Right around the time they started introducing a crest flip as poll tension or a damaged nuchal ligament is when my then-arising suspicions the method was lacking in true functional anatomy knowledge really hit a peak.
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Can confirm! Absolutely true.
At this point, I actually would pay several hundred dollars to have CLL come out and ride my horse.
He knows how to take care of himself, and I could use the entertainment.
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Hopefully this will drive all real or competent trainers out of the club
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Or seen an actual nuchal ligament
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As an aside, I have had the privilege to audit many of Gerd Heuschmann’s clinics - he has made many visits to the PNW and one venue he visits is 5 minutes from my barn. One day of his wisdom and individual insights for each horse and rider is worth many courses of Traveling Horse Witchness. And far, far cheaper…
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Welcome to the free market.
Professionalism is not required.
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I’d love to see the result of this experiment, but since her online lessons cost roughly $800 each I can only imagine how much she charges to grace you with her physical presence
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I’m sorry - what?! Do they not know that the muscles are on either side of the crest, and crest simply moves depending on which muscles are flexing or extending?
Sweet Jeebus, these people.
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Just wait until you hear what they have to say about the brachiocephalicus… CLL believes the brachiocephalicus can be “turned off” indefinitely while the serratus ventralis and trapezius take over. 
You guys here on this forum seem quite educated and aware, so I likely don’t need to tell you that the brachiocephalicus is the only muscle that can protract the forelimb. The horse quite literally cannot swing the forelimbs forward without engaging the brachiocephalicus. It is impossible for the muscle to be "turned off’ while the horse is in motion.
What I’ve gathered by the few images that were shared of horses who were moving in CLLs idealized frame or posture. Ironic because the horses are often a bit hyperflexed with the neck quite low throwing the horse onto the forehand with the underneck tucked upwards.
When the horse is in this particular frame, the brachiocephalicus is in isometric contraction. Laughably, isometric contraction creates a higher tension than isotonic contraction in the very muscle CLL believes to be “turning off.” In turn, the muscle is being strengthened in this frame, thereby perpetuating the very issue CLL is attempting to resolve. And we wonder why there is no footage of finished horses in BTMM available… 
Now, I can get behind using the very original 3 Pillars concepts from BTMM as standing bodywork exercises only that are easy to do for the layman and not likely to cause much harm. The sad part is, those 3 little exercises are about the only positive attribute gleaned from BTMM. And of course, BTMM did not invent these standing postural exercises, you can find these exact exercises across a vast swath of methods out there, you just won’t find them described as Pillars elsewhere.
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What are the pillars anyways?
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Peter, Paul, and Mary?
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Pillar 1: Lower the head with neck forward and down (but not too low, find that magical sweet spot, only a $300 1:1 session with CLL will confirm you have found the magical position) until it feels like the underneck tension has released and becomes jiggly like jello.
Pillar 2: Out of Pillar 1, ask the horse to slightly rock their weight back (magically and energetically without pressure) until you see the pectorals fire. (Similar to Hillary Clayton’s crunch exercises but without luring with a carrot)
Pillar 3: Out of Pillar 2, ask for one single step of abduction of the forelimb on both sides.
As simply bodywork exercises to help rehab a horse who maybe has developed a poor habit of chronically bracing the brachiocephalicus even at rest, these are well and fine, any idiot can do them and find some benefit. But, trying to do these exercises in movement, even at canter under saddle, its akin to Art2Ride all over again.
The Pillars were originally taught as simple bodywork exercises to do in-hand for 5-10 minutes at a standstill and maybe do it mounted later on before continuing with regular training. The early draw was that it could be applied regardless of what discipline you ride, with the promise of magically building topline and creating self carriage in your horse, by building up the thoracic sling. Obviously, that’s not how rehab works…
It was sometime around late spring, early summer, where it somehow devolved into people attempting to ride the Pillars, even at canter, on horses who had previously been diagnosed EPM, PSSM, etc etc. Horrifying to witness some of those videos. 
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When I first read this, I thought it said Hillary CLINTON and I was puzzled by the reference to luring her with a carrot. 
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I believe Nick Peronace is literally a pillar in his community, so there’s one. Not sure about the other 2.
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Number 2 is Lot’s wife. Not so sure about Number 3 but apparently we have to perfect the first two before we are magical enough to move on.
OR… if I let my art history geek flag fly, the three pillars/columns are Doric, Ionic and Corinthian… in that order.
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When I was reading @NerdyHorseLady’s descriptions of the three pillars, I kept envisioning practicing my halter and showmanship patterns with my Paint gelding. There. Done them. Do I get a BTMM certificate of achievement or something?
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Parelli, NP, SW?
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