Releasing the Poll and Accessing the Topline
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One of the primary places that horses will hold tension is at the upper base of their neck, where it connects to their head. We often refer to this as the "poll."
This joint is a primary mobility junction for the horse. That means that tension in that area will relate to, and cause, tension and blockages in other areas.Ā And restriction here is often DIRECTLY correlated to restriction in the mobility of the haunches.Ā So tension in the poll will affect the horse's ability to engage, collect, and move properly. This AO (atlanto-occipital) joint is also often referred to as "the seat of the parasympathetic nervous system."Ā What that means, simply put, is that if you can unlock that area and free it from tension, you unlock your horse's ability to relax and learn.
There's a TON of influence that the poll (or AO joint) has on the rest of the body!Ā And we can unlock the poll from the ground and the saddle to help the horse learn to release tension and gain access to the entirety of the body.
This video shows you quite a bit about unlocking this AO joint and helping your horse release tension throughout their body by the use of specific in-hand exercises, both in the cavesson and the bridle.
