As well as the free content in the education zone, you can also register for webinars and online courses which Centaur Biomechanics delivers and hosts. Through Dr. Russell MacKechnie-Guire’s extensive collaborations and connections, we offer world class CPD and education direct to your laptop.
Broadcast across the word, the webinars are high quality and evidence based with an applied application. All delegates receive a 14-day access to the webinar recording, CPD certificates and live Q&A. The Centaur platform is becoming renowned for providing some of the best online educational opportunities.
Review of current scientific literature on equine axial skeleton disorders with Professor Kevin Haussler
Sunday 5th October 2025 @ 14:00 HRS BST
This 2-hour webinar will provide an in-depth exploration of the latest research and clinical advancements related to the equine axial skeleton. Attendees will gain insights into diagnostic innovations and therapeutic strategies. The session will highlight recent findings from the veterinary scientific literature, offering a comprehensive overview of current trends and challenges in management of axial skeleton pain and dysfunction in horses.
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Training Aids: Their use in Training, Management and Rehabilitation with Dr Russell MacKechnie-Guire
Thursday 9th October 2025 @ 19:00 HRS BST
Multiple training aids are available for therapists and horse owners to use. However, there is a paucity of evidence on their use in rehabilitation and training. Development of core muscle strength is important for training and during rehabilitation following injury, and as part of an on-going training/management programme. When lunging is used as part of a training or rehabilitation programme, training aids are often fitted in the belief that they facilitate improved back and limb biomechanics, leading to the development of increased core strength and spinal stability, and in some instances may serve as a substitute for ridden exercise. This two-hour webinar will review the literature, and present a series of evidence-based studies which have quantified the effect that training aids have on equine locomotion, and present new research relating to the effect that training aids have on equine back movement. Throughout the session the potential advantages and limitations will be discussed along with evidence-based considerations when using training aids.
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Cranio-Mandibular Biomechanics and Bridle Interaction: Implications for Equine Performance with Lucinda Stockley
Thursday 16th October 2025 @ 19:00 HRS BST
Cranio-Mandibular Biomechanics and Bridle Interaction: Implications for Equine Performance
Cranio-mandibular biomechanics and bridle interaction are an often-overlooked aspect of equine performance. The temporomandibular joint, dentition, and stomatognathic system are central to posture, neuromuscular control, and functional balance. Malocclusions or inappropriate bridle fit can disrupt these mechanisms, influencing comfort, locomotion, and performance. This presentation explores the anatomical and functional links between jaw alignment, bridle pressures, and whole-horse biomechanics.
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Myofascial Kinetic Lines: From a Training and Rehabilitation Perspective with Dr Rikke Schultz
Saturday 25th October 2025 @ 14:00 HRS BST
Myofascial Kinetic Lines: from a Training & Rehabilitation Perspective with Dr. Rikke Schultz
The fascinating 3D fascia provides support and participates in the biomechanics of the body. General information about fascia such as morphology, embryology, function, elasticity, contraction and scaring will be given as well as a 3D understanding of the fascia network.
The 11 Myofascial Kinetic Lines describe the motion of the spine, the front limbs and the relationship between the viscera and the somatic body. The anatomy and function of each line will be covered as well as challenges in riding when the horse has static contractions in the lines often causing reduced ability to perform.
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Rider Asymmetry: Its Biomechanical Impact on the Horse and Solutions to Address It with Dr. Russell MacKechnie-Guire
Thursday 30th October 2025 2 19:00 HRS GMT
Rider Asymmetry: Its Biomechanical Impact on the Horse and Solutions on How to Address It with Dr. Russell MacKechnie-Guire
Riders communicate with their horses through the application of subtle aids, shifts in weight, changes in pressure, and targeted and precise signals that guide the horse’s movement. The ideal riding position is often described by a straight line running from the rider’s ear through the shoulder, hip, and heel, with the rider being level across their shoulders, pelvis and heel. While this provides a helpful reference, achieving and maintaining this position is far more complex in practice.
Rider asymmetry is a challenge all riders face, whether due to habitual movement patterns, physical imbalances, or past injuries. When a rider is not biomechanically efficient or effective, it can compromise communication, alter the horse's movement, lead to conflict behaviour and disrupt rider-horse interaction, leading to performance, training and management issues.
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Conformation: a biomechanical perspective with Professor Hilary Clayton
Thursday 6th November 2025 @ 19:00 HRS GMT
Have you ever wondered whether it’s better to select a horse with a long or a short back, a more or less angulated hock, high or low withers? Would you like to know which conformational features make it difficult for a horse to progress beyond the intermediate levels of competition? Are you curious about how training might change a horse’s posture and body shape? If so, you might enjoy this well-illustrated 2-hour session as it explores the pros and cons of a variety of conformational features of the neck, back and limbs in relation to how they affect the movement and performance of sport horses.
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The Scale of Training: A Biomechanical Perspective with Dr Russell MacKechnie-Guire
Thursday 18th December 2025 @ 19:00 HRS GMT
The Scale of Training: from a Biomechanical Perspective
The scale of training is a foundational system followed by riders and trainers worldwide. Often visualised as a pyramid, the system provides a step-by-step framework for riders to review and guide training. With slow motion footage, this 2-hour session will discuss the scale of training from both an evidence-based and biomechanical perspective. This session should guide and complement training approaches that are biomechanically and ethically robust.
This session is of interest to anyone involved in horse management and training. Understanding the biomechanics of each level of the training scale will improve riders' understanding and interaction with their horses, training perspectives, and management approaches.
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Saddle Pressure Distribution and its Relationship with Equine Locomotion and the Rider with Dr Russell MacKechnie-Guire and Mark Fisher
Thursday 27th November 2025 @ 19:00 HRS GMT
Over the past decade, our understanding of the importance of correct saddle fit has advanced significantly. However, one question that is often asked is: what happens beneath the saddle when a horse is being ridden? This NEW two-hour presentation will explore how saddle pressures are distributed across the horse’s back and how these pressures are influenced by the horse's limb and trunk movements during walk, trot, canter, and jumping.
While the saddle should support the rider, the rider themselves also has a direct impact on distribution of saddle pressures. In the second part of the presentation, we will discuss how factors such as rider skill, weight, stirrup length, and seating style affect saddle pressures. The session will provide in-depth insights into saddle pressure distribution with the use of saddle pressure videos, highlight potential risks of high-saddle pressure areas, and how to practically identify areas that are subject to focal pressures induced by the saddle, as well as offering practical strategies to optimise saddle fit for both horse and rider.
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