your horse past it several |
| you will see a horse "on the bit" and think that you've | | | | times with his neck down low? Allowing him to walk |
| got that seventh vertebra in the relaxed position. | | | | past the "scary object" while relaxed prevents a lot of |
| However, if the horse is breaking at the poll, meaning | | | | fighting and fussing. |
| his nose is pointing down but his neck is still mostly | | | | My big mustang mare, Valentine, is the perfect |
| vertical, then the seventh vertebra can still be in the | | | | example. She's a great jumper and can do her job |
| "fight or flight" position. The poll has become the hinge | | | | with ease, but she gets unusually uptight at horse |
| point instead of the last cervical vertebra. | | | | shows, especially when we first start schooling. I have |
| It really doesn't matter where the horse's head is. | | | | found that if I get her to trot circles with her nose close |
| What IS important is where the horse's hinge point is. | | | | to the ground, she relaxes immediately, and stays that |
| Some others will break over further down the neck, | | | | way throughout the show. It's taken quite a few |
| say halfway or three-quarters of the way down the | | | | shows to get her to do this with ease, but now she |
| neck. However, the horse's neck is still vertical from | | | | does it almost automatically. I also back her past scary |
| the base of the neck, where the seventh vertebra is, | | | | objects with her head down. She licks and chews, and |
| to wherever his neck breaks over. Again, like the | | | | then gets on with her job. |
| horse who breaks at the poll, the last cervical vertebra | | | | All of this, of course, is a working supposition based on |
| is still not in the relaxed position. | | | | anecdotal evidence from my own horses, lore from |
| A horse with the seventh cervical vertebra in the | | | | horse trainers, and tidbits picked up from my |
| relaxed position will look like he's breaking over at the | | | | veterinarian. So, consider this a hypothesis and try it for |
| withers, regardless of where his head is or its position | | | | yourself. And, if you have any experiences, I'd love to |
| relative to the vertical. | | | | hear about it! |
| The bottom line is this: if you want a relaxed horse, | | | | |