Does your horses have contact-problems? Does it tilt his head when riding? Does he pull the reins out of your hands? Or is he spooky? Then read this article!
The 2nd cervical vertebra (C2 / Axis) is associated with typical symptoms during a blockage: the horse has difficulty to accept the bit, it sometimes pulls the rein out of your hands and tilts its head. But more importantly, the first grinding movement of the teeth starts between the first and the second cervical vertebra.
Horses with a blockage in this region often also have irregular teeth. A visit to the dentist is certainly recommended, but it is equally important to relieve the first and second cervical vertebra from tension. After all, the teeth can be balanced by the dentist, but if the horse starts using the cramped muscles again, an imbalance of the teeth may occur again soon.
Because the chewing muscles cover a large part of the head, these muscles have a major influence on their behaviour when these muscles hurt. You’ll find out when you have a constant toothache yourself …
And about the first cervical vertebra (C1 / Atlas): it’s function is to carry the head. All influences from the second cervical vertebra also have a reaction on the first cervical vertebra and from there on the occipital skull. The ‘problem behaviour’ of the horse often have to do with all problems in this region. Sometimes pinched blood vessels (that supply the brain with blood) occur next to the local pain and a muscle cramp. The blood circulation and oxygen supply of the brain cells get disrupted and irregular.
A disturbance in the blood supply and oxygen supply in the horse’s brains can manifest itself in its behaviour, but also in terms of its vision. The horse can spook and run for inexplicable reason and behaves as if he/she should be frightened by every moving leaf.
In this case, people often have constant headache. A horse cannot talk and tell you he has a headache. But that doesn’t say he doesn’t have a headache! I often treat the neck in my therapy sessions.
Does your horse have symptoms I mentioned before? Don’t hesitate to contact me!