Sorry guys I haven't had time to blog, the past week has been mad mainly due the fact have been helping my friend, who's horse has colicked nearly every night this week, at about 8.30pm I get a call to go and inject it and then we take it in turns to walk her and check on her during the night.
The colic is caused by the sticky weather we are having at the mo but the mare also has lesions in her intestines from old worm damage.( This happened before my friend bought her)
Any way this is something she has had for a while and also something we and her have learnt to deal with, so back to a subject which is fascinating and has given me a lot to think about and maybe you too, ossification dates in the horse.
Lets start with one of the most important.
The Head
Occipital bone
base 3/6 months old
internal 12/15 months old
Parietal 15/36 months old
Frontal 5/7 years old
Temporal 2/4 years old
Maxilla at birth
Mandible 6 months
Spheniod body before birth
baisis 6 months
2/4 years
La crimal 3/4 years
Zygomatic 3/4 years
Incisive 3/4 years
Nasal 3/4 years
For me the head is one of the most fascinating, each of these little bones can be moved/ manipulated by hand. Slight movement is necessary to insure the Cranial Rhythmic Impulse.
To cut this short the bones move like gills of a fish, which produces the fluctuation or tide like ebb of cerebal spinal fluid down the spinal colom if the fluid does not flow freely then then the nerves will not receive the necessary nutrients further down the line.
( Hope you are still with me! if not google William Sutherland)
So what happens when we put on a cavasson? or a bitless bridle or a normal bridle with a standard bit? all of these create a certain amount of pressure more pressure than would be use to manipulate these bones.
At the moment I do not have the answer and as the parameters of such a study are so great it would be almost impossible to carry out. But I know that when I go to put that cavasson on, I do ask is it really necessary to get what I am looking for out of my horse, of course the answer is no.
I am hoping that this article just going make you think a little about what is going on underneath your bridle to stop think and ask a few more questions.
I personaly am not a fan of bitless bridles because of the thick nerves running down the nasal bone that they put pressure on but that is for another day, I also do not use cavasson's and use the simplest of bits, but I am not competing grand prix 1.30m or grand prix dressage, if i was it would be about finding the balance of control and working in harmony with my horses body.
Right colic has started again that's me for tonight, this are my own views based on what I have learnt and I am open hearing everyone elses !!!!
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This is really interesting Lucinda as a friend Trudi, is questioning the use of the bit and wondering if bitless would be a much better and humane option. After listening to the bitless brigade, one may never use a bit again, but as I know nothing about bitless I have yet to be convinced. How would you compare bitted versus bitless?
ReplyDeleteomg I was just reading this Di! Looks like it had better be the cordeo then. Lucinda, is it just until the ossification is complete or always that you wouldn't use a cavesson? Not that I use one but I do use a headcollar and there's not really any difference is there?
ReplyDeleteHi guys,
ReplyDeleteNo would not use the cavesson by choice, I do use the pressure head collars for breaking as these do not put constant pressure on the nerves, it is more a of an applied pressure when teaching the voice commands, then release.
But like I said these are my views used on my horses and an ideal world, a horse at competition level would be different. Balance and harmony are the key words.
The reason I posted this was in the hope people would have a better understanding of what is happening under the bridle which can only be good for their horse.
So Lucinda, what kind of bridle do you use,when you say cavesson, what exactly do you mean? Training cavesson, headcollar? Do you use a string headcollar? Sorry if this sounds a bit dim.
ReplyDeleteYes I use the string head collar, avoid the training cavesson and most of my horses are not ridden in a nose band (I don't see the point) except for competition ( and that's only to look pretty sad isn't it!)
ReplyDeleteI have had an insight to the science behind the horse gives us, each joint tendon ligament muscle and what the normal movements of each are and I am sure that if every who rode new 50% would stop riding and others would change how they ride.
Bits are just the start the questions go much further than that!!!!