Viva Las Vagus…wait, WHAT?!
Part One of Three Part Series By Melanie Grubb-Miller
Now that I have your attention and you have an Elvis earworm, let’s talk about the Vagus nerve response in horses, and for that matter, in humans. It applies to both. We humans can “hack” the Vagal nerve response, to settle ourselves before competitions, or lessons. How? With the breath! More on that later.
GDCTA would like to Congratulate the 2019 Training Grants winners!
It’s my understanding that the neurological system is divided into central and peripheral areas. The brain and spinal cord make up the Central Nervous System. There are 12 cranial nerves that originate in the brainstem to innervate the organs of sight, smell, and hearing, the muscles of swallowing and mastication, the tongue, sensation of the face, and use of the eye and facial muscles. Abnormalities of these nerves will produce changes in head carriage, balance, eye position, ear and eyelid tone and position, vision, smell, hearing, chewing, and swallowing food. The 10th cranial nerve, the Vagus nerve, also affects cardiac function, respiratory function, and GI motility.
Thanks to all of you for submitting applications for the GDCTA Grant Program. We hope all of you will continue to pursue your training and equestrian goals and If you didn’t get chosen this year, please apply again next year! We will be offering Training Grants again next year!
See the image on the next page, and follow the path of this nerve, that can create some of the mystery symptoms.
Our 2019 recipients: Adult Amateur—Amy Tobias
Dorsal vagal complex: The DVC is thought to be the most primitive branch of the parasympathetic nervous system and is responsible for immobilization. This response to potential dangers, shock, overwhelm, a stallion grasping the mare, upon mating, or even, ill-fitting tack.
Eventer—Kim Keeton Junior/Young Rider—Maren Hansen
The DVC is responsible for what is most commonly referred to as the freeze response (immobility), but also is involved in collapsed immobility, fainting, and feigning death. Fragmentation (dissociation) is also common when horses are dominated by the DVC, as in “if I can’t get my body to safety, then I’ll just leave my body.” Have you ever had a horse, whereupon, you tighten the girth, they nearly collapse? Or when you clean the hoof, they go down on that knee, as if they cannot hold them themselves upright? Perhaps, you
Professional—Alison Cochran To learn more, visit www.gdcta.org/training-grants
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