R.G Equine Body works

01/01/2026

#2026

May this year will creat more shifts in horses’ lives, bring us to understand them better. By exploring that, we can understand ourselves better …

Bring the voice of the horse to be HERD.

12/31/2025

After 4.5 weeks.
Mule hoof
What would you trim?

12/27/2025

Here is a great list of why joint health matter and why movement is your prevention and cure.
Movement is life. Don’t stall it.

I love this one, I hope you do too - 50 Most Fascinating and Important Properties of Joints in Horses

Joints Matter
Joints are far more than hinges and levers. They are living sensory hubs that connect every system in the horse’s body. Each joint functions as a responsive organ of perception, movement, and communication. Through joint capsules, ligaments, cartilage, and synovial linings, mechanical forces are translated into chemical, electrical, and neurological signals that ripple throughout the fascial web.

Every glide of cartilage and pulse of synovial fluid sends feedback through the nervous system, influencing posture, balance, circulation, breathing, and even emotional tone. When joints move freely, they nourish cartilage, stimulate lymphatic flow, and activate anti-inflammatory mediators that sustain tissue health. When they stiffen or lose rhythm, the entire horse feels it—in stride quality, elasticity, confidence, and coordination.

Healthy joints represent more than mobility; they embody coherence. They are the meeting points where structure and sensation, physics and physiology intersect. Understanding joint behavior allows us to see movement not as simple mechanics, but as a living conversation between fascia, bone, fluid, and awareness—one we can observe, support, and restore through mindful touch and motion.

What follows is a structured collection of insights drawn from biomechanics, physiology, neurology, and fascia science, reflecting how dynamic, intelligent, and integrated equine joints truly are.

Biomechanics & Movement Foundations

1. Synovial Fluid as a Living Lubricant
Synovial fluid is biologically active, containing hyaluronic acid, lubricin, and immune cells that adapt to mechanical stress and inflammation.

2. Cartilage Feeds by Movement
Cartilage has no direct blood supply; compression and release of synovial fluid are required to deliver nutrients and remove waste.

3. Pressure-Dependent Hydration
Cartilage absorbs and releases water like a sponge, maintaining joint congruence and shock absorption under load.

4. Proprioceptive Organs
Joints house sensory receptors that continuously monitor position, load, and velocity to support balance and coordination.

5. Piezoelectric Response
Mechanical stress generates electrical charges within bone and connective tissue, driving repair and remodeling.

6. Joint Capsules Are Fascia
The joint capsule is part of the continuous fascial network linking muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones.

7. Synovial Lining Has Immune Memory
The synovial membrane “remembers” prior inflammation, allowing faster—sometimes exaggerated—immune responses.

8. Ligaments Store Elastic Energy
Elastic recoil, especially in distal limb ligaments, improves locomotor efficiency and reduces metabolic cost.

9. Joint Surfaces Are Not Static
Cartilage micro-architecture adapts with age and workload to optimize contact and load distribution.

10. Electrolyte Gradients Matter
Ionic balance (Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺) maintains osmotic stability, cartilage stiffness, and fluid behavior.

Neurology & Sensory Feedback

11. Fascial Continuity Across Joints
Efficient motion depends on fascial glide between compartments; restrictions alter limb mechanics and coordination.

12. Temperature Alters Viscosity
Warming tissues reduces synovial fluid viscosity, improving joint glide and responsiveness.

13. Joint Motion Creates Micro-Currents
Movement generates subtle electromagnetic currents that influence cellular signaling.

14. Cartilage Is Mechanosensitive
Chondrocytes respond to load; underuse leads to thinning, while excessive load promotes degeneration.

15. Lubricin Prevents Adhesion
This glycoprotein forms a protective boundary that prevents shear damage and surface binding.

16. Axial and Appendicular Synchrony
Limb joints and spinal joints must coordinate, particularly through the thoracic sling, for efficient movement.

17. Joint Health Reflects Whole-Body Tensegrity
Load distribution through fascia determines how stress is shared throughout the body.

18. Joint Pump Aids Circulation
Each step hydraulically supports venous and lymphatic return.

19. Diurnal Variation
Joint fluid pressure and viscosity shift with
hydration status and circadian rhythms.

20.Genetic Factors in Collagen Strength
Collagen cross-linking patterns influence elasticity, stiffness, and predisposition to hypermobility.

Fascial & Fluidic Connectivity

21. Synovitis Begins Before Lameness
Subclinical inflammation often precedes visible swelling or pain.

22. Joint Dysfunction Alters Muscle Tone
Reflex pathways link joint stiffness to muscular over- or under-activation.

23. Micro-Movements Matter
Even 1–2 mm of glide is essential for proprioception, comfort, and joint nutrition.

24. Motion Stimulates Anti-Inflammatory Mediators
Gentle, rhythmic movement supports lubricin production and IL-10 release.

25. Adaptation Is Bidirectional
Joints remodel in response to both stress and stillness; immobility is as damaging as overload.

26. Joint Motion Is Three-Dimensional
Even “hinge” joints involve subtle roll, glide, and rotation.

27. Reciprocal Mechanism Coordination
Stifle and hock flexion and extension are mechanically linked through the reciprocal apparatus.

Read the rest of this fascinating list here - https://koperequine.com/50-most-fascinating-and-important-properties-of-joints-in-horses/

12/24/2025

Happy holidays and merry Christmas to all my valued clients and followers of my page.
🌟🌟🌟

12/22/2025

Before and after trim, correcting deviation.

Often when horses have some issues with their body , there would be some compensation patterns that will be shown in the hooves.

The way we can help with trimming , is to shorten the trim cycle, And balanced the Hoof wall accordingly, so it can reflect back to the brain balance, instead of a pattern that overtime will create more shift in the body.

12/22/2025

This is such a great article!

Dominance is Dead. Dominance theory is so dead the original researcher who studied it has disowned it and wishes he never wrote about such a dramatic misunderstanding of animal social structure. See, studying a group of unrelated adult animals thrown together with species inappropriate lifestyle and inadequate resources is not going to show you how those animals coexist and socialize in a normal, healthy way. But rather, show you extreme social dysfunction.

We previously believed "Dominance" had to do with "Leadership", where there was a clear linear hierarchy in every social unit of leadership and decision making. Ethology has found, however, that "Dominance" is about "ownership" NOT Leadership! Dominance is a method social groups use to pre-determine WHO has priority access to which resources. This way, there is less in-fighting within a social unit, so as not to weaken the group against outside attack (predation or fighting).

So, when a resource is limited, let's say a bowl of food is dropped in the center of a herd of horses, there is a clear owner of the food. The other horses know they have already lost the fight before it needs to happen, the dominant horse will have priority access to it. However, if we change the resource, let's say shelter this time, a different horse may have priority access. Maybe the horse who is more sensitive to heat/cold puts more effort into defending their shelter space than they would a bowl of food. Maybe a horse with allergies to bugs will stand their ground for access to the shady spot, when they might not be so confident to fight for food or water. Dominance is about ownership, if a resource is limited, who owns it first?

In my herd of 3 Clydesdales, I put out new hay and queen Fable crashes in chasing away Dream, but she happily shares with her sister Wisp if there is enough. I need to spread out the hay to make sure Dream can get in on that action too. However, if it's just Dream and Wisp, Dream gets the hay first, but he usually shares with Wisp too, but he may push Wisp off for the first couple minutes while he is excited about it.

See how fluid it is? Ownership of a resource is only as valuable as the resource itself. If the resource is abundant, ownership doesn't really matter. If the 3 clydes were standing on acres of fresh grass, no one would care who got the hay first.

Dominance is as fluid as the resources, as the need of the individuals, and as the shape of the herd. A horse who is loved by their friends may get away with sharing a limited resource, when a horse who is not liked by their friends, may be pushed off even when the resources are plentiful. Maybe when 2 or 3 get together they can win out against the one who usually owns this hay pile? It changes based on need, cooperation, and social changes. It's NOT linear.

Dominance is about Priority Access to Resources, Ownership, NOT LEADERSHIP!

Of my 3 clydesdales, Fable is the queen, she shoves everyone off whatever resource she decides is her's right now. But you know what? No one likes her. Dream and Wisp hang out together away from her, only being friendly to her if she comes over nicely. They don't approach her, because she's kind of a jerk. When the 3 of them go out on an impromptu adventure around my neighborhood and I need to catch them and bring them home - if I catch Fable and bring her home first, the other two breath a sigh of relief and enjoy their time without her. If I bring Dream home first, Fable and Wispy go about their day without their annoying brother. But if I bring Wisp home, who is usually the lowest priority access to resources, the other 2 follow her. They love her. They both share their food with her even though they could chase her away easily, they both groom her, they both want to be with her. But she has no priority access to anything, she's never even tossed a hoof at any of them. She's sweet and often a little lame, and so kind. They don't follow the bully, they follow the horse that makes them feel safe and loved.

Dominance is about Ownership, not leadership. I keep saying this. What does dominance have to do with training? Not a gosh-darn thing!! It matter when we talk about managing our herds, we need to make sure our horses have adequate resources spread appropriately so that no one goes without, no resource becomes too prized, and the herd doesn't need to fight. However, it has nothing to do with training.

We humans, we already own everything. We make every decision. We decide when they eat, what they eat, how much they eat, where they eat, what they wear, where they go, who their friends are, when they get to be with their friends, when, where, and how they get to move. We make every single decision. We own everything. We are already queens of the farm. We don't need to further exercise this power over our horses. In fact, we need to do the opposite. We need to readily hand over the reins (pun intended) to our horses themselves. Allow them to make decisions when and where appropriate. So much is beyond their control, we need to give some autonomy and self-advocacy back to our horses. To build their confidence, to empower them.

If dominance has nothing to do with training, then why does dominance based training methods work? Because a consistent, predictable, reliable use of gentle R- and punishment works! It doesn't need to be romanticized as language or as some fantasy story about how horses socialize. R- is behavior modification and it works. It works to teach them what behaviors we want and don't want and when to do them and that we control their behavioral choices.

But so does R+. R+ is just as effective as R-, because they are equal learning quadrants, neither is better. Both equally modify behavior. Both can be done with tact, kindness and consistency that empowers the horse. Both could be used callously and coercively to manipulate and control the horse. But R+ can extend an extra degree of choice, consent, control, and autonomy that R- alone can't do. When done well, R+ can open doors we never had with R- alone. We no longer have to be trapped within an outdated fantasy story about how horses communicate, modern ethology has cleared that up for us. Thank you ethologists!

If you want to learn more about this here are additional resources.

https://www.susanlfriedmanphd.com/blog-archive/equine-behavior-and-training/

https://aaep.org/horsehealth/equine-behavior

https://equitationscience.com/position-statements

https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/training/why-alpha-dog-training-is-outdated/

https://www.vetvoices.co.uk/post/dominance-debunked

https://cbtdogbehaviour.com/alpha-dominance-theory-fact-or-fiction

https://positively.com/dog-training/article/ethology-the-truth-about-dominance

https://www.veterinary-practice.com/article/dominance-when-an-outdated-theory-wont-go-away

“Social Organization in the Horse (Equus caballus): A Review” Sue McDonnell (2003), Applied Animal Behaviour Science

“Dominance in Horses — Myths and Realities” Sarah L. King (2011), International Society for Equitation Science Conference Proceedings

“Stability of Social Relationships among Przewalski’s Horses (Equus ferus przewalskii)” Feh & Munkhtuya (2008), Animal Behaviour

Social Bonds and Friendships in Horses” Cameron, Setsaas & Linklater (2009), Proceedings of the Royal Society B

12/19/2025

Yes!!!
I can’t wait to finish my diploma so I can start practice homeopathy.
It is gentle, safe and very effective.

Homeopathy Overview by Veterinary Doctors.
Veterinary doctors highlight homeopathy's growing role in animal husbandry: no side effects, no drug residues in milk/meat, cost-effective, and eco-friendly. It treats animals holistically, prevents diseases, and effectively manages conditions like babesiosis in dogs and udder issues in buffaloes—making it a sustainable alternative to conventional medicine.
http://homeopathyplus.com/homeopathy-overview-by-veterinary-doctors/

12/18/2025

This is probably one of the most important articles written regarding horse health.

Thank you Jean Luc Cornille for shedding light on the matter.

Everything But The Rider
Corrective shoeing has been used for centuries. If it were as effective as claimed. Navicular Syndrome would no longer be an issue. Drugs have been used for so much time, yet the navicular syndrome problem is still very much an issue. As Voltaire (1964-1778) pointed out, “It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere.”
Actual knowledge clearly demonstrates that abnormal stresses on the navicular apparatus are forces acting from the body down to the leg, pointing to the rider as the one more likely to reduce the forces stressing the navicular apparatus. So, why do many riders prefer to be fooled by therapies that don’t do better than making the horse “do better”? The answer is in human nature and the guilt culture of classical education. If the horse does not perform well, it is because we don’t apply the aids properly. The truth is that the horse does not perform well because the “aids” don’t coordinate the horse’s physique for the athletic demands of the performance.
Rehabilitating a horse from navicular syndrome is more difficult than training a horse for the show ring. Horses perform in the show ring because of their talent despite a dysfunctional physique. This is why they need injections and develop problems such as kissing spine, cervical arthritis, navicular syndrome, and many forms of arthritis. To keep riders imprisoned in the chains they revere, the peripheral industry points in every direction except the rider.
The rehabilitation of the 21 horses by their respective riders, and of the six horses I personally rehabilitated, was not smooth or easy. It was a roller coaster with moments of desperation. We live in a world of marketing where everything is presented as simple. Some even use hyaluronic acid as maintenance, ignoring the fact that the drug accelerates the development of arthritis. Yes, it is demanding to rehabilitate a horse from navicular syndrome, but focusing on the forces loading the navicular apparatus from the body down to the leg is effective. Managing the forces demands knowledge, experience, and skill. Knowledge is available to all if you consult the right experts. Experience develops with experience. Most riders have the skill to rehabilitate their horse if they free themselves from the chains of traditional equitation.
Science explains part of the human reluctance to change. Muscles change relatively quickly, but the fascial connections can take up to 6 months or even longer to change. This does not mean that we don’t progress for six months to one year. We make progress and become better at rehabilitating our horse, but our bodies constantly return to old habits, even when our minds know better. We don’t return to the old habit because we are fools; we return to the old habit because such is human nature.
Rehabilitating a horse from navicular syndrome is like directing a large orchestra; we need to face the horse and turn our back to the crowd. Facing our horse raises questions; the crowd makes statements. Statements show what one believes right now. Questions show where learning is about to happen.” True experts ask questions because knowledge evolves constantly. The 21 trainers who rehabilitated their horses from navicular syndrome were constantly asking questions because authentic balance is a continual state of evolution and demands extensive experience to be familiar with the many evolutions.
I learned from these experts. I regard the trainers who rehabilitated their horse from navicular syndrome as true experts, as they restored soundness by contrast to the pseudo-experts who make the horse do better. Several times, they described horses’ reactions that I had not experienced, and I asked questions, and together we found a solution. If you ask a question and I don’t know the answer, I ask Betsy and Michelle, and if they don’t know the answer, they ask the experts around them. Horses benefit from asking questions. Their physiology is very complex, and the knowledge evolves constantly.
If one makes a statement, even if it includes a question, the conversation is altered because one feels the need to defend it. Asking a question is a million times more effective. If the technical answer contradicts one’s belief, one can think about it and decide to protect one’s belief without the need to argue. Maybe the response will mature in one's mind with experience and open further productive questions.
https://www.scienceofmotion.com/documents/chrysalis.html
Jean Luc

12/18/2025

Any sponsors out there that will want to contribute to a great educational conference?

📣📣📣
Calling all equine businesses and brands 🐎

Thinking about catching a big audience as well as supporting a great cause of education for professionals a like and horse owners?

🐎 here is your chance 👇🏼
The evolution in whole horse soundness conference is excepting applications for sponsorship.
More details in the website

https://canadianequinehoofcare.com/conference/

12/17/2025

Horses amazes me .. just over a couple of weeks and the hoof looks so different.
Just a good trim, movement and clean diet.
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