Supporting Elite Dressage Horses with Osteopathy

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Elite dressage places extraordinary demands on the horse. Pirouettes, piaffe, passage, tempi changes — each of these movements loads the hindlimbs, strains the lumbar-sacral region, and requires sustained cervical flexion that, over time, can tip from healthy exertion into chronic dysfunction. Dr. Amelie Villeneuve-Moore's rigorously researched thesis asks a precise and important question: Does equine osteopathy have a specific role to play in supporting dressage horses, and if so, what does that look like in practice? Through an extensive literature review of 44 papers, Dr. Villeneuve-Moore identifies two dominant patterns of dysfunction in elite dressage horses: hindlimb suspensory ligament injuries, which can be career-ending, and myofascial trigger points — particularly in the cervical and thoracic regions — which can silently limit performance without causing outright lameness. Dressage horses, the research reveals, carry significantly more myofascial trigger points than showjumpers, with the brachiocephalic and cervical muscles most commonly affected. These findings have direct implications for how osteopaths assess and treat top-level performance horses. This thesis presents a compelling argument that routine osteopathic interventions can significantly reduce injury risk and aid in the rehabilitation of horses. It assesses various osteopathic methods, including ischemic compression, longitudinal myofascial stretches, and OAB-based systemic rebalancing. This work is highly relevant and sophisticated, offering valuable insights for equine osteopaths, veterinarians, and dressage professionals.