Flexibility vs mobility
Flexibility and mobility are two different things. Here’s why it’s important to tell them apart.
Horses that are more flexible, will need to strengthen their core and educate their nervous system to have good mobility.
I feel like there is a lot of confusion out there when it comes to the subject of flexibility and mobility – and the difference between the two in horses. It goes like this. Stiffness and restriction is bad, right? So, by that logic a greater range of motion is good, right? So, if my horse is very flexible, that must be good, right? Not necessarily. This is where the difference between flexibility and mobility comes in.
In simple terms, flexibility can be described as the range of motion of a particular joint. So, how far is a specific joint able to move in a certain direction (flexion, extension, rotation...). For example, if I take a horse's leg and flex and extend his carpal joint, I am assessing that joint for flexibility. Mobility, on the other hand, is defined as the degree of control over the end range of motion. So, it's not about me taking a joint over a passive range of motion, it's about how well the horse can use the joint during movement. Both flexibility and mobility can change during the course of the horse's lifetime, but a basic flexibility is something the horse is born with. Big warmbloods, for example, are way more flexible naturally than stocky draft horses. In fact, warmbloods tend to be so flexible, we often say they are hyperflexible. Their natural flexibility is outstanding, which on the one hand gives them greater athletic potential but on the other hand it predisposes them to injuries. Flexibility without mobility is dangerous.
Mobility requires three things. It requires a basic flexibility, strong stabilizing muscles and good nervous system control. If the horse has muscles that can stabilize the joint at its end range of motion and the neural control over those muscles, then he has good mobility. If he does not, then his flexibility can cause him to take his joints through a range of motion that is unhealthy, which can lead to injuries. So, when we have flexibility without mobility, the body will try to protect the joints by tensing up certain muscles to limit the range of motion. This causes the horse to be stiff and restricted in his movement. So, when flexible horses are not mobile, they become stiff.
What does this mean in practice? If we are dealing with a flexible horse, we need to make sure his joints are protected from unhealthy ranges of motion by strong stabilizing muscles. This is why strengthening the core PLUS teaching the horse good posture and neural control over his body is essential in keeping flexible horses healthy and pain free.