Lionhearted,
commonly called Ritchie, is a 17-year-old Standardbred who was diagnosed with
arthritis and compression of the neck vertebrae, otherwise referred to as “adult-onset
wobblers.”
Ritchie’s problems began in 1998, when he suffered the first of three falls while being galloped on hilly terrain. Doreen Campbell, who had known and loved Ritchie for years, finally was able to acquire him on April 29, 2001. Doreen was well aware of Ritchie’s problems. He walked clumsily and stumbled frequently; he rope-walked behind; he dragged his left hind hoof; his tail was partially paralyzed; his spine, when viewed from behind, appeared to veer off-center; he had arthritis in his legs; his hindquarters showed signs of atrophy; his hooves were in very poor condition; and he had a sour disposition.
Ritchie’s veterinarian, Dr. David Tresser, suspected a neurological problem, and he recommended that Ritchie be examined by Dr. Barrie Grant, who is considered the world’s leading authority on wobblers. With the help of neurological testing, X-rays, a radiological body scan, and a myelogram, Dr. Grant diagnosed enlarged and arthritic neck vertebrae with compression between C6 and C7, a hot spot at the sacral vertebrae, arthritis in his legs, and damage to both front navicular bones. Because Ritchie had no significant impingement on his spinal cord, Dr. Grant okayed a conservative approach to his problem, but cautioned that Ritchie might never be rideable.
While many people would have written such a horse off, Doreen’s intent when she purchased Ritchie was to help him as best she could. Before Doreen was introduced to the SENSE Method, she employed a trainer in the hopes of improving Ritchie’s balance and coordination. The trainer spent several sessions walking Ritchie over specially arranged ground poles and around various objects. While this can be very useful in many cases, in Ritchie’s case the strategy backfired.
Since Ritchie did not have the awareness of how to use his body efficiently, he often stumbled over the poles. The trainer felt that repeating the lessons would help Ritchie improve. But what happened was that she inadvertently kept reinforcing what he couldn’t do. Instead of improving, Ritchie seemed to worsen. One day, Ritchie had simply had enough. He uncharacteristically kicked out at the trainer, broke free, and ran home. Doreen got the message, and the well-meaning training sessions came to an end. Ritchie’s experience underscores the pitfalls associated with asking a horse to do something without teaching him how to do it easily and well.
Fortunately, Doreen was introduced to Los Angeles-based SENSE Method practitioner, Amy Tompkins. Amy gently helped Ritchie rediscover how to move in a balanced, comfortable way. With the SENSE Method, we suggest movements that fall within the ability of the horse so that the horse experiences freedom of movement rather than restrictions. Laying the foundation by teaching the horse how to use his body well creates the conditions for movement to be free and pleasurable. More challenging movements are then gradually introduced and the horse learns to do them easily and comfortably. (See “The SENSE Method Makes Training Easier” below.)
After each SENSE session, Ritchie’s attitude improved, his body was relaxed, and he walked with greater ease and confidence. Even his tail began moving!
In September of 2001, Doreen found pasture boarding for Ritchie where he could be out 24 hours a day. However, it was in San Diego County and was too far for Amy to commute to. Since I live in San Diego County, I began to work with Ritchie.
I was told that a former owner of Ritchie had kept his head tightly restrained when he was ridden. When Ritchie first started to receive SENSE sessions, his neck muscles were excessively taut and sore, even though the restraining hands and gadgets had long since left the picture. My experience is that such a pattern of tension and limited movement becomes a habit and often persists even when there is no longer a reason for it.
Ritchie, like many horses (and people), held his neck stiffly in some areas and overused other areas, which may have led to the development of arthritis in those places. Since he didn’t know any other way to move, each time he moved his neck he aggravated his arthritis.
One of the first things I did with Ritchie was to show him how he could have more movement in his sternum and ribs, and how this newfound movement in his ribcage could create more freedom in his neck. To help Ritchie’s nervous system feel the connection between his neck and sternum, I put a hand lightly on one of his cervical vertebrae while my other hand gently brought movement and awareness to his sternum. As his sternum moved, I would feel the movement in his neck. More importantly, Ritchie felt it too. (See "Reducing the Strain in Your Neck" below.)
Then I showed Ritchie, whose neck muscles were now noticeably softer, how he could move each section of his neck independently and easily. My intent was to help Ritchie discard his inefficient way of moving (which he had most likely developed as a way to deal with his previous rider) and instead learn new, more comfortable and efficient ways to move. Simply put, I wanted to increase his movement options.
Since Ritchie had difficulty negotiating hills, I did some SENSE work
while Ritchie stood on sloped ground, both uphill and downhill. I then worked
with him as he walked up and down gentle knolls. I wanted him to feel how using
his sternum and ribs to round his back helped his neck soften and his hind end
engage effortlessly. I pushed through his skeleton and supported various parts
to help him feel how easy it could be to walk up and down slopes when his whole
body supported the movement.
Ritchie
can now reach around and scratch his flanks, something he hadn’t been able
to do in a long while. His balance, ease of movement, and best of all his disposition,
have improved a great deal. Ritchie’s hindquarters have muscled up since
he now uses them to power himself along. His overall movement is freer, and
his stumbling is virtually non-existent. Holding up his feet to be trimmed is
no longer a problem. Ritchie stopped snapping at people who touched his neck.
And very significantly, he happily takes Doreen out on the trail.
How can we sum up just how the SENSE Method helped Ritchie? When a horse uses his whole body efficiently in movement, the strain on individual parts is diminished. Now that Ritchie has learned to involve his whole spine, sternum, and ribs in movements, the strain on his neck vertebrae has been reduced, and his neck muscles are no longer taut and sore. While he may still have arthritis there, he no longer has the discomfort and movement restrictions that usually accompany it. Most people think of arthritis as being inevitable and progressively degenerative, but the SENSE Method interrupted the destructive cycle of tension, stiffness, and wear and tear on joints. And helping horses move comfortably and efficiently can greatly improve their athletic ability and quality of life.
It is important to note that the lifestyle Doreen provides for Ritchie does
much to support his progress. Doreen has taken classes in the SENSE Method and
works with Ritchie in between his sessions with me. Knowing that a horse can
only be as free-moving as his rider, Doreen receives both unmounted and mounted
sessions with me to ensure that she is balanced and free in the saddle. Ritchie
lives on the beautiful 20-acre ranch that Doreen and her sister Linda now own.
The ranch, Valeroso, offers natural horse boarding in Temecula, CA. Ritchie’s
shoes have been pulled and he is trimmed by barefoot trimmer, Dani Lloyd.
This article is not meant to represent all horses that have wobbler’s, as each case is unique and the symptoms can vary in severity. Please consult your veterinarian if you have any questions or concerns.
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When
my horse, Easy, began to show signs of neurological problems, I contacted Mary
Debono, creator of the SENSE Method. I was impressed with Mary’s
ability to help my horse coordinate his movement so that his parts worked together
more harmoniously. This reduced stress and strain on his individual structures
and led to more comfortable, balanced movement. Mary’s whole-horse approach
does not focus on the horse’s conformation faults or a specific veterinary
diagnosis. As she supported my horse’s habitual patterns of movement,
and then gently introduced more effective options, my horse seemed to be visibly
improving. Fortunately, I also had the best farrier and veterinary support.
Sadly, I later had to euthanise my horse due to complications from a fall, but I was hooked on wanting to learn more about SENSE, and how I might be able to help other horses gain more freedom of movement, comfort in their environment, and soundness. This experience led me to enroll in Mary’s certification program for SENSE Practitioners, which involved four five-day intensive trainings and at least one hundred hands-on case studies. Since I needed a number of horses to work with during my internship, I contacted thoroughbred racehorse trainer Susan Bump to see if I could work with some of the horses she had in training.
I knew I would be getting excellent feedback on any changes or improvements
from Susan since she also rides the horses in her barn. One of the first things
that I noticed about Evening was that he rarely took full breaths. Not only
was he a somewhat shallow breather, but he also tended to hold his breath when
something distracting happened. Lacking the ability to take full breaths can
deprive the blood of its optimal amount of oxygen. This can result in a decrease
in strength and stamina, and an increase in anxiety. With this in mind, I began
the SENSE session by placing my hands on Evening’s ribcage and following
the movement of his breath. Almost immediately, he began to take deeper breaths.
I moved my hands higher on his ribcage with the intent of having him breathe
not only into my hands but also into his back. Soon he was taking deep full
breaths— sighing, licking, and chewing. The rest of the session focused
on giving him the experience of a softer more supple musculature and connecting
with his skeleton in such a way that he would be able to move in a functional
manner.
The following day, Susan reported that Evening felt much more fluid. There was also a change in his warm-up. Susan usually tried to begin each exercise session by jogging Evening to loosen him up and check his soundness. However, he was uncomfortable jogging and preferred a small canter instead. The day after his SENSE session Evening jogged easily through the entire warm-up, accepting posting on either diagonal equally. During his gallop, he made smooth changes and felt strong on both leads. A couple of days later, he raced a great third (he had to go six wide to pass horses) and recovered well.
Humans, like horses, get into habits of movement where they overwork certain
parts and under-use other parts. The overworked parts then get burdened by excess
stress and strain. Fatigue, stiffness, soreness, arthritis, and/or acute injuries
can result from this disproportionate work. The following movement lesson is
designed to help you distribute your effort more appropriately, reducing strain
in your neck.
If
any of the positions or movements feel uncomfortable, please discontinue doing
them.
1. Lie on your back with your legs long. Notice how much space is behind your lower back. You can put your hand under your back to get an idea of how much space is there. Notice which vertebrae touch the floor and which are held off the floor.
2. Lift your head to look at your feet. Notice how high your head goes and
how much effort it takes to lift it. Don’t hold your head up; simply lift
and lower your head once.
3. Bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the floor.
4. Cross your hands, one on top of the other. Place your crossed hands directly
over the center of your chest, near the upper part of your sternum (breastbone).
The heel of your bottom hand should be directly on the sternum.
5. With your hands in this position, press down on your sternum. Please be gentle, not forceful. Think of your sternum going both closer to the floor and moving down toward your feet. Breathe deeply and press down on your sternum as you exhale. Do this several times.
6 The next time you exhale, lift your head a small amount as you press on your sternum. Do this movement a few times, slowly and gently. Notice if you can feel your sternum move downward as you lift your head. Imagine that the movement of the sternum initiates the lifting of your head. Only do what’s totally comfortable for you to do.
7. Rest for a few moments with your knees bent.
8. With your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, cup your hands around your lower ribs. As you exhale, gently press down on your ribs, so that they move both closer to the floor and closer to your feet. Now lift your head as you exhale and press down on your ribs. Can you feel the connection between your ribs moving downward and the rounding of your lower back? You probably will feel your lower back get closer to the floor as you press down on your ribs. Imagine that the movement of the ribs downward is what makes your head rise up off the floor and your back round. Do this movement slowly several times.
9. Rest for a few moments and take a few nice, deep breaths.
10. Straighten your legs. Cross your arms over your chest and simply lift
your head to look at your feet. How does this movement compare to the first
time you lifted your head? Did you raise your head higher? Was there less effort
in your neck when you lifted your head? Did you feel your ribcage participating,
allowing your back to press against the floor? Notice how much space is behind
your lower back now. Has your back gotten closer to the floor? If so, this
indicates that unnecessary muscular tension has been reduced.
This movement lesson can help you experience how the larger parts of yourself, such as your ribcage and spine, are designed to do most of the work of moving the head. This allows the smaller, more delicate muscles of the neck to be free to sense and direct movement. When the neck muscles are free, the neck can turn more easily, and compression and other degenerative changes may be reduced.
As with our horses, using ourselves more efficiently in this way reduces strain
and can help eliminate back and neck pain.
When I first met Nikos, the 18-year-old bay thoroughbred who would become my equine companion, he was so quiet and gentle, he would follow his rider out of the ring like a puppy dog. But under saddle, he carried his head high and bent to the left, his back hollow, rushing, rushing, his rigid body twisted into a crescent in a clear attempt to avoid pain.
When Nikos became mine, I had just begun my SENSE training with Mary Debono,
and so I shared SENSE with him every chance I got. It took time, but he began
moving more freely, more comfortably. With time, he no longer rolled his eyes
back in his head under saddle. His sternum and ribs softened, and he could
lift his strong back; his long, beautiful neck softened, straightened; he was
able to bend, to thrust his hind legs deeply under him, to swap leads without
tossing his head. A horse who had been so of balance that he could barely canter
right in an arena, who would rush off at top speed, tilting into corners like
a speeding motorcycle, had slowed down, was now comfortable in the canter in
either direction. What had been a cacophony of sound was now a symphony.
Nikos and I have been together five years now, and he is comfortable enough
in his body that we generally do SENSE together about every three months.
He continues to surprise me from time to time: About six months ago he demonstrated
an extended trot I had no idea he had. He is 24 now, relaxed, more balanced
than he’s ever been, fluid in his movement.
Several months ago, a natural horsemanship trainer friend of mine was giving Nikos and me a lesson. She is a wonderful, soft trainer, and although Nikos already has excellent ground manners and is very soft under saddle, I thought it would be fun to take a few lessons with her. In this lesson, she was showing me how to use a soft rope to teach a horse to give to pressure. She placed the rope around one of Nikos’ legs at a time, gently pulled, and Nikos lifted his foot. Then she draped the rope around his hind end, gently pulled to one side, and Nikos stepped over with his hind legs. It took very little pressure. As I said, Nikos is very light.
Then the trainer placed the rope around Nikos’ barrel and gently pulled to one side. She wanted him to move laterally, but he didn’t. She applied more pressure. Still Nikos stood, clearly thinking, beginning to look perplexed.
Knowing my horse, I said that I was sure Nikos knew what she was asking him to do, but that for some reason he was unable to do it. I continued watching him. She applied more pressure to the rope. Nikos clumsily stepped over with his hind legs. She released and tried again. He stepped over with his front legs, just as clumsily. Aha! Now I understood. I told my friend again that Nikos was unable to do what she was asking. She told me, very kindly, that he had to learn.
But,” I said, “You aren’t teaching him. You are asking and asking, but you aren’t teaching him how to do what you are asking.”
From watching Nikos, it had become apparent that he, for whatever reason, was
feeling a disconnection between his front and his hind. He could move the front,
he could move the hind, but he simply could not perform the simple lateral move
she was asking for (a movement that he ordinarily has no problem with). “Let
me show you something,” I said and asked her to remove the rope.
Standing behind Nikos, I placed one hand on the left side of his tailbone and gently pushed toward his head. When I released, just as gently, I watched for the tiny head bob that would indicate the movement had traveled along his spine all the way from hind end to front. There. I then stepped over and placed my hand on the right side of his tailbone. Again, I gently pushed, gently released. Again his head gently dipped and raised.
I stepped away. “Now try again,” I said. My trainer friend placed the soft rope around Nikos’ barrel and applied gentle pressure, asking him to step to the right. He gracefully stepped over, crossing his left feet in front of his right. The trainer’s eyes widened. She moved to the other side, placed the rope around Nikos’ barrel, applied gentle pressure. He gracefully stepped to the left.
“See,” I said, “you had to teach him how to do it. I don’t know why, but he was disconnected today.” Perhaps the rope itself, draped as it was around his middle, had disconnected his front end from his hind. (In much the same way that a girth does over time.) My pushing through his tailbone, sending a gentle force up along his spine, had reminded Nikos of the connection between front and back, and in less than a minute he had been able to gracefully and willingly comply with the trainer’s request.
Saddling
Made Easy