Wednesday, 07 January 2009
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September 2008 • VOLUME 37 • © HORSES For LIFE™ Magazine  McPhail Study: Head and Weight It is interesting to compare the experiences and observations of the masters to what science is finding out today. Recently a study was done by the McPhail Institute, studying the effect of the head on the weight of the horse and how he distributes his weight between his front and hind legs. The study clearly relating to the observations and training practices of Baucher and many others. Previously, training practices had observed that the basculing of the hindquarters resulted in the lifting of the withers and the front end. Centuries of baroque dressage rested on this principle. Baucher related the two concepts but turned it around. Saying that if horsemen were to raise the head, the result would be the horse basculing through the hindquarters and carrying more weight on the hind end. That in essence the same thing could be achieved from either end. This observation and many other training practices of Baucher resulted in decades of controversy that continues on to this very day. Decarpentry is one master who examined this idea. He saw possibilities and concerns with this training method that are discussed this month in the article Decarpentry: Backward Action. We suggest that you read that article first, and then continue reading this article on the research by the McPhail study. This study involved measuring the effect of head and neck position on the weight distribution between the front and hind limbs, while recognizing that this is only one part of the balance equation, and that there are other components that will need to be investigated later. They began with a group of six horses and weighed them to determine their total body weight. They then had them stand squarely, first with both front hooves on the force plate and then with both hind hooves on the force plate. The force plate measures weight. Thus the force plate where the horse placed his front hooves, measured the weight of the horse on his front end and the force plate where his hind hooves were placed measured the weight of the horse on his hind end. The weight carried by the front limbs and the weight carried by the hind limbs was measured with the head and neck in three positions: in a neutral position, in a lowered position and in an elevated position.
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