Graham Equine Sports Therapy

06/12/2026

Hill Work: Simple. Powerful. Underrated.

Hill work is one of those simple tools that looks almost too basic — but when you zoom out and consider what it’s actually doing to the horse’s body, it becomes incredibly powerful.

1. Hill work builds real strength.
Walking uphill requires the horse to engage the hindquarters, recruit the abdominal system, and stabilize through the topline in a way flat ground simply doesn’t. Gravity provides resistance. Every uphill step is a controlled strength repetition.

Over time, this develops a stronger engine behind and a more supported back.

2. Hill work encourages better posture and balance.
A slope naturally shifts weight caudally, encourages lowering of the croup, and promotes lift through the thoracic sling and base of the neck. It organizes posture without excessive rein or leg micromanagement.

The terrain teaches alignment.

3. Hill work improves joint and tissue resilience.
Progressive hill exposure loads tendons, ligaments, fascia, and joints in a functional, adaptable way. Tissues respond to load. When load is gradual and appropriate, they remodel and strengthen.

Durability improves when the body learns to manage force efficiently.

4. Hill work builds cardiovascular capacity without pounding.
Uphill walking increases heart and respiratory demand at slower speeds. You can condition the cardiovascular system while minimizing excessive concussion — particularly useful for horses rebuilding strength.

5. Hill work enhances proprioception and coordination.
Changing slopes and uneven terrain stimulate sensory receptors throughout the fascial and neuromuscular system. The horse must organize foot placement and stabilize dynamically.

Better body awareness translates to better movement everywhere.

6. Hill work trains the fascial load-transfer lines.
Fascia is not just wrapping — it is a continuous tension network that distributes force across the body. Uphill movement increases demand through the caudal chain (hindquarters into the thoracolumbar fascia), integrates the abdominal sling, and organizes force transfer forward through the thoracic sling.

Instead of isolated muscle activation, hills promote whole-body integration. The Superficial Dorsal Line must lengthen and recoil appropriately. The Deep Ventral Line must stabilize and support the trunk. The lateral lines must balance side-to-side load as each limb pushes uphill.

In other words, hill work doesn’t just build muscle — it conditions the fascial system to transmit force efficiently from hind limb to forehand.

7. Hill work is mentally engaging.
Terrain presents a problem to solve. Many horses move with more intent, curiosity, and forward thinking when they’re navigating real ground instead of circling an arena.

If I had to choose one low-tech, high-return tool for developing a stronger topline, improved balance, and a more capable body, hills would be very high on that list.

Do you incorporate hill work into your program?

https://koperequine.com/fascial-fitness-training-enhancing-equine-performance-and-longevity/

06/12/2026

06/12/2026

I’m going to do another 4-part series starting by discussing the anatomy and function of the hyoid apparatus!!

Aka one of my all-time FAVORITE anatomical topics to nerd out about🤭

The hyoid apparatus looks a lot like a swing from a playground located in between the two mandibles. Attaching up to the skull underneath the temporal bone (underneath the ear) at the temperohyoid joint.

Dysfunction of the hyoid can present as a slew of different symptoms such as behavior issues, mysterious lameness, and/or neurologic changes, etc. I’ve seen it first hand with Booty… leading me to where I am today, so impressed by anatomical connections from head to tail…literally! HOW COOL is the body?!

The hyoid apparatus is a team of several bones that work together to assist the body in many functions.

Some of the key functions -
𝐓𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭
The hyoid apparatus provides the primary skeletal framework supporting the tongue.
Without it, coordinated tongue movement would not be possible.

𝐒𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠
During swallowing, the hyoid apparatus elevates and moves caudally, coordinating movement of the tongue, pharynx, and larynx.
Super important in protecting the airway and moving feed towards the esophagus!!

𝐔𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐀𝐢𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 / 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
**We’re going to dive more into this later… Follow along in this series 😉**
Helps stabilize the larynx

𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐥 + 𝐒𝐤𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐬
Because the stylohyoid bones connect to the temporal bones, movement of the tongue and larynx can influence forces transmitted to the skull.
Likewise, restrictions at the poll or temporohyoid region may affect hyoid function.

𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐬
This is where things get SO cool.

The hyoid apparatus functions as a biomechanical bridge between from the head, ultimately throughout the entire body through muscular and fascial connections.

Several major muscles attach directly to the hyoid apparatus establishing direct connections between the head, sternum, shoulder, throughout the trunk, all the way back to the hind end. There’s a lot to this that I will talk about more specifically in later posts.

𝑵𝒐𝒘, 𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒔 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒎𝒚!
Starting with the bony structures -

𝐓𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐡𝐲𝐨𝐢𝐝 (2 total, paired)
Small cartilage connecting the stylohyoid to the temporal bone

𝐒𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐨𝐡𝐲𝐨𝐢𝐝 (2 total, paired)
The longest pair, articulating to the temporal bone
Extend dorsally (up… think dorsal… dolfin fin) toward the skull
Most susceptible to temporohyoid osteoarthropathy (THO)

𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐡𝐲𝐨𝐢𝐝 (2 total, paired)
Located between the stylohyoid and ceratohyoid

𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐡𝐲𝐨𝐢𝐝 (2 total, paired)
Connects the epihyoid to the basihyoid
Extend from the basihyoid toward the skull
Transmit forces between the tongue, pharynx, and upper hyoid structures

𝐓𝐡𝐲𝐫𝐨𝐡𝐲𝐨𝐢𝐝
Attaches to the thyroid cartilage of the larynx
“Thyro”hyoid…Attaches to “thyro”id cartilage😉

𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐡𝐲𝐨𝐢𝐝
Supports the lingual process of the tongue
Located beneath the tongue… The “base”
Primary attachment point for numerous muscles assisting in tongue movement, swallowing and laryngeal position

𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬
Projecting rostrally (towards the front) from the basihyoid
Extends into the base of the tongue

𝑴𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒔!!

Tongue Muscles
• Genioglossus
• Hyoglossus
• Styloglossus

Suprahyoid Muscles
• Mylohyoideus
• Geniohyoideus
• Digastricus

Infrahyoid Muscles
• Sternohyoideus
• Sternothyroideus
• Omohyoideus

𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐡𝐲𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐬
Connects the hyoid to the sternum, continuing into the pectorals, abdominals, all the way to the pelvis through fascia

𝐎𝐦𝐨𝐡𝐲𝐨𝐢𝐝
Connects the hyoid to fascia around the shoulder joint medially (towards the midline)
From the shoulder, the ventral fascia line continues through the body running back the hind limb

𝐎𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐡𝐲𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐞
Connects the hyoid to the poll, linking through the dorsal line (nuchal ligament and dorsal fascia) back to the hind end

Next, we’ll dive deeper making connections between the larynx and pharynx with the hyoid!!

#𝙐𝙣𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙂𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨

06/11/2026

06/10/2026

06/08/2026

Them: “Your horse is spoiled.”

Me: He is appropriately compensated for the user experience he provides.

And honestly, after spending my days doing massage and fascia therapy on horses, I understand this more than ever.

Think about everything horses do for us.

They carry us.
They teach us.
They compete for us.
They trail ride with us.
They haul across the country.
They tolerate our mistakes.
They adapt to our training programs.
They work through soreness, fatigue, stiffness, weather, and aging.

Many horses spend years compensating for rider asymmetries, old injuries, conformational challenges, poorly fitting equipment, repetitive training patterns, and the normal wear and tear of athletic life.

Then they quietly show up and do their jobs anyway.

One thing bodywork teaches you is that horses don’t always tell us when something is uncomfortable.

They often adapt.

Until they can’t.

Massage and fascia therapy aren’t about spoiling horses.

They’re about supporting the body that supports us.

Helping muscles relax.
Helping movement feel easier.
Helping compensation patterns become less necessary.
Helping circulation, mobility, comfort, and recovery.

Because if a horse spends thousands of hours taking care of us, it seems reasonable that we spend a little time taking care of them.

So yes.

Give your horse bodywork.

Give your horse maintenance.

Give your horse opportunities to move, stretch, and recover.

Pay attention when they seem a little stiff, a little sore, or a little different than usual.

Invest in their comfort the way they invest in us every day.

Not because they’re spoiled.

Because they’ve earned it.

https://koperequine.com/helping-horses-have-a-better-experience-in-their-body/

06/07/2026

The Great Saddle Slip Mystery🔍

Your saddle slips to the left.

So naturally, you buy a new girth.

It still slips.🤨

So you buy a fancy anatomical girth, a non-slip saddle pad, and perhaps a breastplate with enough straps to secure a small aircraft.

It still slips.😠

So you call a saddle fitter.

Then another saddle fitter.

Then one recommended by a friend who swears they transformed her horse's life.

It still slips.😖

At this point, many horse owners begin to suspect that they're somehow destined to spend the rest of their life searching for the mythical saddle setup that stays exactly where it should.

But before you spend another dollar on tack or lose respect for your latest saddle-fitter, let me tell you about some fascinating research by Line Greve and Sue Dyson.🤓

Because what they discovered put some very important information on the table to consider when you have a saddle slip issue.

The researchers investigated horses with persistent saddle slip and found that many of them had underlying hindlimb lameness.

Now, stay with me if you just rolled your eyes and think this isn't you case because your horse is clearly NOT lame....

The type of lameness identified was not the obvious kind where the horse is hopping around on three legs.

The subtle kind.🤔

The sort of issue that can quietly affect performance, behaviour, balance, and movement long before anyone recognises it as a soundness problem.

Why?

Because horses with discomfort or dysfunction or weakness in a hind leg often alter the way they move. They redistribute load, change how they push off the ground, and compensate through their body. Those altered forces travel through the horse's back and can gradually push the saddle off centre.

This doesn't just apply to horses with obvious injuries. It can occur in horses with mild lameness, asymmetries, weakness, developmental immaturity, or conditions affecting structures such as the stifle, sacroiliac region, suspensory apparatus, or other parts of the hind limb.

Now here's the part that many people find surprising.

The researchers found that saddle slip was actually associated with well-balanced saddles that had even contact and good flocking.😲

In other words, a saddle that slips isn't necessarily poorly fitted.

In fact, if you've had the saddle checked, adjusted, reflocked, replaced, and the problem keeps returning, there may be something else worth investigating.

The most compelling finding came when the researchers identified the source of the hindlimb pain and used diagnostic nerve blocks to remove the discomfort.

The saddle slip disappeared in 97% of cases.😱

Read that again.

Ninety-seven percent.😱

The saddle didn't change.

The girth didn't change.

The saddle pad didn't change.

The horse's movement changed.🤯

That's a pretty powerful clue.😎

One of the biggest challenges with horses is that we often focus on the symptom we can see rather than the cause we can't.

The slipping saddle becomes the problem.

The canter transition becomes the problem.

The spooky behaviour becomes the problem.

The horse drifting through the shoulder becomes the problem.

But sometimes these things are not separate problems at all.

Sometimes they are all clues pointing towards the same underlying issue.

So if your saddle consistently slips despite multiple fitting assessments and equipment changes, it may be worth considering whether your horse is trying to tell you something.

And if that saddle slip is accompanied by things like:
- Canter difficulties
- Resistance under saddle
- Reactive or spooky behaviour
- Struggles with engagement
then the possibility of an underlying soundness issue becomes even more important to investigate.⚠️

One of the most valuable lessons I've learned working with horses is that behaviour, performance, and movement are often connected in ways that aren't immediately obvious.

A slipping saddle may not always indicate a soundness issue...sometimes it can be a YOU issue, but that is for another article another day.

But if it keeps happening despite your best efforts to fix it, it might be worth looking beyond the saddle.💡

Sometimes the saddle is not the problem.

It's the clue.

References
Greve, L., & Dyson, S. J. (2013). An Investigation of the Relationship Between Hindlimb Lameness and Saddle Slip. Equine Veterinary Journal, 45(5), 570-577.
Greve, L., & Dyson, S. J. (2014). The Interrelationship of Lameness, Saddle Slip and Back Shape in the General Sports Horse Population. Equine Veterinary Journal, 46(6), 687-694.

Collectable Advice 226/365. Please SHARE or hit SAVE. Please no copy and pasting.

06/07/2026