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Another impactful moment for me during the dissection was seeing how the liver is literally suspended from the diaphragm. I’ve understood the relationship between these two structures in theory, but seeing it firsthand drove home why a compromised or struggling liver can create respiratory issues. The two aren’t just neighbors; they’re physically tethered.

It was also fascinating to see how the abdominal organs, the stomach, liver, and spleen, are tucked inside the ribcage beneath the dome of the diaphragm. So on every inhale, when the diaphragm contracts and flattens, it presses directly into these organs. This means that beyond breathing, this repetitive pumping mechanism is essential for gut motility, circulation, lymphatic return, and overall organ function.

It made me consider what happens for a horse with gastric ulcers or abdominal inflammation. Their diaphragm is pushing into an irritated, painful area on every breath. No wonder so many of them become shallow breathers; it’s a protective strategy.

Another revelation was just how much the diaphragm contributes to circulation. We think of the heart as the primary pump, but the diaphragm is equally vital. As it flattens on inhalation, it assists blood flow, and as it relaxes it helps pull blood back toward the heart. It’s a massive, dynamic pump sitting at the center of the body.

I’ve heard people say horses have five hearts, the four hooves being the extras, and while that’s true, they also function like additional diaphragms. When a hoof is loaded, it expands and draws blood down into the lower limb; when unweighted, it contracts and sends that blood back upward. It’s the same mechanism, just expressed distally.

All of this deepened something I’ve believed for years… movement isn’t optional for horses; it is fundamental. Their circulatory, lymphatic, digestive, and respiratory systems all depend on pressure changes created through motion.

Seeing these relationships in the body reinforced just how interconnected everything is and how much the horse relies on internal rhythms we rarely consider when we look at them from the outside.

This is why holistic, integrative work, that considers nutrition and environment, matters so much to me. The body doesn’t separate systems; we do.

*The dissection was by Trinity Equine Services