Bodyzone

HEADING IN THE right DIRECTION

WEIGHING 5KG OR MORE AND BALANCED ON JUST SEVEN VERTEBRAE OF THE CERVICAL SPINE, THE HUMAN HEAD IS HEAVY ENOUGH TO HAVE A PROFOUND EFFECT ON OUR OVERALL POSITION, SAYS ANDREA OAKES.

“Look where you want the horse to go,” we’re told, alludin to the in uence our directional a e can have on his performance. ccordin to arah ayne I, a list ud e, U level three dressa e coach and

Equipilates trainer ( .sheep ate.co.u ), what happens in the head and nec area can be very revealin , actin as a telltale for problems elsewhere in the rider’s body. hatever your level, if you re inclined to bob or tilt your head, to clench your a s or hunch your shoulders, somethin , some here needs addressin . roblems ith the head, nec and shoulders are more li ely a symptom than a cause, says arah, ho emphasises that everythin about the rider s position comes bac to

o ho do e solve these problems ince so many of our biomechanical issues arise hile e re out of the saddle, arah believes that this is the best place to be in.

“You may not be aware of ho ti ht or restricted you are in certain areas of your torso, so physiotherapy and upper body muscle releases ill help you to realise ho connected these parts are, says arah, ho also uses a ac in ction mobiliser. “Lying on a foam roller is great for puttin yourself in the correct position, ith a neutral spine. osition the roller len th ays, do n your spine, and roll off after two or three minutes to see how different you feel. lac of stren th and stability can result in head and nec issues, because a rider hose core is not established will hold tension in these areas, adds arah. “Targeted strengthening of the upper body ill also help. arah points out that any postural improvements need to be functional, so that your position can be maintained hile the horse is movin .

the pelvis. ather than ust tinkering with these symptoms, it is important to ensure that the buildin bloc s at the bottom of the ‘tower’, or torso, are arranged correctly. ny imbalance or asymmetry in the pelvis ill manifest itself further up.

If the rider s pelvic shoc absorbers’ are not fully functionin , she explains, the horse s movement ill instead travel up the rider s spine to appear as an exa erated nod of the head ith every stride. nd hat oes up must come do n a clenchin can loc the rider’s body, to make absorbing that movement harder still. roblems can also arise from trying to sit too still in the saddle, or holding your breath,” arah adds. If you re ridin a spooky horse, you may be apprehensive about ho he ill react and adopt a sli htly braced position with your shoulders up around your ears. s a rider, you may not be aware of what you are doin . s an instructor, it s not al ays a case of addressin hat you see you mi ht have to di a little deeper.

LEFT: IF THE RIDER’S PELVIC ‘SHOCK ABSORBERS’ ARE NOT FULLY FUNCTIONING, THE HORSE’S MOVEMENT WILL TRAVEL UP THE RIDER’S SPINE TO APPEAR AS AN EXAGGERATED NOD OF THE HEAD.

BELOW: LYING ON A FOAM ROLLER WITH IT VERTICAL DOWN YOUR SPINE IS A GOOD EXERCISE.

A LACK OF STRENGTH AND STABILITY CAN RESULT IN HEAD AND NECK ISSUES, BECAUSE A RIDER WHOSE CORE IS NOT ESTABLISHED WILL HOLD TENSION IN THESE AREAS

“I’m a big fan of Pilates as a basis, she says. he fi rst thin you learn is correct body ali nment on a oor mat. useful ilates exercise is then to slide your shoulder blades do n as if you re puttin them in your bac poc ets. elvis issues can be addressed ith or on a iss ball, to ensure that you are movin eff ectively in these fundamental areas. ifestyle plays such a bi part in your ridin posture and the eff ect you have on a horse, adds arah. onsider ho stressed you are and hat you are doin for hours a day. Ensure that your pillo is suitable and that your car seat is correct for your build and off ers ade uate head and nec support. It s all about adoptin healthy postural habits on a daily basis, so that they become part of everyday life. fter focusin on yourself and identifyin dysfunctional areas, it s time to transfer that ran e of movement to the saddle and to chec in ith ho you are movin . our head should be balanced comfortably on top of your spine, so that you can loo up and out in front of you to the hori on, says arah. ry to focus on your peripheral vision, becomin a are of ho that can chan e your balance. rena mirrors are useful to chec ali nment, she adds. y estt certifi ed coachin no led e has been an ama in addition to my toolbox , enablin me to assess and correct rider asymmetry usin resistance bands, tapin techni ues and coachin s ills. Usin tape can be benefi cial in con unction ith the complete estt process. apin across the bac can address position issues, actin as a physical cue to remind your nec ho much it can actually move. or a head that permanently tilts, tapin on one side of the hat ill prompt you to recall ho it felt to be strai ht. ou can then correct yourself, ta in responsibility for your o n movement patterns. nce you are movin more eff ectively throu h the pelvis and feelin better in the saddle, any issues in the head, nec and shoulder area ill be easier to resolve, arah concludes. ith the stresses of everyday life, it is easy to become blin ered and una are of areas of the body that are stuc . han e somethin , to et your head and nec movin a ain.

PRACTISE DAILY RELEASE OF THE HEAD, NECK AND SHOULDER AREA WITH SARAH’S SIMPLE EXERCISE:

• Sit straight, in a relaxed position, and slowly turn your head to the left and then to the right. Take note of what you can see. • Now tilt your head to take your left ear down towards your left shoulder. Hold the right side of your head in your left hand and press it to your fi ngertips lightly, feeling the stretch down your right-hand side. • At the same time, reach your right hand to the fl oor and wiggle your fi ngers as you stretch down. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds. • Now for the important part: shrug your right shoulder upwards before releasing your head. Roll both shoulders back and down, twice, then repeat the exercise on the other side. • Finish by looking slowly to the left and to the right, noting how much you can see now that you have released the area.

EQUINE INFLUENZA

IN THIS SERIES, WE’RE COVERING COMMON DISEASES THAT CAN AFFECT THE EQUINE POPULATION; HOW TO SPOT THEM, MEASURES TO TAKE TO PROTECT HORSES IN YOUR CARE, AND HOW TO PREVENT TRANSMISSION. IN PART TWO WE TALK ABOUT EQUINE INFLUENZA (FLU), A RESPIRATORY DISEASE CAUSED BY A HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS VIRUS, WHICH IS ENDEMIC WITHIN THE UK.

Euine in uen a ill spread rapidly throu h an unvaccinated population of horses. It doesn t usually cause lon term or fatal illness, but can lead to horses havin len thy time off or . It has financial implications in terms of cancellation of events and cost of treatment and can lead to serious complications in the very youn or old.

HOW IS IT SPREAD?

E uine in uen a is an airborne virus that can spread s iftly throu h a yard. Under favourable eather conditions it can spread up to m. It can be transmitted by direct horse to horse contact and via people, tac , feed and e uipment.

WHAT ARE THE TYPICAL SIGNS?

n increased temperature for one to three days of up to ( ) he horse s air ay ill become s ollen and sore, resultin in a dry, harsh cou h. his can continue for t o to three ee s and potentially up to six ee s after other clinical si ns have subsided clear, atery nasal dischar e that may become thic and yello or reen oss of appetite ethar y ollen and painful lands under and around the a neumonia can occur in some, particularly foals.

ARE THERE ANY LONG TERM CONSEQUENCES OF EQUINE INFLUENZA?

ost horses recover ithin t o ee s ho ever, a post viral cou h can persist for much lon er. In some it can ta e up to six months to re ain full health. here s also the potential that horses can develop sore muscles and heart muscle in ammation (myocarditis).

DECREASING RISK

accination remains the most important practice. he vaccination pro ramme be ins ith a series of in ections administered over the first year, hich is then continued by boosters. It s important not to allo the booster to lapse because even bein one day late ill result in the initial pro ramme havin to be restarted. Ensure the passport is available so the in ection can be correctly recorded. lu is an adaptive virus and can chan e over time so it can be difficult to eep vaccines fully up to date ith the most current strain. accinated horses can still contract u ho ever, they ll be less severely affected and ill suffer for less time than unvaccinated horses. aintainin ood health and hy iene mana ement, ith disease prevention measures in place, can help prevent the spread of u.

HERD IMMUNITY

or herd immunity to or , a lar e proportion of the population must be

TREATMENT AND MANAGEMENT

Isolate the horse and contact your vet. It’s likely that a swab will be taken and possibly a blood test. • The best treatment is supportive care and plenty of rest • The horse’s environment should be isolated and kept as dust-free as possible • Allow several weeks for the horse to regain full health. In compromised horses, the risk period of secondary complications can last 50-100 days post-infection • Seek vet’s advice before returning horse to work

vaccinated. Estimates su est that only percent of the e uine population in the U is vaccinated a ainst in uen a. y vaccinatin , you re not only protectin your o n horse, but also increasin the U s herd immunity.

SHOWS AND EVENTS

passport must accompany the horse to competitions and be produced on re uest. horse ill not be permitted to compete unless it has a current vaccination a ainst in uen a. lease refer to ule on pa es of the online embers andboo (pa es for the printed version). or those competin internationally, please refer to the EI rules.