Equilibrium Issues in horses

I consider addressing this syndrome to be the single most important thing I do.  In my experience, 35-40% of horses that you see are going to have a cerebellar equilibrium imbalance and correcting this has a significant impact on gait symmetry as well as overall wellbeing for the horse. This syndrome  is an equilibrium imbalance, which is a situation where the processing of sensory information from proprioception and vestibular input isn’t integrated correctly resulting in the equilibrium being processed improperly  through the cerebellum. As far as I am aware, no other modalities incorporate an understanding of this syndrome or offer a treatment for it. If you take nothing else from this book, take this and use it.  When I refer to a horse being “Cerebellar”, what you will see as the horse walks is a gait alteration in both front and hind limbs on the same side (ipsilateral gait alteration). 

Here is what is happening to create this condition. Two hemispheres of the brain each process sensory information. They work against each other ideally in a way that forms equal pressure.  When the balance is even, equilibrium is upright. When firing of the nerves is not right, the equilibrium moves toward the lower firing side, creating an imbalance.  Postural muscles work according to what picture of uprightness is (proprioception) based on this. Hemisphericity is the term used when there is asymmetry of function between the two halves of the brain. The cerebral hemisphere that is dysfunctional is said to have hemisphericity. When was the last time you felt a sense of vertigo or wonky balance? You may have had (or still have) hemisphericity and a cerebellar equilibrium problem.

You can learn how to correct this issue in your horse in the Our Way bodywork clinics. Get in touch if you have questions.