What is Proprioception?
Imagine this is you, on the rock. What are you doing? Standing, sitting, lying down?
Your body tells you that you are standing up… Your brain tells you that you are perched on a rock… Your body, your muscles, tendons, fascia, ligaments, vestibular system, tell you how high you are, how close to the edge, where to step, how far you would have to jump to the next stepping stone, or how to get down without landing on a sharp stone…
This remarkable acrobat is Noureddin Barhihi, of Cavalia. He would perform an act, as seen here, standing on a giant exercise ball, rolling it around as he interacted with his horse at liberty. He would be able to roll this ball forward, backward, sideways, following and moving as the horse moved. His proprioception was so good that he could move his feet and keep balanced enough that it was as simple as walking on the ground… His spatial awareness so in tune that he could work with his horse at liberty, matching the horse’s speed and movement, never getting too close or fast, too far or slow. Where some people’s proprioception is limited enough that they fall over their own feet, his was so fine that he could dance, on a ball, with a horse…
What is Equine Proprioception?
And why do I need to help my horse with it?
Horses have lost their feet… Through breeding for hypermobility, bigger movement and faster jumping times, we have destabilised the species. In the wild, herds of horse still gallop over rough terrain and know where their feet are. Our domesticated horses have had difficulties bred into them, and the unnatural environment that many horses live in means that they don’t get the natural stimuli that wild horses live with. Horses show “behaviour issues” such as difficult to load, resistant to hoof maintenance, spookiness or anxiety and in many cases it is from the feeling of being out of balance in their own body.
This is a podcast that I recorded in Sweden in January 2025. The introduction is in Swedish, but not to worry, it does switch to English! In this chat with Sally Karlsson, we explore what Proprioception is, why it’s important and how it works with fascia, behaviour and impacts riding. It can give a much clearer picture…
Want to learn more?
This is not a quick subject… The interaction between anatomy, behaviour, balance, tensegrity, spatial awareness, and many other factors, requires some depth of knowledge, some good basic ground work and time for both you and your horse to process. I run an 8 week online course, meeting once a week for an hour on Zoom followed up by video feedback discussing your homework. Click here to find out about the next course dates.