Demystifying the Cranial Bones
Exploring the function of these potent puzzle pieces and the farreaching impact of a cranial imbalance on your horse.
The equine skull has thirtyfour bones while the human skull is made up of twentytwo bones of which eight are cranial bones and fourteen are facial bones. That is quite a number of bones making up our noggins and those of our horses. But what do they all do? Thats a great question with a complex answer.
Various sources describe the role of these bones as ranging from the rather basic functions of protecting the brain from damage and concussive forces and providing the necessary nooks and crannies to move blood lymph and nerves to and from the brain tissue to exponentially more complex functions. The latter include helping to facilitate the movement of cerebrospinal fluid adapting to changes due to injury or embryological factors ensuring in part the health of the spinal cord and accompanying structures and generally supporting the production and maintenance of the life force that keeps us moving with energy through our days.
Even my fiveyear kinesiology degree didnt give these bones much focus. But when I started working with horses as an equine sports therapist it soon became clear that many horses are dealing with imbalances in their cranial bones often stemming from trauma to the head such as hitting their head on a trailer or stall pulling back when tied an issue from birth or in many cases dental imbalances. I also started to realize that the overwhelming tendency for a horse with issues in their cranial bones is to also present with lethargy anxiety abnormal spookiness head tossing behavioural changes poor circulation or excessive discomfort in their structural system. It struck me as odd that the state of these bones the majority of which much of the medical community believe to be fused could have such an impact on health and wellbeing. More surprising still was the powerful and often immediate effect subtle balancing techniques
