Two Track Bodywork

When equine bodyworkers talk about muscle function, trailering always comes up as the "classic" example of isometric contraction – where muscles contract without initiating movement. If you've ever done held a plank or wall sit for a long time, you understand this can be tiring... and presumably that floor or wall wasn't moving on you. Imagine doing that plank or wall sit in a moving trailer! Keep this in mind next time you hit the road with your horse and expect them to perform at the destination!

Trailering Can Be a Workout for the Horse, Study Finds Researchers used a special horse trailer to study how horses move when they travel. They demonstrated that horses move frequently during travel to compensate for the movements of the trailer, and that a horse’s legs play an important role for dampening the vibrations from the road. Relatively litt...