Linton, Alexa Articles

are horses sentient beings? do we need to ask consent to ride horses, alexa linton, should we domesticate horses?

In an effort to narrow down the conversation, as the topic of consent applies to countless aspects of our horse-human relationship, I decided to focus on consent around touch, because horses are one of our most-touched domesticated animals. This is a fascinating thing, given that in a feral or wild setting, horses might rarely ever touch each other, and would typically not do so without first either giving or receiving permission in the form of behavioural cues. In domestication, we touch horses to halter, groom, saddle, bridle, ride, train, bathe, treat, and often just to feed them. For most horses this happens numerous times every day and is often combined with a restraint of some kind, like a halter, meaning they are not able to move away from this touch.

the equine hyoid bone, does my horse have tmd? alexa linton, how to tell if my horse has an imbalance of the hyoid apparatus

Anatomy and Function of the Equine Hyoid Apparatus - The hyoid bone and its relationship with the fascia, and the temporomandibular (TMJ) joint between the temporal and mandible bone, are areas of fascination for me. In osteopathy, we are taught to see every part of the body as connected – and not only every part of the body, but everything from the structural, to the fluidic, to the energetic and beyond.

hot to open a horse's thoracic cage, the equine sternum, alexa linton, sports therapy horses,

Today, we get to hang out in one of the most thrilling, complex and well-built skeletal structures in the body, the thoracic cage. While thrilling might be a stretch unless you’re an anatomy geek like me, suffice it to say that this region and its resilient, flexible function has potential implications in respiration, saddle fit, behaviour, body control, bending, collection, energy levels, the ability to be symmetrical and free in movement, and more. And I’m not just talking about your horse.

horses joints sore, how to help my horse's pain, pain in joint horse, alexa linton, joint supplements horses

The relationship between our horses and their joints can feel scary, conjuring up words like “arthritis” and “lameness.” Our focus on joint function and integrity, including how this plays a role in a healthy hoof mechanism and legs, is designed to create a knowledgeable foundation to support your horse for years to come.

Equine neck; equine cervical vertebrae, intervertebral joints, equine Nuchal Ligament

There is something uniquely beautiful about the neck of a horse. That curve, the arch of the poll, the dip towards the shoulder. In function, those elegant lines came to be out of necessity, with such length required to balance out long limbs, allowing them to reach to the ground to graze for up to 20 hours a day. With the head and neck making up about 10 percent of their total body mass, horses use their neck to maintain balance, stability, and their spatial awareness when they are in motion. Over time, the equine neck has shifted in function and importance, and in the factors that impact and promote its well-being, but the fundamentals have stood the test of domestication.

Equine Sports Therapy, Alexa Linton, equine cranial bones, equine skull

The equine skull has thirty-four bones, while the human skull is made up of twenty-two bones of which eight are cranial bones and fourteen are facial bones. That is quite a number of bones making up our noggins and those of our horses. But what do they all do? That’s a great question with a complex answer.

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