The Equine Nervous System – An overview
The central nervous system includes the brain and the spinal cord.
The brain is divided into 3 main sections—the brain stem, which controls many basic life functions;
the cerebrum, which is the center of conscious decision-making; and the cerebellum, which is
involved in movement and motor control.
The spinal cord of horses is divided into regions that correspond to the vertebral bodies (the bones
that make up the spine) in the following order from neck to tail: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral,
and caudal (tail) segments. Specialized tissue called the meninges cover the brain and spinal cord,
and cerebrospinal fluid surrounds and protects the brain and spinal cord.
The peripheral nervous system is formed by neurons of the cranial and spinal nerves that extend
out to the rest of the body.
The Somatic System – Central Nervous System (CNS)
Consists of the brain which sits in the skull and the spinal chord, which sits within the spinal canal
and is protected by the vertebrae.
Mainly involved in voluntary (conscious) reactions.
The Somatic System - Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
The Peripheral Nervous System governs the nerves that are located outside of (or peripheral to) the
Central Nervous System.
Heavily involved in locomotion.
The Autonomic System – The Parasympathetic Nervous System
An involuntary part of the PNS and mainly controls organ function and endorphin release.
The Autonomic System – The Sympathetic Nervous System
An involuntary part of the PNS and is mainly activated in response to stressful situations
Nervous System function -
The horses’ nervous system is one of the main co-ordinating systems of the horses’ body.
Its key function is to transmit information and it works closely with the endocrine (hormonal)
system to supply the Central Nervous System with information about stimulus from the horses’
surroundings, to enable instructions to be issued to the body telling it how to react.
The nervous system and endocrine systems work closely together to give horses the instant
reactions they need to evade danger – like that scary plastic bag in the hedge!!
The nervous system is made up of 3 main sections -
The Somatic Nervous System (CNS)
The Central Nervous System is the centre of all nervous control. It consists of the brain and spinal
cord. The brain is located in the cranial cavity and the spinal cord is located in the vertebral/spinal
column.
The CNS is mainly involved in voluntary (conscious) reactions.
The Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
The Peripheral Nervous System governs the nerves that are located outside of (or peripheral to) the
Central Nervous System
It consists of the Sensory Nerves and Motor Nerves that are heavily involved in locomotion.
Sensory Nerves carry information from the body parts to the Central Nervous System.
Motor Nerves carry information from the Central Nervous System to the body parts.
The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)
This is the involuntary part of the PNS (Peripheral Nervous System).
Mainly involved with involuntary actions such as antigravity muscle tone and continuous
contraction of large groups of muscles to keep the horse upright.
The ANS is made up of the Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous Systems
Sympathetic functions –
Activated in response to stressful situations - Fight / flight response
It alerts the horse to danger, stress or other unpleasant circumstances.
The sympathetic nervous system will then send messages to the brain to increase the heart
rate, blood pressure, etc to get the horse ready for flight.
Parasympathetic functions –
The Parasympathetic Nervous System is the one that governs when a horse is resting, sleeping,
digesting, and it also governs the body's elimination system.
When a horse is really relaxed, it is in its parasympathetic state.
The Parasympathetic Nervous System is what we are trying to influence by applying massage and
other alternative equine therapies. This is the state in which endorphins are released into your
horse's brain.
Neurons
Both the central and peripheral nervous systems contain billions of cells known as neurons.
Neurons connect with each other to form neurological circuits. Information travels along these
circuits via electrical signals.
All neurons have a center portion called a cell body and 2 types of extensions
called dendrites and axons. Dendrites receive signals from other neurons and transmit electrical
charges to the cell body. Axons transmit the electrical charges away from the cell body. When the
electrical current reaches the end of the axon, the axon releases chemicals
called neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters pass the signal to the dendrites of other neurons, or
to muscles or glands.
Neurons in the peripheral nervous system start with pairs of spinal nerves and pairs of cranial
nerves. The spinal nerves arise from the spinal cord and extend axons outward into the front and
hind legs and to the chest, abdomen, and tail. These nerves subdivide into smaller nerves that
cover the entire surface and interior of the body. The cranial nerves include sensory and motor
neurons that connect the head and face to the brain.
Types of Neurons
Sensory neurons carry information from the body to the spinal cord or brain stem, and then on to
the cerebellum and cerebrum for interpretation. Sensory information includes sensations of pain,
position, touch, temperature, taste, hearing, balance, vision, and smell.
Motor neurons carry responses to the sensory information from the spinal cord and brain to the
rest of the body. Inside the spinal cord, the axons of motor neurons form bundles known as tracts,
which transmit this information to peripheral motor neurons going to muscles in the limbs. Motor
neurons are important for voluntary movements and muscle control.
A specialized set of neurons controls and regulates basic, unconscious bodily functions that support
life, such as the pumping of the heart and digestion. These neurons make up what is called
the autonomic nervous system, which sends axons from the brain stem and spinal cord to various
areas of the body such as the heart muscle, the digestive system, and the pupils of the eyes.
