- Speaker #0
Welcome back to the Deep Dive. Today we are really getting into the nuts and bolts of movement, not just anatomy, but the mechanical blueprints.
- Speaker #1
That's right. We're looking at the fundamental rules, planes, axes, articulations.
- Speaker #0
And we're doing it with a really interesting lens. Comparing the human body directly with the equine body, it just throws the differences into sharp relief.
- Speaker #1
It really does. It's like comparing two engineering solutions to the problem of locomotion. Both follow physics, of course, but the... priorities are just worlds apart.
- Speaker #0
So what's the core difference we're focusing on from our sources?
- Speaker #1
Okay, so the key takeaway is this. You, the human, are built for mobility, for dissociation, you know, moving one bit without everything else having to follow.
- Speaker #0
Right, like twisting your torso without necessarily turning your hips immediately.
- Speaker #1
Exactly. The horse, on the other hand, it's engineered for continuity and stability. Everything works together to maximize forward propulsion, Linear power.
- Speaker #0
Mobility versus linear stability. That's basically the theme for today right there.
- Speaker #1
Pretty much. And to really grasp how the joints reflect this, we need to quickly set the stage with the basic coordinate system, the planes of movement.
- Speaker #0
Okay, let's lay that groundwork, the three critical planes.
- Speaker #1
Absolutely. Think of them like the dimensions you can move in. First up, the sagittal plane.
- Speaker #0
Right, that's the one splitting you left and right, forward and backward movement.
- Speaker #1
Precisely. Nodding yes, doing a bicep curl. running straight ahead that's all sagittal, flexion and extension.
- Speaker #0
Got it. Then plane number two.
- Speaker #1
That's the frontal plane. Imagine it slicing you front to back. This is your sideways motion.
- Speaker #0
Like doing jumping jacks or tilting your head to your shoulder, abduction, adduction, lateral stuff.
- Speaker #1
You got it. And finally, the transversal plane. This one cuts you top to bottom. It's all about rotation.
- Speaker #0
Turning your head no, twisting your spine.
- Speaker #1
Exactly. That's the transversal plane in action. And each plane has a corresponding axis. It rotates around transversal, interpasterior, longitudinal. Same rules for everyone.
- Speaker #0
But as you said, different priorities. So how does the horse prioritize these?
- Speaker #1
Well, for the horse, it's almost entirely about one plane. The sagittal plane dominates massively. It's not just a plane of propulsion. It's the plane of propulsion.
- Speaker #0
Everything is geared towards that forward drive.
- Speaker #1
Everything. From hoof to hip, it's about generating linear force efficiently.
- Speaker #0
So what about the other two planes, the frontal and transversal? Do they just disappear in the horse?
- Speaker #1
They're drastically minimized, seriously reduced. The frontal plane, it's there, but really only for the bare minimum of lateral balance needed while running. Just enough to stay upright. And the transversal plane rotation, almost zero in the main body. The horse's chest and pelvis are basically locked together. They rotate very, very little.
- Speaker #0
Why is that?
- Speaker #1
Because twisting would just bleed energy. Energy that needs to go into moving forward. any rotation is wasted effort for their primary goal.
- Speaker #0
Okay, that's super clear. Now let's contrast that with us. Humans, think about something like Pilates, maybe a corkscrew move, or even just complex daily actions.
- Speaker #1
Right. We need all three planes working together. Yeah. You need sagittal strength for the core movement, yes, but you need frontal plane control for balance, and you absolutely need that transversal rotation to link everything smoothly. Upper body, lower body connection.
- Speaker #0
We're designed to twist, to lean, to fold in complex ways. the horse just isn't.
- Speaker #1
And yet here's the interesting thing. Despite these totally opposite design philosophies complexity for us, focused simplicity for the horse, there's a shared mechanical truth.
- Speaker #0
What's that?
- Speaker #1
Every good movement, human or horse, starts from respecting the axis of the joint involved. Get the axis right and the movement feels, well, natural, effortless almost, whether you're working in one plane or coordinating all three.
- Speaker #0
Okay, that makes sense. Let's dig into the specific joints then, see how this plays out. Starting with the forelimbs. For the horse, these are primarily about support and shock absorption, right?
- Speaker #1
Exactly. Let's start right at the top, the shoulder, the scapula humeral joint.
- Speaker #0
Okay. For humans, this is the classic ball and socket joint, what anatomists call spheroid maximum mobility.
- Speaker #1
Maximum mobility is right. Flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, internal rotation, external rotation, the works. All three planes, all three axes. It gives us that huge range of arm movement.
- Speaker #0
Which is why in things like Pilates, we focus so much on controlling that movement. Arm circles, scapular isolations. We have all this potential mobility, but the challenge is using it precisely without destabilizing everything else.
- Speaker #1
Precisely. Now, the horse's shoulder, also technically scapula humeral, but its function, almost entirely flexion and extension. Sagittal plane only, pretty much.
- Speaker #0
So it sacrifices that huge range of motion.
- Speaker #1
Completely. It trades amplitude for massive stability. There's virtually no rotation allowed because the drain surfaces fit together so tightly. It's locked into that forward-backward path. Stability first.
- Speaker #0
So we get fine motor control and range. They get rock-solid linear action. What about the elbow?
- Speaker #1
Okay, the elbow. Human elbow, mostly a hinge joint, right? Troclean. Flexion, extension, bending and straightening.
- Speaker #0
But we also have that forearm rotation, pronation and supination, turning the palm up and down.
- Speaker #1
Crucial for us. That's tool use. Interacting with the world three-dimensionally. The horse's elbow, also a hinge. But strictly, flexion and extension. No rotation. No pronation, supination capability at all.
- Speaker #0
Its job is just...
- Speaker #1
Weight-bearing. At absorbing impact, it's a dedicated, powerful, linear shock absorber. That's it.
- Speaker #0
Wow. The further down the limb we go, the more specialized it seems to get for the horse. What about the wrist? For us, the radiocarpal joint is pretty mobile, allows for that fine tuning.
- Speaker #1
Yeah, it's a conular joint. Flexion, extension, plus that side-to-side tilt, the deviation, it gives us finesse, proprioception, feeling things delicately.
- Speaker #0
And finesse is probably the last thing a horse needs at the bottom of its leg when galloping.
- Speaker #1
Exactly. Any lateral wiggle there would be disastrous for stability of speed. So the horse's equivalent joint. It's incredibly rigid. All force goes straight down, linearly, safely to the ground. No fine-tuning allowed.
- Speaker #0
Okay, that paints a super clear picture for the forelimbs. We trade stability for 3D complexity. The horse trades complexity for linear power and stability. Let's shift to the hindlimbs, the engine room.
- Speaker #1
Right, the power source. Yeah. Starting with the hip, the coxofemoral joint.
- Speaker #0
In humans, another ball and socket. Spheroid again. Huge mobility. Flexion. Extension, abduction, adduction, internal-external rotation. Three planes. three axes.
- Speaker #1
And in many movement disciplines like Pilates, we talk about the hip as the mechanical center. The irony is the stability of our whole core often depends on controlling this incredibly mobile joint. That's the human challenge.
- Speaker #0
How does the horse's hip compare? Also coxofemoral technically.
- Speaker #1
Yes, but the reality is starkly different. Mobility is hugely restricted. It's all about flexion and extension, rotation, almost none. It's purely for propulsion.
- Speaker #0
Needs to transfer that massive force from the hindquarters without any wobble.
- Speaker #1
Exactly. No room for dissociation there. It has to be a solid transmitter of power.
- Speaker #0
Okay, moving down to the knee. Our knee, the femurotibial joint, is mostly a hinge but with a twist, right? A modified hinge.
- Speaker #1
That's right. Flexion, extension mainly, but we get a bit of rotation possible when the knee is bent. That modification adds versatility for us.
- Speaker #0
And the horse's equivalent, the hawk or jarret.
- Speaker #1
No modification there. It's a strict hinge. Pure flexion and extension locked into the sagittal plane. It's reinforced with incredibly strong ligaments. All about powerful linear drive. Pure sagittal function.
- Speaker #0
No compromise. And finally, the ankle. Our ankle is quite complex dorsiflexion, plantar flexion, plus inversion and eversion from the subtalar joint.
- Speaker #1
Essential for us. Walking on uneven ground, dynamic balance. We need that multi-planar movement. Think about... Footwork on the reformer or standing balance exercise.
- Speaker #0
No, Morse's equivalent down low, the fetlock or boulet.
- Speaker #1
That's essentially an elastic hinge. Again, only flexion and extension in the sagittal plane. Yeah. But it has this amazing spring-like quality because of the tendons.
- Speaker #0
Like a trampoline effect.
- Speaker #1
Exactly. It provides that final energy return, that spring, just before the hoof hits the ground again. Still linear, but with elastic recoil.
- Speaker #0
So limbs are radically different, which means the structure connecting them, the axial core, the spine, must also be different.
- Speaker #1
Absolutely. The human spine is a marvel of linked semi-mobile joints, amphiorthroses. We're designed for movement in all directions. Flexion, extension, side bending, rotation, different parts specialize, cervical, thoracic, lumbar, but overall mobility is key.
- Speaker #0
We need that flexibility to absorb shock, distribute load, allow complex movements.
- Speaker #1
Right. Now the horse's spine, especially through the back, the thoracic and lumbar regions, it's exceptionally rigid compared to ours.
- Speaker #0
Can't afford that multi-directional flexibility.
- Speaker #1
Nope. If the spine was constantly bending and twisting, they'd lose that all-important propulsive drive. The chest and pelvis act like a stable platform to transmit power efficiently from the hind end forward.
- Speaker #0
The lumbar spine carries the rider and propels, but doesn't rotate much.
- Speaker #1
Very little. It's a fascinating contrast to us. When we lift something heavy, we need dynamic stability, that ability to brace but still allow subtle movements, especially in the thoracic spine. Rigid fixation like the horse's back would cause strain for us.
- Speaker #0
So is there anywhere the horse gets significant multi-planar movement? Any joint that's allowed to be free?
- Speaker #1
Yes, just one major exception. The neck. The incollier. That's the only place with significant movement in all three planes.
- Speaker #0
Flexion, extension, side bending, rotation?
- Speaker #1
All of it. And it needs that freedom. The head and neck are crucial for balance, for vision, for orienting the whole body. It acts like a counterweight and a rudder for that. powerful stable chassis.
- Speaker #0
It's the control tower for the engine room. Okay so let's pull this all together. What's the big picture difference in strategy?
- Speaker #1
Okay synthesis time. Humans. We possess many degrees of freedom, movement options everywhere. Our challenge is learning to stabilize them effectively to prevent energy leaks and compensation patterns.
- Speaker #0
We have to manage our freedom.
- Speaker #1
Exactly. The horse. It takes the opposite approach. It aggressively limits degrees of freedom in most joints to maximize linear power and endurance. Lock it down, channel the force forward.
- Speaker #0
And how the planes are used reflects this, for us in complex movements.
- Speaker #1
Sagittal provides the structure, the main action. Frontal provides the balance. And And transversal connects it all, creates the flow, the coordination.
- Speaker #0
Whereas for the horse?
- Speaker #1
Sagittal propels, frontal stabilizes that propulsion laterally. And transversal, it mainly just orients the whole machine via the neck. Very different roles.
- Speaker #0
Understanding this difference feels really practical. It explains why certain movements feel awkward or why some joints seem prone to specific issues.
- Speaker #1
It really does. If a movement feels stuck or strained, Maybe you're trying to force rotation where a joint is designed mainly for sagittal movement. Or maybe you're not using the rotation potential in a joint like your hip or shoulder that actually needs it for healthy function.
- Speaker #0
Knowing that our shoulder, hip, and spine are fundamentally three plane structures while most major equine joints are sagittal dominant, that's key insight.
- Speaker #1
It's the path to precision and to stability ironically. Understanding your mobility potential helps you find true stability.
- Speaker #0
So wrapping this up, what's the final thought for someone listening, trying to understand their own movement better through this comparison?
- Speaker #1
I think it's about developing that internal awareness. This comparison gives you a language, a framework. Recognize the difference between a joint that needs to be stable, like a hinge, and one that needs controlled mobility, like a ball and socket.
- Speaker #0
Our hip versus the horse's hawk, for instance.
- Speaker #1
Exactly. When you start to understand your own body's design, feel its axes, is. recognize its planes, respect its joint types. You stop feeling lost in movement. You move with intention.
- Speaker #0
And when you reach that point, that level of internal knowledge and connection.
- Speaker #1
Movement stops being just a technique you're trying to copy.
- Speaker #0
It becomes.
- Speaker #1
It becomes embodied consciousness. It's you moving authentically within your own design.
