Example of hind and front limbs propulsive activity

Educate Your Eye Shoulder In proper and inverted rotation Example of hind and front limbs propulsive activity Horse's Back Up-Down Proper Muscle Development Caesar photos Airs Above the Ground Uneducated and irresponsible techniques Long and Low Misconceptions About Long and Low Misconceptions part 2 The Naked Truth Ribs and Muscles Excerpt from IHTC Functional Anatomy Get rid of the boxes Draft Shoulder in Lifting the back Lifting the back Tina & Bridget Jones Force 1 Forces 2 Forces 3 Neuro Feedback Foreleg Saddle Fitting Macel Rafale SOM Meaning of Life 35 Artists are Prophets It will be too late The Seat Equestrian Art The Glove Intelligent Saddles Wrong Dynamics Saddles evolve better way The Hand Energy Flexion of the poll Every stitch The Tree Of Life Magic Peripheral Thinking Thinking Wisdom Questioning Answers The Mask The Science of Physiotherapy Low Back Pain Magic Portal Charpege The Walking The Holy Grail Fitting The Motion Saddle Fitting Precision Forces On The Equine Back Applied equine biomechanics and anatomy piaffe Keepers of the primal Equine Lecture The New Seat Kissing Spine Forum Tree of Life The Comfort Zone The Beauty of The Beauty The Zone Riding The Details The Time Of No TIme Half Pass Half-Pass 2 Body schema Macel Samba S A saddle in tune Integrity Moon Theories

Educate your eye

III

Example of Hind and Front Limbs Propulsive Activity

Click on photos to enlarge

As Chazot is allows playing for the first time since his night of terror and consequent mild check ligament injury, he gives us a great lesson of hind legs’ propulsion. It is inexact to believe that the compression of the hocks’ joints is producing the propulsive force. Propulsion is created by the system of muscles and ligaments. Eccentric contractions immediately followed by concentric contractions are more efficient in propelling the horse’s body forward than any hock flexion. The whole concept is known as stretch-shorten contraction. The ligaments are part of the propulsive power through their elastic recoil capacity. Chazot starts the move bucking slightly and landing on the front legs. The hind legs alight and propel Chazot in the air. There is no flexion of the hocks at all.

Another interesting feature is the work of the serratus venralis thoracis muscles, (SVT) of the forelegs. In the middle of a bounce for instance, a horse is capable to take off over the second jump before the hind legs touch the ground. The SVT muscles which support the horse’s trunk between the forelegs are capable to propel the body upward. In this picture series, the forelegs are propelling Chazot upward before strong involvement of the hind legs.

Computer studies greatly further the knowledge of how the horse executes gaits and performances. The main finding is that simplicity does not fit reality. In fact simple formulas are most often confusing the issues and introducing false ideas. For instance, exactly the same move, showing the same kinematics data, can be produced by different muscular combinations. “A visually identical hindlimb extension in late stance may be accomplished by only hip extensor muscles, only knee extensor muscles or any combination of these.” (Liduin S. Meershoek and Anton J. van den Bogert. Mechanical Analysis of Locomotion.)

Jean Luc Cornille