07/09/2025
Not so long ago I shared a post from Whole Horse Connection about Pandiculation and mentioned I knew a filly that did it regularly after fracturing her Tuber Coxae off (the point of the hip). Today this video of the filly popped up in my memories. You can see the sunken area where the Tuber Coxae used to be.
From the article: Pandiculation is a behavior common to all living creatures, in horses it is defined as "the extension of the legs, the raising and stretching of the limbs and the throwing back of the head and trunk" (Fraser, 2010). Through the act of pandiculation, the horse strengthens the connection between the sensory motor cortex of the brain and the muscle. Not only is there an active participation of the brain during pandiculation, but there is also an active participation of the entire myofascial system, which comprises the fabric that gives definition and order to the musculoskeletal system of the horse.
According to Fraser, (2010), "the stimulus to pandiculation can be assumed to be feedback from stiffness. In addition, the phenomenon at times may be in response to a period of asymmetry in horses."
Why is it important to consider pandiculation when we think about "stretching" our horses? Consider this: "Stretching" is passive - meaning that during our "stretching" of the horse, the horse is not actively using the muscle, the muscle is merely being pulled upon. Also, according to scientific research, traditional stretching "causes deficits in strength, power output, and muscle activation" (Marek, Cramer, Fincher, Massey, Dangelmaier, Purkaysatha, Fitz & Culbertson, 2005). This research indicates that even though our performance horses are accustomed and well mannered enough to oblige to our "stretching" routines, these routines may actually be decreasing their performance level if they are merely used to "stretch" the muscles. The savvy "stretcher" will have the feel to know if their horse is actively engaged (pandiculating) in the stretching routine, or if they are simply in the "yea, whatever- just pull my leg however you want it" automated response mode. As with anything else we do when we interact with horses, we have to make sure that they are with us, and in to the activity, as much as we are - because if they aren't, it isn't very beneficial.
Fraser, A.F. (2010). The Behavior and Welfare of the Horse, 2nd ed. Oxfordshire, UK: Cambridge University Press
Marek, S.M., Cramer, J.T., Fincher, A.L., Massey, L.L., Dangelmaier, S.M., Purkaysatha, S., Fitz, K.A. & Culbertson, J.Y. (2005). Acute effects of static and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretching on muscle strength and power output. Journal of Athletic Training, 40(2).
