22/02/2026
๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐น๐๐ถ๐ > ๐ช๐ต๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐น๐ถ๐๐บ ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ง๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ธ.
One of the most consistent compensatory patterns I assess in horses is the same-side relationship between the TMJ (temporomandibular joint) and the ilium.
๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ถ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ท๐ฎ๐, ๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐บ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ.
๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ช๐ด๐ฏโ๐ต ๐ค๐ฐ๐ช๐ฏ๐ค๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ.
The ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐บ forms part of the pelvic component of the ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฐ ๐ท๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐ (๐ฆ๐๐) > a structure that plays a critical role in force transfer from the hindlimbs through the lumbar spine and into the trunk.
If SI mobility is compromised, the relative motion of the hind legs, pelvis and lumbar region changes. Power, straightness and loading patterns all adapt.
๐๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฉ๐ข๐ช๐ฏ
The ๐ง๐ ๐ sits at the top of a fascial and neurological system that influences the poll, cervical spine and thoracolumbar junction. Restrictions here alter tension patterns throughout the axial skeleton. Those patterns do not stop at the withers, they continue caudally into the pelvis.
So:
โข Jaw restriction can contribute to pelvic dysfunction
โข Iliac/SI restriction can reinforce jaw asymmetry
โข ๐ง๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป ๐๐ป๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐น๐๐ฒ๐ฑ โผ๏ธ
๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ช๐ด ๐ธ๐ฉ๐บ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฃ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ซ๐ข๐ธ ๐ช๐ด ๐ซ๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ข๐ด ๐ค๐ญ๐ช๐ฏ๐ช๐ค๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐บ ๐ด๐ช๐จ๐ฏ๐ช๐ง๐ช๐ค๐ข๐ฏ๐ต ๐ข๐ด ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฃ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ด๐ข๐ค๐ณ๐ข๐ญ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐จ๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ.
It is also why a true ๐๐ต๐ผ๐น๐ฒ-๐ต๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ evaluation matters. If we focus only on the site of obvious pain or performance loss, we miss the driver behind it.
In practice, this is why I collaborate closely with farriers, dental professionals and veterinary colleagues.
๐๐ฆ๐ค๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐ช๐ค๐ข๐ญ, ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ถ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ฐ๐จ๐ช๐ค๐ข๐ญ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ต๐ด ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ง๐ญ๐ถ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ฑ๐ข๐ต๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ด.
If your horse is showing performance changes, hind-end weakness, asymmetry, resistance in the contact, or recurring SI concerns, it may be time to look beyond the obvious area.
๐ฆ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ท๐ฎ๐.
๐๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ฏ๐ข๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐บ ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ด ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐น๐ต ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏโฆ
If the ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐บ is so influential > and if its relationship with the ๐ง๐ ๐ is this significant, how thoroughly are we really assessing the ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ผ๐ป?
Because the SI joint is not just โthe SI.โ
โ It is the articulation between sacrum and ilium.
โ It is a load-transfer junction.
โ It is a motion-dependent structure.
In the next post, Iโll break down why properly assessing the sacrum and ilium, rather than simply labelling โ๐ฆ๐ ๐ท๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ปโ > can completely change outcomes.
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ > ๐ข๐ค๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐๐ข
