Liz Burgess Equine

17/05/2026

When I was training (in my youth) we never used walk poles, we only lunged as groundwork, maybe the occasional long rein. We did lots of trot and canter poles. Grid work was very popular, but I can’t be sure - looking back - that the horses were functionally equipped for the work we were asking of them.
I use walk poles daily now, usually unmounted. I’m not sure I could get through a week without them! 😍

A recent study from the University of Tennessee provided strong support for something trainers, movement specialists, and bodyworkers have observed for years:

Ground poles significantly increase activation of important postural and core muscles in horses.

What the Study Found

Walking over ground poles increased activity in:

• Longissimus dorsi — a major topline and spinal support muscle
• Abdominal muscles — critical for core stability and support of the spine

Even at the walk, poles require the horse to:

• Lift the limbs higher
• Stabilize the trunk more actively
• Organize posture and balance with greater precision
• Continuously adjust limb placement and timing

At the trot, researchers also found increased activation of the abdominal muscles.

Trotting over poles requires greater dynamic stabilization, and the increased limb elevation demands more coordinated control of the trunk, pelvis, and spine.

What This Means

These findings support the long-standing use of cavaletti and ground poles as a low-impact way to:

• Strengthen the topline
• Improve abdominal engagement
• Support spinal stability
• Enhance proprioception and coordination
• Encourage improved posture and self-carriage
• Develop better movement organization through the whole body

One of the most important aspects of pole work is that it influences both sides of the postural system:

• The dorsal chain — including the longissimus muscles along the back
• The ventral chain — including the abdominal support system

This balance is essential for efficient movement, force transfer, and development of a healthy, functional topline.

But pole work is not only muscular.

It is neurological.

Each pole creates a movement problem the horse must solve in real time.

The horse has to:

• Judge distance
• Adjust stride length
• Control timing
• Stabilize the trunk
• Organize the limbs in space
• Adapt moment-to-moment to changing demands

That process requires attention, coordination, body awareness, and ongoing nervous system regulation.

In many horses, poles appear to improve focus not simply because the horse is “behaving,” but because the nervous system is becoming more engaged and organized around the task.

Pole work may also influence neurological tone — the background level of muscular and nervous system readiness that affects posture, movement quality, stiffness, and coordination.

For some horses, this can help reduce excessive bracing and improve adaptability through the body.
For others, it can help improve postural engagement and overall organization.

Why It Matters

Regular pole work can benefit many types of horses:

• Young horses developing coordination and posture
• Performance horses improving strength, agility, movement quality, and limb awareness
• Horses rebuilding core control and stability after periods of weakness or reduced work
• Older horses maintaining mobility, coordination, and movement confidence

Importantly, many of these benefits occur even at the walk, making poles accessible to horses across a wide range of ages, disciplines, and fitness levels.

Rather than simply “making horses pick up their feet,” poles appear to challenge the nervous system, postural system, sensory system, and muscular system together — encouraging the horse to organize movement with greater control, awareness, and adaptability.

https://koperequine.com/step-by-step-the-benefits-of-walk-poles-for-horses/

16/05/2026

The other week, we asked whether hitting a horse after a refusal helps them build a positive association with jumping.

The correct answer was: no.

Punishing a horse after a refusal can reduce their ability to learn and damage the relationship between horse and rider. It may also make them more fearful, reactive, and less safe to ride, while increasing the likelihood of rushing fences.

Keep following along, as next time we’ll be sharing ways you can help your horse build a more positive association with jumping.

16/05/2026

16/05/2026

Your donation could help rescue neglected and abused horses, providing expert care, rehabilitation and safety so every horse can recover.

16/05/2026

Please contact me if you would like to arrange a Flow Ride Music Clinic 🎶 at your yard.

• Lessons in a group or individually

• Music is curated to improve tempo, rhythm and most importantly connection

• Fully licenced for music broadcast

• Portable PA for all types of venue

• Learn to use music and breath work to achieve the flow state

• Achieve tension free outcomes and enjoy a very different kind of clinic

16/05/2026

🌦️ When the weather flips between wet and warm, horses’ guts can become unsettled quite quickly. Changes in grass growth, moisture, and sugar levels all play a part.

Here are a few simple ways to help support them:

• Keep fibre intake consistent – fibre acts as a natural buffer for the gut
• Consider adding a digestive supplement or probiotic, especially if droppings become loose
• Feed a balancer containing pre and probiotics to support gut health
• Make sure your horse is drinking plenty of water

Small changes can make a big difference in keeping their gut happy and healthy. 💚

16/05/2026

A reminder that Equine Influenza Cases are on the increase in the UK.

Recent reports show an increase in equine influenza (flu) cases across the UK, and it spreads quickly between horses. Now is the time to stay vigilant.

How to protect your horse:

💉 Keep influenza vaccinations up to date – this is your best defence. If your horse has not been vaccinated within the last 6 months we would recommend a booster to increase immunity to the influenza virus

🐴 Avoid mixing with horses of unknown vaccination status

☣ Isolate any new arrivals

🥣 Don’t share equipment (buckets, tack, grooming kits)

🫱 Practice good hygiene – wash hands and disinfect regularly

🤒 Monitor for signs: cough, nasal discharge, fever, lethargy

⚠️ If you suspect flu: Contact your vet immediately and isolate the horse to prevent spread.

Equine flu is highly contagious, but with good biosecurity and vaccination, we can limit outbreaks and keep our horses safe 💙

*** Please check all vaccines and consider a booster. ***

We will do a FREE OF CHARGE visit when we vaccinate five or more horses at the same yard before the end of June ***

16/05/2026

Hypertonic fascia refers to fascia that is maintaining excessive resting tension or protective tone.

Instead of being adaptable, elastic, and responsive, the fascial system becomes more guarded, stiff, resistant, or over-engaged.

Hypertonic muscle refers to a similar state occurring within muscular tissue and neuromuscular control systems. A hypertonic muscle maintains elevated resting tension or increased neural drive even when full contraction is not necessary.

Importantly, hypertonic does not mean strong.

A hypertonic muscle may feel hard, rigid, tight, or overactive, but that does not necessarily mean it is producing efficient force, good coordination, or functional stability.

In many cases, hypertonic muscles are actually:

* Fatigued
* Overworking
* Compensating
* Protective
* Poorly coordinated
* Weak in practical movement contexts

Tone and strength are not the same thing.

Strength refers to the ability to generate controlled, efficient force.

Tone refers to the baseline level of nervous system-driven tension within the muscle.

A horse may increase muscular tone because the nervous system is attempting to:

* Stabilize an unstable area
* Protect against pain
* Reduce movement variability
* Increase predictability
* Create artificial stiffness
* Guard against perceived threat or overload

For example:

* Tight neck muscles do not necessarily indicate a strong topline
* Increased pectoral tone does not necessarily indicate a stable thoracic sling
* Rigid lumbar musculature does not necessarily indicate effective hindquarter engagement
* Tight hamstrings do not necessarily indicate powerful propulsion

Sometimes the body increases tone precisely because efficient stability and coordination are lacking elsewhere.

This is one reason chronic hypertonicity is often associated with:

* Poor movement quality
* Reduced adaptability
* Bracing
* Early fatigue
* Compensation patterns
* Restricted mobility
* Reduced shock absorption
* Altered gait mechanics

Importantly, hypertonic fascia and hypertonic muscle are deeply interconnected.

Muscles do not function independently from fascia. Fascia transmits force, organizes movement across regions, influences sensory input, and helps coordinate tension through the body. Likewise, muscles influence fascial loading and tension patterns.

Because the nervous system regulates both muscle activation and fascial tone, hypertonicity is often a whole-system phenomenon rather than an isolated tissue problem.

Modern thinking increasingly sees fascial and muscular hypertonicity as nervous-system-mediated protective states involving:

* Load management
* Perception of safety
* Coordination
* Stability demands
* Pain protection
* Stress adaptation
* Movement predictability
* Compensation strategies

In horses, hypertonic fascia and muscle are often associated with:

* Chronic stress
* Pain or anticipation of pain
* Repetitive movement patterns
* Reduced movement variability
* Instability
* Poor coordination
* Injury history
* Emotional arousal or vigilance
* Fatigue
* Overtraining
* Poor recovery
* Inflammation
* Protective bracing

The fascial system is richly innervated and behaves as far more than passive wrapping tissue. It functions as part of a sensory and force-transmission network involved in:

* Tension regulation
* Position awareness
* Coordination
* Elastic recoil
* Movement prediction
* Threat detection

Muscles are similarly under constant nervous system regulation.

A hypertonic muscle is not always “short.” In many cases it is overworking to compensate for instability, weakness elsewhere, poor coordination, pain, or loss of confidence in movement.

For example:

* Tight hip flexors may compensate for poor trunk stability
* Overactive neck muscles may compensate for thoracic instability
* Increased hamstring tone may develop when pelvic control is poor
* Jaw and poll tension may increase when the horse feels unsafe, imbalanced, or restricted

In horses, hypertonic muscular and fascial patterns are commonly seen around:

* The thoracic sling
* Cervical musculature and fascia
* Thoracolumbar fascia
* Hamstrings and gluteals
* Poll and TMJ region
* Pectoral region
* Abdominal sling
* Distal limb fascial continuities

A horse with thoracic sling dysfunction, for example, may develop increased muscular and fascial tone through the pectorals, brachiocephalicus, trapezius, serratus ventralis region, and thoracolumbar fascia as the body attempts to stabilize the trunk between the forelimbs.

Similarly, a horse lacking hindquarter stability may increase tension through the lumbar fascia, abdominal system, hamstrings, and hip musculature to create artificial stability.

This is why simply stretching tissue or trying to “release tight muscles” often produces only temporary change.

If the nervous system still perceives instability, threat, overload, unpredictability, or poor control, it will often restore the previous tension strategy.

Hypertonicity is frequently less about tissue length and more about:

* Protective organization
* Stability strategies
* Sensory processing
* Load management
* Motor control adaptation

This is also why muscular and fascial tension can change dramatically depending on:

* Emotional state
* Breathing
* Environment
* Fatigue
* Pain perception
* Confidence
* Attention
* Balance demands

Manual therapy can help influence the conditions that allow improved movement quality, but the effects are often more neurological and sensory than purely mechanical.

Massage and myofascial work may help by:

* Reducing excessive protective tone
* Improving sensory input
* Enhancing proprioception and body awareness
* Supporting parasympathetic regulation
* Improving tissue glide and hydration
* Reducing guarding behaviors
* Increasing movement variability
* Improving comfort and perceived safety
* Allowing more efficient coordination strategies

When excessive muscular and fascial tension decreases, the horse may temporarily gain access to movement options that were previously restricted by protective bracing or poor motor control.

This can improve:

* Stride fluidity
* Shock absorption
* Trunk stability
* Ribcage mobility
* Spinal movement adaptability
* Coordination
* Balance
* Efficiency of force transfer
* Overall movement quality

However, lasting improvement usually depends on what happens after the manual therapy session.

If the horse returns to the same movement patterns, instability, stress load, compensation strategies, or environmental pressures, the nervous system may restore the previous tension patterns.

For this reason, manual therapy is often most effective when combined with:

* Appropriate movement and exercise
* Better balance and coordination work
* Improved postural control
* Gradual conditioning
* Recovery management
* Reduced overload
* Environmental and emotional regulation
* Varied movement experiences

Modern performance and rehabilitation approaches increasingly focus not only on “loosening tissue,” but on improving the conditions under which the nervous system allows efficient movement.

That may include:

* Improving coordination
* Building controllable stability
* Restoring movement variability
* Enhancing proprioception
* Supporting recovery
* Improving breathing mechanics
* Reducing unnecessary effort
* Improving emotional regulation
* Creating predictable movement experiences
* Reducing threat perception

From a systems perspective, manual therapy does not simply “fix tissue.”

It may help create a temporary window in which the nervous system becomes more willing to allow efficient, adaptable movement.

Likewise, hypertonic fascia and hypertonic muscle are often not the primary problem themselves.

They are frequently adaptive solutions created by the nervous system in response to instability, stress, pain, overload, uncertainty, or impaired movement control.

https://koperequine.com/histamine-response-to-massage-touch-and-stroking/

10/05/2026