The nervous system...it's a thing!

At a recent workshop, a student expressed the best “Ah Ha!” moment I’ve heard in a long time. She said, “I just realized that the nervous system is actually a…thing!” With all of the attention being given towards emotional regulation in working with horses, we tend to associate the nervous system with just what is regulating emotional states. We forget that the nervous system is arguably one of the most important systems within the body! I really appreciated her sharing the mindset shift she experienced, and I realized it’s a great topic to discuss.
 
 What is the nervous system?
The nervous system is you and your horse’s body's command center. Starting with signals from your brain, it controls your movements, thoughts, and automatic responses to the world around you. It also controls other body systems and processes, such as hormone production, digestion, and breathing. Disfunction in the nervous system can result in pain, emotional challenges, physical challenges, and negative impacts to overall wellbeing.
 
The brain and spinal cord make up the central nervous system. The peripheral nervous system includes the somatic and autonomic nervous systems. The somatic nervous system transmits sensory and motor signals to and from the central nervous system.
 
So why is the nervous system important to consider for your horse’s health and wellbeing? First of all, think about what we place almost daily at the base of the brain (at the poll). Halters, bridles, etc. Sometimes in training we may also unknowingly hyperflex the poll and causes excess tension and compression at the poll. This is compressing the spinal cord and negatively impacting the communication of the nervous system throughout the whole body. Two major nerves in the body, the trigeminal and vagus, are also at risk of impingement from the head gear we use on our horses. Not to mention, where we place the saddle and ride is in the middle of the spinal cord. This is also an opportunity to negatively impact the nervous system.

How can you help your horse?

The LISTEN Approach incorporates craniosacral therapy. Craniosacral therapy is the only modality that works with your horse’s nervous system to restore balance and health. Craniosacral Therapy is a light touch healing modality that utilizes energy to work WITH the central nervous system in the body to help balance be achieved. The name describes the spinal cord connection at that base of the cranium (skull) and the sacrum. Along the spinal cord are hundreds of nerves communicating throughout the body to perform certain innate functions. The movement of the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) communicating along the spinal cord is called the Cranial Rhythm or Wave. It can be pictured as flowing back and forth from the cranium to the sacrum in a closed hydraulic pump like system. If the flow becomes disrupted, a myriad of issues can arise because of so many systems in the body being dependent upon the proper communication along the spinal cord.
Because craniosacral works to balance and enhance the communication to the fascia, it can also be used to unwind any emotions that have settled there. As energetic beings, specific frequencies of energy are emitted within our bodies when we experience an emotion. If an event occurs in the body to disrupt the communication when you are experiencing an emotion, if can become trapped in the fascia. As a result, craniosacral is an extremely effective modality to address emotional imbalance. And it doesn’t stop there! Craniosacral can also be utilized to released trapped nerves and rebalance powerful endocrine communication channels such as the HPA Axis (Hypothalamus, Pituitary, and Adrenal Axis).

Here are some symptoms that your horse may have a disruption in the nervous system:
- Abnormal behavior such as reactiveness/spookiness or aggression, this is sometimes expressed as depression if the horse is in more of a shutdown state 
- Inability or a dislike of being touched or groomed
- Unable to perform to previous levels, trouble maintaining collection and correct body alignment
- Head shaking or guarding of areas on the head or poll
- Bucking or rearing
- Physical asymmetries in the cranial bones or a mis-alignment of the teeth
- Reports of TMJ issues or inflammation
- Metabolic or immune dysfunction Chronic Digestion dysfunction  

It would be my pleasure to be part of your horse’s wellness team. To learn more about Whole Horse Wellness Sessions (which incorporate Craniosacral), please visit my website.

Interested in learning the LISTEN Approach Pillar 1- Supporting the Nervous System: Equine Craniosacral??? Please the Workshops tab on my website.
 Blessings,
Amy