// Terminology Tuesday - The Central Pattern Generators // When a foal is born, the gaits are already embedded. The limb sequences and their diagonal connections are already present in all gaits. This is because of the Central Pattern Generators. Put simply, the Central Pattern Generators (CPGs) are dense clusters of nerves in the spinal cord that coordinate the limb movements. There is one in the cervical thoracic region (withers) and another in the lumbar/sacral region (loins). The concept of

As a social animal, there are obviously clear dominance dynamics between horses. However, it isn’t as simple as believing that horses form a hierarchy or ‘pecking order’, and that this supposed ‘hierarchy’ is linear. It is also not as simplistic as to imagine that this social order exists for all situations. Such assumptions arose in human beings because of our complex social organisations that are typically arranged in linear hierarchies such as the military, church, and school. On the contrary

Equestrian's individual dressage, day one: Best performances from the Paris Olympics | NBC Sports