Proprioception refers to a horse’s awareness of his body’s position and movements, including limb and foot placement. | Photo: Photos.com

After a horse recovers from orthopedic injury, he might still show lingering signs of gait abnormalities, stiffness, muscle atrophy, and incoordination. Will these performance-limiting issues resolve on their own? Most likely, no.

At the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ Focus on the Sport Horse program, held July 20-22, in Louisville, Kentucky, Hilary Clayton, BVMS, PhD, MRCVS, Dipl. ACVSMR, McPhail Dressage Chair Emerita at Michigan State University and president of Sport Horse Science, in Mason, Michigan, spoke about proprioceptive stimulation techniques owners can use to help restore recovering horses’ “range of joint motion, muscle activation, and muscular coordination and strength.”

Proprioception refers to a horse’s awareness of his body’s position and movements, including limb and foot placement. Unconscious proprioception coordinates a horse’s posture and basic locomotion, whereas conscious proprioception facilitates more complex locomotor tasks, Clayton explained