Exactly, it’s super basic halter handling, but it has its niche clientele apparently.
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Ah, that never gets old. Literally. 
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I don’t understand how other professionals versed in anatomy can take this seriously?
Anatomically, we know that the extensors over the topline are what need to release in most cases of ‘topline syndrome,’ or ‘thoracic sling dysfunction,’ as they are often over-activated.
The brachiocephalicus attachment points make it a neck flexor/forelimb protractor, and it has nothing to do with the topline being elevated or tense. It’s simply reacting to the tension in the extensors.
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Thank you for the specifics on THW ideas. I went to Google and it looks like all this connects to what I know as having an upside down neck or overmuscling under the neck. It’s an obvious problem that good trainers can see and there’s a range of techniques to fix it. I would agree with stretching out to the bit, but you also need to work on the whole body since it’s often a symptom of traveling on the forehand. Like many things in physiotherapy sometimes you work the adjacent or opposite muscles. Sounds like THW like many such practitioners has picked up part of an idea from available online sources, simplified and packaged it, and made it super easy for newbies to do.
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Does the “Traveling Horse Witch” believe that nonsense? Anyone who does should not be paid one cent for their advice.
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So this is the thing about scams and frauds and the Dunning Kruger trainer. Your avatar client is innocent, ignorant, gullible, and wants to pay money for a physically easy solution to horse problems. And is susceptible to believing (a) problems exist where they don’t and/or (b) serious long term problems can be easily fixed but only by this miracle worker. Knowledgeable horse people would give this a passing glance, or not even that if it’s behind a pay wall. People who invest in the group are statistically more likely to throw good money after bad and think they will get the True Secret at the Diamond Level membership (like EST or Scientology).
The romance scanners are fascinating because they leave all kinds of red flags in their communication (whether because of imperfect English skills or deliberately) and the target that doesn’t pick up on these early on can be sweet talked into selling their house and sending $200,000 to a bit coin account to get the scanner out of prison for snuggling gold bars out of Switzerland to start a new life with target ( all from a keyboard in Lagos).
Scam is a psychological manipulation of promising the earth to needy people, then putting emotional pressure on them to cut them off from other trainers (horses) or friends (romance scammers, Scientology). It works in horses when people don’t have a knowledge base to evaluate new trainer claims
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Yes.
I’m not particularly well versed in horse biomechanics, but I do have a basic understanding of how muscles work and this obsession that many self-proclaimed biomechanics experts including CLL have with the brachiocephalicus has never made sense to me.
Yes, it’s the muscle that bulges out and looks ugly when a horse raises his head and is tense through his topline, but that doesn’t mean it’s the root cause of said ugliness. It seems to me like it would be more of an innocent bystander.
The whole “turn off the brachiocephalicus” thing strikes me as a the sort of stuff someone would come up with when they’ve looked at lots of static diagrams of horses but don’t understand how muscles translate to movement.
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My question is, does anyone know if the “Traveling Horse Witch” espouses that bizarre belief about the crest flip?
Don’t we have ex students here?
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Exactly. The horse goes upside down on the forehand for a variety of reasons including weak hind quarters or bad riding. The neck can also look ewe neck from lack of muscle. It’s a symptom not a cause
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I absolutely was taught that the crest flip is a sign of a “broken nuchal ligament” by Katherine Lowry and don’t ask for it. At her clinics at my place. I was dismayed because ALL of my horses do it including my mini. Gerd Heuschmann does say it is simply a sign the horse is in correct flexion.
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Ah, well that’s a clue that she has no qualifications to teach anyone neuro or physio-anything about horses.
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I better go tell my coach that all of our horses have a broken nuchal ligament. We need to stop flipping the crest when we change flexion. Especially on our big, cresty Spanish horses. My poor gelding. I guess he was born with a broken nuchal ligament. /s
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That’s the birth trauma coming in!
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Very wierd things can happen to an obese horses crest, they can collapse. But I think an actual ligament neck injury would cause such pain that you wouldn’t be messing with groundwork
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Haha I was thinking the exact same thing!
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Anyone who takes money in exchange for teaching should know the difference and be able to distinguish between a fat pony loppy crest and a horse “flipping the crest” which everyone who is knowledgeable about the term understands is a desirable sign of softness in the horse.
Of course, as I’ve noted before, the self described “Traveling Horse Witch” title is a dead giveaway. No one should be surprised about the misrepresentation/ lack of credentials.
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Should is all very well but in our unregulated horse industry any fool can market themselves as a guru. My favorite local brags that he’s had horses for seven years.
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Is it possible that THW and crew misinterpreted a fallen crest for a flipping crest? I’ve seen Spanish horses with fallen crests, and I’ve ridden a couple. A fallen crest happens when the nuchal ligament is overstretched. Not broken, but overstretched. Horses are still functionally sound with fallen crests. I’ve even seen them improve with correct conditioning and improved muscle tone.
In any case, if they did confuse it, shame on them for not double checking their “research” and doubling down on false information.
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No, they are quite aware of fallen crests and they believe the Pillars will magically cure a fallen crest… but there was a specification of a difference between a fallen crest and a broken nuchal ligament in the course half a year back if I remember correctly.
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