Fresh Perspective Farm LLC

01/17/2026

We always love a Fresh Perspective, and this one is both eye opening and spot on!

What Is the Purpose of Feeling Stiff?

Why Feeling Stiff Is Not the Same as Being Stiff

Stiffness is one of the most common physical sensations people report after activity, injury, or periods of stress. It is often assumed to mean that muscles are tight, fascia is restricted, or joints have lost mobility. Yet research consistently shows that this assumption is incomplete—and often incorrect.

There is not yet a single, definitive answer to what stiffness is. However, there is a leading, coherent theory that best fits the current evidence.

The most supported explanation

The sensation of stiffness is a nervous-system–generated perceptual signal, not a direct measure of tissue tightness. Its primary purpose is regulation and protection of movement.

In simpler terms:

Stiffness is how the brain perceives uncertainty or risk in movement—not how stiff the tissues actually are.

1. Perceived stiffness is not the same as mechanical stiffness

Multiple studies demonstrate a poor correlation between the feeling of stiffness and:
• passive range of motion
• tissue elasticity
• joint stiffness measured mechanically

In many cases, people who report feeling stiff:
• have normal range of motion
• or are more flexible than those who do not feel stiff

If stiffness were simply caused by shortened muscles or hardened fascia, this mismatch would not occur. The evidence indicates that stiffness cannot be explained by tissue properties alone.

2. Stiffness emerges from altered sensory processing

Movement is regulated by continuous sensory integration. The nervous system constantly combines information from:
• proprioception (joint position and movement)
• interoception (fatigue, internal state)
• mechanoreception (load, pressure, stretch)
• threat prediction (past injury, instability, overuse)

When this sensory information becomes less reliable—due to fatigue, repetitive loading, stress, novelty, pain history, or hypermobility—the nervous system responds by increasing protective output.

This protective response commonly includes:
• increased background muscle tone
• reduced movement speed
• increased resistance near end range
• heightened awareness of movement

The subjective experience of this state is what we call stiffness.

3. Stiffness is a protective strategy, not a malfunction

From a motor-control perspective, stiffness serves several functional purposes:
• it increases joint stability
• improves predictability of movement
• reduces excessive degrees of freedom
• limits rapid or extreme joint motion

This strategy is particularly valuable in bodies where passive stability is reduced, such as in hypermobility or connective tissue disorders. In these cases:
• connective tissues are more compliant
• joints depend heavily on neuromuscular control
• fatigue significantly increases instability risk

Stiffness, then, functions as a temporary safety mode—a way for the nervous system to maintain control when conditions are less certain.

4. Why stiffness commonly appears after exertion

After physical activity:
• proprioceptive accuracy decreases
• fatigue increases motor “noise”
• joint receptor signaling becomes less precise
• cumulative micro-loading occurs

In response, the nervous system:
• increases tone
• biases movement toward slower, safer strategies
• generates the sensation of stiffness

This explains why:
• stiffness commonly appears after exertion
• stiffness often resolves with rest or gentle movement
• stiffness can occur even when no tissue damage is present

5. Why stiffness often prompts movement and self-care

The sensation of stiffness is not random.

Stiffness tends to:
• draw attention to the body
• encourage repositioning or gentle movement
• prompt stretching, hydration, rest, or bodywork

Importantly, movement reduces stiffness not by mechanically “loosening” tissues, but by:
• restoring sensory clarity
• recalibrating proprioceptive input
• increasing confidence in movement

In this way, stiffness functions as a self-regulatory cue, encouraging behaviors that restore balance within the system.

6. When the absence of stiffness may be a problem

If stiffness is a regulatory signal, then losing it can indicate:
• reduced interoceptive awareness
• impaired proprioception
• diminished protective signaling
• reduced movement variability

Over time, this may contribute to:
• loss of usable range of motion
• declining movement quality
• increased injury risk despite “feeling fine”

This is especially relevant in connective tissue disorders, where joint position sense and protective feedback are already compromised.

The clearest summary

Stiffness is not primarily a tissue problem.
It is a sensory–motor regulation signal that temporarily limits movement to protect joints and restore control.

Stiffness is generally helpful when it is:
• transient
• responsive to movement
• appropriate to context

It becomes problematic when it is:
• persistent
• unresolved
• driven by chronic threat or sensory dysfunction

Why this perspective matters

Understanding stiffness this way changes how we respond to it.

Instead of:
• stretching harder
• forcing range of motion
• aggressively “breaking up” tissue

The goal becomes:
• restoring safe, varied movement
• improving sensory input
• rebuilding confidence and control

Seen through this lens, stiffness is not an enemy to be eliminated—but a message to be interpreted and resolved.

The Role of Massage Therapy and Movement Therapy

When stiffness is understood as a sensory–motor regulatory signal rather than a tissue defect, the role of manual therapy and range of motion exercises change in important ways. Their value lies less in mechanically altering tissues and more in how they influence sensory input, motor confidence, and nervous system regulation.

Massage therapy: restoring sensory clarity and safety

Massage therapy primarily affects stiffness through its impact on the sensory nervous system.

Gentle to moderate touch, pressure, and movement:
• increase afferent input from mechanoreceptors in skin, muscle, and fascia
• reduce excessive background muscle tone through inhibitory spinal and supraspinal pathways
• improve body awareness and spatial perception
• signal safety to the nervous system

From this perspective, massage does not “loosen tight tissue” in a lasting mechanical sense. Instead, it helps the nervous system reassess the current state of the body. When sensory input becomes clearer and less threatening, the need for protective stiffness decreases.

This explains why massage often:
• reduces the feeling of stiffness without changing passive range of motion
• improves movement quality more than raw flexibility
• creates a temporary window of ease and coordination

Massage is particularly effective when stiffness is driven by fatigue, stress, overload, hypervigilance, or altered proprioception. In these cases, the nervous system is not asking for force—it is asking for reassurance.

Sretching and range of motion exercises: recalibrating control, not forcing length

Stretching and guided range of motion exercises are often misunderstood as methods for lengthening muscles or freeing joints. In reality, their most reliable effect is on motor control and sensory confidence.

Slow movement through a range of motion:
• provides clear, non-threatening proprioceptive input
• improves joint position sense near end ranges
• reduces uncertainty about where the body is in space
• allows the nervous system to explore motion without triggering protection

When stiffness is present, the nervous system often restricts end-range movement because it cannot reliably predict safety there. Range of motion exercises reduce that uncertainty by decreasing load, controlling speed, offering external support, and maintaining a sense of safety throughout the movement.

This is why gentle, well-timed range of motion exercises often reduces stiffness more effectively than aggressive stretching. Forced stretching may temporarily increase range but can reinforce threat and increase protective tone afterward.

Why these approaches work best together

Massage therapy and movement therapy complement each other because they address different aspects of the same regulatory system.

Massage:
• calms background tone
• improves sensory input
• increases readiness for movement

Range of motion exercises:
• restore confidence at the edges of movement
• improves coordination
• reintegrates newly available movement into control

Together, they help the nervous system transition out of protective stiffness by improving both how the body feels and how it moves.

Clinical implications

When stiffness is treated as a signal rather than a flaw:
• intensity becomes less important than timing and context
• responsiveness matters more than force
• variability and safety take priority over maximal range

Massage and movement therapy are most effective when they:
• respect the body’s protective intent
• reduce threat rather than challenge it
• support gradual re-exposure to movement

In this framework, the goal is not to eliminate stiffness directly—but to resolve the conditions that make stiffness necessary.

Stiffness fades when the nervous system no longer needs it.

https://koperequine.com/the-surprising-truth-insights-from-research-on-flexibility-and-perception/

01/14/2026

Excellent!

12/20/2025

And this is why I love the ProSix. It ties it all together.

The Thoracic Sling: The Horse’s Primary System for Balance, Posture, and Force Organization

For generations, equestrian tradition taught that the hindquarters were the horse’s primary source of power. Riders were encouraged to “ride from behind,” develop engagement, and focus training almost exclusively on the rear of the horse. While the hind end is indeed responsible for propulsion, this view does not fully explain balance, posture, straightness, elevation, or whole-body coordination.

Modern biomechanics presents a more complete picture. The hindquarters generate thrust, but the thoracic sling organizes, stabilizes, and directs the horse’s movement. The forehand—specifically the thoracic sling and its integration with the core—the primary system for organizing balance and posture in motion.

The Traditional View Was Hind-End Dominant

Classical training emphasized the hindquarters as the horse’s engine. This is accurate in terms of generating forward thrust, contributing to carrying power, adding part of the horse’s ability to collect, and sharing load with the forehand.

However, the hind end does not independently determine where the body mass travels, the height of the trunk, the organization of the spine and ribcage, straightness or lateral balance, or the ability to elevate the forehand.

The hindquarters push, but they do not control the system they are pushing into.

The Thoracic Sling Is the Horse’s Primary Balancing and Postural Engine

The thoracic sling is a muscular-fascial suspension system that holds the trunk between the forelimbs. Functioning in place of a clavicle, it does far more than support the front end.

The thoracic sling suspends the ribcage between the forelimbs, regulates trunk height, absorbs landing forces, stabilizes the shoulders during movement, initiates upward shifts of the center of mass, determines how weight is distributed front to back, controls straightness and lateral balance, and integrates with the deep core to manage whole-body posture.

In biomechanical terms, the thoracic sling is the horse’s primary balancing and postural system. Without a functional sling, the hindquarters cannot translate their power through the body in a stable or organized way.

The Hind End Pushes — The Thoracic Sling Catches

This concept aligns with findings from force-plate studies, kinematic analysis, and myofascial research.

Current research shows that the forehand is responsible for most vertical control of the trunk, the thoracic sling plays a substantial role in stabilizing the ribcage, the trunk cannot elevate unless the sling and core activate first, self-carriage depends on thoracic suspension rather than hind-end drive alone, and power from behind becomes ineffective if the front cannot control incoming forces.

In motion, the forelimbs do not simply carry weight. They manage balance, braking, and impact absorption. The thoracic sling processes these forces and determines how effectively they are redistributed through the body.

The Modern Shift Across Disciplines

This updated understanding influences every area of equine performance and care.

In rehabilitation and return-to-work planning, thoracic sling function is now prioritized before intensive hind-end strengthening.

In dressage and classical schooling, true self-carriage requires elevation of the withers through the sling rather than force from behind.

In jumping, a functional sling is essential for correct bascule, shoulder freedom, and safe landing mechanics.

In bodywork and movement support, thoracic sling tension and fascial organization influence cervical mobility, forelimb swing, and trunk lift.

In hoof care, the way the foot lands and loads directly affects how both the hindquarters and thoracic sling must compensate during stance and motion.

Across disciplines, the thoracic sling is increasingly recognized as central to posture, balance, and performance.

Why the “60 Percent Forehand Weight” Rule Is Misleading

The commonly cited idea that the forehand carries 60 percent of the horse’s weight applies only to a standing horse on level ground without a rider. In dynamic movement, particularly under saddle, this percentage increases.

Forehand load rises due to the horse’s naturally forward center of mass, the added weight of the rider, variations in hoof balance and trim, posture and core strength, gait mechanics, landing forces, and weakness or collapse within the thoracic sling.

During trot and canter, forelimb loading often exceeds 60 percent and may reach 65 to 75 percent or more. This increased demand makes the thoracic sling the primary structure responsible for stabilizing and supporting the trunk in motion.

Steering Comes From the Shoulders

In horses, steering does not originate in the head or the hindquarters. Direction, line, and balance are determined by the orientation and control of the shoulders, which are suspended by the thoracic sling.

The thoracic cage sits between the forelimbs as a suspended structure. Wherever that structure is directed, the rest of the body must follow. The head follows the shoulders because it is attached to the cervical spine, which is anchored to the thorax. The pelvis and hind limbs follow because they are connected to the thoracic cage through the spine and continuous fascial chains.

A horse cannot truly go straight if the thoracic cage is crooked between the forelimbs. The hindquarters may push powerfully, but they will simply propel the body along the path the shoulders have already chosen. This is why pulling the head does not create straightness, pushing the hindquarters does not correct drift, and controlling the shoulders changes the entire trajectory of the horse.

When the thoracic sling is balanced and functional, the shoulders set the line and the rest of the body organizes naturally behind it.

Thoracic Cage Balance Determines Hind-End Function

The balance and alignment of the thoracic cage directly determine how effectively the hindquarters can work.

If the thoracic cage is dropped on one side, rotated between the forelimbs, collapsed through the sling, or unstable in vertical suspension, the hindquarters are forced into compensatory strategies rather than true engagement.

This often presents as asymmetrical stepping, uneven push mistaken for strength differences, difficulty bending evenly left versus right, loss of straightness despite strong hind-end effort, and increased strain through the lumbar spine and sacroiliac region.

The hindquarters do not choose these patterns. They respond to the balance problem they are pushing into.

When the thoracic sling lifts, centers, and stabilizes the ribcage, both hind limbs can step under evenly, propulsion becomes directed rather than wasted, carrying power improves without force, and collection becomes easier rather than more demanding.

Hind-end quality, therefore, reflects thoracic organization rather than the other way around.

A More Accurate Model of Equine Power

A modern, biomechanically accurate model is emerging.

The hindquarters generate propulsion.
The thoracic sling organizes the body, stabilizes the trunk, and distributes forces.
The core integrates the two into a coordinated whole.

This framework explains why straightness cannot be achieved through hind-end work alone, why self-carriage depends on wither elevation, why forehand heaviness is rarely a hind-end problem, and why movement quality arises from postural control rather than raw power.

Power without organization creates imbalance which crrates tension. Balance allows power to express itself. The future of equine performance lies in organizing the power the horse already has.

https://koperequine.com/the-thoracic-sling-axial-skeleton-interplay/

11/22/2025

11/10/2025

Quantum Riding.

Quantum mathematics transcends the classical notions of physics. Biotensegrity surpasses the classical notion of riding. Quantum mathematics requires a departure from intuitive logic. Biotensegrity necessitates a departure from traditional notions of riding and training.
Light, for instance, demonstrates both wave-like and particle-like properties. When observed as a wave, it exhibits interference and diffraction patterns. However, when analyzed as particles, photons exhibit quantized behavior and discrete interactions with matter. This duality challenges classical notions of physics, which generally categorize entities distinctly as either waves or particles. Classical notions of riding generally associate performance with obedience. Biotensegrity demonstrates that many elements of a horse's athletic performance, including fascia lines, closed kinematic chains, and muscle synergies, are not controlled by the rider’s aids.
The rider-horse duality, which leads to sound performances, is a partnership that gives more credit to the horse’s mental processing and willingness. A horse can execute the same movement using different muscles. We cannot control which muscles the horse uses, but we can feel which combination produces better movement. We can reward the horse when he executes the best movement, but that is too simplistic. By observing and analyzing the horse's overall body coordination, we can identify and recreate the conditions that lead to optimal performance,
Considering that the horse’s solution might be better than the dogma we have been trained to apply is a departure from the traditional notion of riding and training. We also need to expand beyond the linear theories to which we have been conditioned such as balance being a backward shift of the weight over the haunches or tearing of the lower legs’ long tendons is an elongation beyond the normal compliance of the tendon. Tendons are auxetic, they expand simultaneously in multiple directions. In the study ” Mechanical and possible auxetic properties of human Achilles tendon during in vitro testing to failure on the human Achilles tendon,” Christopher V. Nagelli and all observed a remarkable degree of medio-lateral auxetic behavior. We think longitudinally when, in fact, lateral forces and vibrations are significant causes of failure. The advantage of advanced knowledge is that we can prevent injuries by addressing the real problem instead of submitting the horse to traditional beliefs. We can reduce the intensity of lateral shifts and vibrations, creating authentic balance.

Authentic balance cannot be achieved by shifting the weight backward. Actual knowledge demonstrates that balance is a forward concept where the thoracolumbar spine muscles manage multidirectional forces around the center of mass and above the base of support. The language is foreign to classical thinking, but familiar to the horse. Indeed, it is the horse who processes efficient body coordination, if we create conditions guiding the horse mental processing toward efficient coordination of the horse’s physique.

In regard of the traditional concept of obedience, this is a quantum leap which includes accepting that the horse is willing, capable of feeling touches that we don’t have the sensitivity to feel, and process sophisticated body coordination. Most premier human athletes are talented but dysfunctional. If not corrected, the dysfunction limits the athlete’s potential and leads to injury. The horse is not different. We have knowledge of the performance’s athletic demands, and we need to teach this knowledge to the horse. Teaching first-grade kids is easy as they know nothing. Teaching fifth grade teenagers is difficult as they know all. The horse does not have an ego problem, but protects instinctively morphological flaws, muscle imbalance or other issues such as memories. We can ignore the horse’s protection and resort to obedience. The horse will submit finding a compromise which, over time, develops pathology.

Reducing lateral shifts of the tendons and vibrations, can be theoretically included in the concept of straightness, but in a dimension that is not approached in any school of thoughts. From the simpler understanding of straightness placing the shoulders in front of the haunches, we need to evolve to the concept of channeling the forces moving the horse’s thoracic spine between our upper thighs and the steadiness of our whole physique. This is Biotensegrity, integrity of our whole physique and subtle nuances in muscle tone. It is easier to channel the forces through our whole physique than synchronizing mechanical actions, but we need to evolve from the order of priorities to the understanding, that balance, forwardness, straightness, lightness, all develop simultaneously. It is a gradual orchestration of the horse’s whole physique. All the priorities interact, each adjustment at one end of the horse’s physique triggers adjustment of the whole physique. We are not different. We cannot have soft hands if we are not in neutral balance over our seat bones, with proper tensegrity of our whole physique interacting with the horse forces and energy through subtle nuances of our body tone. If we think which muscles, should I use, we are locked in mechanical thinking; actions-reactions, that are far away from the horse’s comfort zone and can only trigger protective reflex contractions.

We have no physical difficulty riding at such level of subtlety if we dish the aids and communicate with the horse through nuances of our whole-body tone. Quantum mathematics transcends the classical notions of physics. Quantum riding transcends the classical notions of training. If we practice shoulder in and the horse expresses difficulties bending the thoracic spine to the right, we consider the components of lateral bending, latero-flexion, transversal rotation, and longitudinal flexion. If the horse carries the trunk low between the shoulder blades, he will have difficulties bending the thoracic spine laterally. If the low carriage of the trunk is coupled with a preferential rotation shifting the dorsal spines to the left, the horse will have difficulties bending the thoracic spine to the right.

The horse cannot complete this level of analysis, but we do. We might have to lift the trunk between the forelegs before asking for lateral bending of the thoracic spine. This is a very simple example. It could be for instance that the transversal rotation that is part of lateral bending causes the horse difficulty bending the thoracic spine to the right. We can stimulate transversal rotation by asking for adduction of the right hind leg. The horse will react positively if the adjustment that we create eases the ex*****on of the performance. Other adjustments such as balance and slower cadence might be necessary. It is a conversation where we analyze the horse’s reaction as a partial answer to our question.

Resisting a gait or performance is not behavior. Resistances are expressions of pain or discomfort that we must identify and correct. If we believe that repeating a movement educates the horse’s body, we insist on practicing the right shoulder in and the horse intensifies or switch protections. One way or the other, pathology will develop and we inject the joints hoping that the horse will perform better. He will for a short time as hyaluronic acid or corticoids ease the pain, but they also accelerate the development of arthritis. The cure resides in our ability to transcend our classical notions.

Jean Luc Cornille

10/14/2025

Some horses don’t sparkle at first.
They’re quirky. Or ordinary. Or the kind others quietly pass on.

But to a certain kind of person, they make you pause.
You see something, not flashy or obvious, but real.

That’s what William Fox-Pitt talked about when he joined Dear Horse World.
A man who’s won it all, from Badminton to the Olympics, and still says the thing he’s proudest of isn’t the medals, but the horses who surprised him.

He told us about the ones who didn’t look the part. The ones people said weren’t quite right.
And how, time after time, they turned out to be the ones who gave him everything.

He said something that stuck with us:
“I always gave horses the benefit of the doubt. That positive belief goes a long way.
And if you really believe there’s something in there, you often bring it out.”

There’s something sacred about that kind of belief.
Because it asks more of us.
To see past behavior into potential.
To give time when everyone else is rushing.
To stay curious when it would be easier to walk away.

If you’ve ever looked at a horse others didn’t understand and thought, “There’s something in there,”
then you already know what William was talking about.

You’re not naive for believing.
You’re the reason overlooked horses get their chance.

🎧 Hear more from William Fox-Pitt in Dear Horse World: Season 1 Highlights, Part 2, a celebration of the voices shaping a kinder, truer future for horsemanship. Or catch his full episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDGwQ3bwOEA

💭 Tell us, have you ever believed in a horse that everyone else doubted?

08/16/2025

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗘𝗗𝗢𝗨𝗜𝗡 𝗖𝗢𝗗𝗘: 𝗪𝗛𝗬 𝗧𝗘𝗠𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗪𝗔𝗦 𝗦𝗔𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗗 𝗜𝗡 𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗕𝗜𝗔𝗡 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚. Long before modern shows and sport, Arabian horses lived with the Bedouin tribes of the desert — not in barns, but in tents, sharing life with people.

To the Bedouin, temperament wasn’t just important — it was sacred.

Why?
Because their horses were more than animals — they were family, war partners, and protectors. Arabians needed to be:
✅ Gentle enough to live among children in the tent
✅ Brave enough to charge into battle
✅ Loyal enough to return when called
✅ Smart enough to survive the harsh desert
✅ Calm, trusting, and obedient — even with no bridle or saddle!

Only the best were bred
If a horse was mean, disloyal, or panicky — it was never bred. Simple as that. Over generations, this created the Arabian we know today: intelligent, loyal, gentle, and courageous.

The Bedouins believed,
👉 “A horse’s spirit is more important than its speed.”
👉 “Viciousness in an Arabian is unknown.”

🐪 True stories from the desert...
➤ Horses slept in tents with babies and women.
➤ Foals played with children, even using people as scratching posts.
➤ Stallions walked among strangers without fear.
➤ War mares would lie still in silence to keep the camp safe.

The Bedouin Code taught that:
✨ Blood is important — but character is everything.
✨ A true Arabian gives its heart to its human.
✨ Temperament must be pure, like the bloodline.

This sacred code still shapes Arabian breeding today. From show ring to trail ride, their noble spirit lives on.

07/09/2025