REbalancing the Hyoid

​Could this small bone be the missing link to your horse's health and performance???

Let's talk about the Hyoid!

Hyoid Apparatus (Bone)
The hyoid apparatus is a wishbone/y-shaped group of bones that is commonly referred to as the hyoid. It attaches to the skull and provides connections for several muscles, including the tongue. Fascia trains that connect from the hyoid can move the hind end all the way to the hock!

What types of issues might you see if a horse’s hyoid is out of alignment?
- Breathing difficulties
- Head tilting
- Restrictions in the front limbs
- Restrictions in the hind end
- Cranial Shear
- Asymmetry in the scapula
- Swelling under jaw
- Difficulty using a bit
- General reactivity in the head

The hyoid is a critical little bone that can truly affect the entire body. In fact, some of the muscles that attach to the hyoid also extend upwards to the horse’s skull (occipitohyoid) and downward to the sternum (sternohyoid and sternothyroid), and the scapula or shoulder blade (omohyoid).

The hyoid bones are VERY SMALL and FRAGILE. We should never, ever utilize the tongue to rebalance the hyoid. This is a very dangerous method and can cause the hyoid to break.

It is best to use the LISTEN Approach Equine Craniosacral to help the hyoid bones find their balanced, neutral position. Then, we will enable the horse to work on the hyoid themselves with indirect stimulation.

The hyoid can be presented as a multi-directional shear, similar to the sphenoid. It can be lower in the left/right, shifted to the left/right, or shifted cranial/caudal.

**Dental work will almost Always cause the hyoid to become out of alignment. **

The hyoid bone can be fractured. Signs may include head shaking, reluctance to accept bit, inability to fully mobilize jaw, very reactive to touching the ear, drooping of ear or lip. A veterinarian should always be consulted if this is suspected.
Watch the video below to learn the first step in rebalancing the hyoid with the LISTEN Approach.
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