Nigel is a lovely natured standardbred who had a long trotting career.

He'd had past injuries and was unbalanced at the canter disuniting.

On assessment he had several restricted ribs, restriction in his left hip, his sternum was crocked, had lack of range of movement through his neck, had tightness in both his shoulders, was spasming through his loins, his head was slightly tilted to the off-side with his left ear and eye higher than the other side and his right eye forward.

First Session
I released all of the diaphragms (deep connective tissue) to take pressure of his musculo-skeletal/craniosacral systems.
I checked and released the psoas muscles, his lumbo-sacral and sacral-coccygeal joints and his inter-transverse joints to allow his pelvis to move more freely.  I also started gentle release work on his front ribs.

Second Session
During this session I focused on releasing the deep ligament that supports the pelvis: sacrosciatic ligament.  (Check it out on google to see how vast this ligament is).  I also released the soft tissue around the hip joints with more focus on the left.  His diaphragms this time released a lot more and I did deeper work with both psoas muscles and started gently releasing ribs 16-17.

Third Session Feedback
"Nice ride, canter strike from walk coming. A bit more even bending.  Lateral movement a bit easier and DISUNITING HAS DISAPPEARED SINCE THE LAST SESSION!" (and hasn't returned).

This is why I love craniosacral therapy (CST).  Just two sessions and a dramatic change for Nigel.  This is because CST focuses on releasing the tissues that hold the horse's body together.  The techniques work with the bodies intelligence and are non-forceful.  I just facilitate and wait for the body to respond.  You may think that I am not doing anything but with a deeper focus you will probably see my hands moving with the horse's tissues as they release.

Something else to bear in mind with this therapy is that it is a whole body therapy not just a musculo-skeletal therapy as it works indirectly with releasing the central nervous system and, therefore, all the body's systems.

As I am treating I love to share what is happening.  My passion is to help horse's to improve their overall wellbeing and improve their performance.

One of the main things it governs is co-ordination. It is also connected to the sternum. so any impact here can pull on the hyoid through to the psoas muscles through the back into the pelvis.
 
It is also connected to the temporal bone, so any dysfunction through the head/poll will have an influence on it.

If you would like your horse to have more freedom of movement, balance, evenness, less stress... it is a great therapy, plus it has a myriad of health benefits because it releases the nervous system and vessels, as well as joints and connective tissue.

Key L = left R = Right D = Diaphragm*  Caudal = Towards the Tail  Cranial = Towards the head  C1 - C7 = Neck Vertebrae  T = Thoracic   Dorsal = Towards his back
* A diaphragm consists of the connective tissue that passes transversely through all the joints of the body. There are 5 main diaphragms through the horse's body: at the hyoid, poll, chest, barrel and hips.
Highlighted in Blue: These would be having a significant impact on the Ritchie's level of comfort, wellbeing and performance

Ritchie's Craniosacral Sessions

When I first saw Ritchie, he was very nervous. He was standing with his near fore 3-4” caudally, behind his other foreleg. The owner said this is his normal way of standing.

First Session
POST TREATMENT:  Standing squarer with his near-fore only about 2 inches caudally.

To start with he was fearful – moved away from the first touch on R shoulder when tuning into CSR. More accepting on L shoulder. Went back to R shoulder and he accepted my touch and throughout the rest of the session. He became calm and trusting.

Craniosacral Rhythm Assessment (CSR)
L shoulder: pulled and twisting cranially, towards his head
R Shoulder: no movement at his wither – stuck fascia
L Hip: being pulled and twisting towards his off side
R Hip: Tuber coxae, point of hip, not moving, sacrum twisting and being pulled cranially, towards his head
Sacrum: more movement caudally, towards his tail
Poll: moving toward his near side

Treatment
Thoracic D: moved laterally, side to side, both ways, unwound and softened – continued down sternum (more movement to the off side)
Respiratory D: from L side felt like the diaphragm was twisting. It released dorsally, towards his back, and then ventrally, towards the ground, and then toward his cranium. I released it from both sides.

Ribs
L Ribs: 4/5 unwound & lengthened. 8-10 raised - lengthened caudally, towards his tail, Ribs 15-17 worse this side released about 60%
R Ribs: 1-8 ok. 12-14 raised - released
Released both shoulders and reconnected them energetically to the attached muscles

Pelvic D: from L side unwound a little. From the R side unwound a lot and his spine suddenly lifted about an inch and dropped.

Psoas: R unwound and lengthened. L no response
ITJ (Intertransverse Joint): L L6/5 unwound, R sore at L6/S1 – unwound quite a lot, R L6/5 unwound a little
Sacrococcygeal Junction: released
Lumbosacral Joint: unwound

Tail dural release: tight at sacrum.



Second Session
POST SESSION OWNER'S FEEDBACK:  I rode Richie this morning and I thought he felt better. He seemed to be exploring his body and definitely more inclined to stand more square in front than before. Very light in his mouth. 
I felt the inverted rotation in his spine for the first round ( saddle off to the left) and then he was pretty straight once he warmed up. So very pleasing so far.

Treatment/Plan
CSR
L shoulder: all gd
R shoulder: symmetry even but quality slightly low
L Hip: even symmetry but still moving to the off side
R Hip: symmetry even but quality sligtly low
Poll: more movement  forward and toward near side 
Sacrum: more movement towards tail
 
TD at C7/T1 (behind shoulder blade) released to near side
Sternum: Released the sternum - TD moved downward along the sternum.  I felt more room on the left of the sternum.  More movement caudally and greater movement to the off-side
 
SSL (Sacral Sciatic Ligament)
L and R Apex unwound
R piriformis did a lot of unravelling
Others: soft
 
Nuchal Ligament
Funicular: L very tight between C3-C5   R very tight between C2/3
Lamella: L tight at C5   R tight at C3
Released both to take pressure off poll before releasing it.
 
Head
Poll: released
Parietals: lifted
InterP: lifted
Temporals: R ext behind L – released
Sphenoid: unwound and spread out
Ear Pull: good
 
Finished with releasing the dural tube that surrounds the spinal cord
 
Response to Treatment: Ritchie had no fear at all this session and started to enjoy it.

Third Session
POST TREATMENT: After this session Ritchie was standing with his forelegs even. 

I continued to do treatments with Ritchie releasing where there was still restriction.  As well as the above areas, I released the facial bones, hyoid, TMJ, barrel, and legs.

I am waiting for the results of his next dental treatment. 

Cranial work releases the sutures if stuck and the intercranial membranes which can impact circulation, lymph drainage and nerve function, therefore, this work can have far reaching benefits.  (See below for some of them)

This is Tonka.  He was extremely difficult to groom and tack up due to being in a lot of pain and biting.  This is his 4th session.  At the beginning of the third session he wasn't biting or trying to nip at all when I was treating away from his head.

In the left video you can see a diluted version of his protective behaviour to touch in an area of pain where I am trying to release the frontal bone which is impacted with his nasal bone.  This impaction over stimulates the trigeminal nerve and the fight/flight response.  It interferes with the balance of the central nervous system and can influence eg immune response, endocrine/hormonal function, balance and coordination, general happiness, to pain.

The middle video shows his behaviour in an area that is pain free where I am releasing the parietal and interparietal bones.  These bones are free hence no resistance.  (The bones of the cranium attach to the intercranial membranes which is what I am releasing unless the sutures of the bones are stuck, they have to be released first.)

In the right video I'm doing the ear pull and releasing a deep intercranial membrane which can help with hormonal function and release restriction of vessels and nerves, so can have a big impact on numerous functions. 

Questions and Comments always appreciated