CONTENTS: Indications for care What will a chiropractor do? What does treatment consist of? Case study: A horse called Annie

Think about what happens to a horse when being ridden…suddenly, he has to balance not only his own weight, but that of the saddle and the rider. The horse has to work in a certain way to achieve “collection”; he may have to jump or move very fast, all the time balancing himself and his rider. The horse may already have poor conformation traits; maybe the saddle isn’t a perfect fit; maybe the shoes are not ideal; maybe he lives in a loose box for 23 hours a day. . . Often, the rider is the first to feel subtle changes in the horse’s flexibility. The horse may seem “off” without obvious lameness, or the imbalance may move from limb to limb.

If you have noticed the above changes in your horse, speak to your vet about your animal seeing a chiropractor.

Equine Related Links Chiropratic for Dogs Chiropratic for People Download our brochure: Click for PDF. Case Study: A horse called Annie

Typical signs to be aware of in horses may include:

• Decline in performance
• Difficulty collecting
• Difficulty with transition to canter
• Change in standing posture
• Strange hair or sweat patterns
• “Cold backed”
• Stiffness or evasions to certain movements
• Swinging the hind leg
• Tail carriage predominantly one sided
• Behavioural changes, e.g. more difficult to handle, refusal to jump, biting when saddle is put on etc

If you have noticed the above changes in your horse, speak to your vet about seeing a chiropractor.

The chiropractor will ask questions of both the owner and the rider (where the patient is a riding horse), and carry out an examination which usually includes an analysis of both posture and gait. Usually the rider or handler is aware of areas where the horse responds differently from side-to-side.

Assessment of the horse may reveal asymmetries, such as unequal muscle size or tone between the left and right side which are not normal for that animal. The chiropractor will also look for abnormal head or neck placement, foot placement or any sign that the posture being adopted is not normal for that animal.

The chiropractor may then assess the range of movement of the animal's spine to see if it is even on each side, as well as feeling the muscles around the spine to assess any muscle spasm, swelling or the presence of any hot or cold spots that will indicate an alteration in circulation.

The chiropractor may look for uneven wear on hooves, shoes or claws, before watching the animal moving to assess whether there is any lameness, weakness, "hiking" of one hip, shortening of the stride, stumbling, inco-ordination or bizarre or restricted movement.

In order for the chiropractor to properly assess your animal, it may be necessary for you to provide diagnostic information from the treating veterinarian, including any imaging or reports. It is extremely important that you provide as full-as-possible medical history for your animal. With this information your veterinarian and your chiropractor can determine whether Chiropractic care can help your animal. If your veterinarian believes that Chiropractic care would not be the best overall treatment for your animal, your chiropractor will respect that opinion and no treatment will be carried out.

The treatment will not hurt the animal; in fact most animals thoroughly enjoy it! It is quite common for an animal to become increasingly relaxed as the treatment progresses even to the point of becoming drowsy.

The chiropractic adjustment consists of a short, fast thrust to a specific area which releases muscle spasm, alleviates pain and returns the joint to its normal range of motion. This allows the body to restore its own natural balance and harmony.

The chiropractor may then advise on after-care, and tell the owner what to expect. The chiropractor may also advise the owner to consult other professionals such as the vet, farrier or saddle fitter. The chiropractor may send a report to the referring veterinary surgeon.

Meet Annie - Annie is a stunning 6 year old thoroughbred mare. She is an extremely talented eventer, and her owner, Chloe, thinks she has what it takes to go to the top.

Annie was working quite well, but her concentration was poor, and she was shaking her head during dressage tests – costing valuable marks. She was also quite “mareish”, and some days she was difficult to handle. Chloe suspected that she had been put in very short side-reins when she was broken in, as she seemed unwilling to stretch her neck out. She was also overdeveloped in the underside of her neck, giving her a ewe-necked appearance. Her back was tight and she resented grooming in the lumbar area.

As a top athlete, Chloe sees a Chiropractor every 4-6 weeks. She knows that this helps her body cope with the demands of competing at such a high level. She was keen to get Annie checked over too.

On examination, Annie had an exceptionally tight poll. All of the small muscles supporting her head were very sore – which in humans often corresponds to severe headaches. Her TMJ (jaw) was also tender and not functioning well. The TMJ is very important in horses as a loose jaw (or being “on the bit”) helps to tell the brain exactly where the head is, aiding co-ordination and balance. Her back muscles were in spasm and it was difficult to examine her there.

The poll and TMJ were adjusted. Chloe had already had Annie’s teeth checked and she had had a full dental 3 weeks before (her bad teeth had likely caused the TMJ problem). As soon as the Atlas (the top vertebrae) was adjusted, there was a visible relaxation of her back muscles. Some minor adjustments were carried out to the rest of her spine. Chloe was asked to walk her in hand for a couple of days, then to begin her usual working regime.

Chloe called on the third day. She was overjoyed with the change in her mare. She was working “long and low” for the first time. She was jumping in a better outline, and the head-shaking was completely gone. Free from pain, she was concentrating better too.

Annie received further treatment 2 weeks later, and had some minor problems in her poll again. As she is competing at such a high level, she will probably receive supportive care every 4-6 weeks to ensure her performance is maximised.

---

REMEMBER - A chiropractor can only treat an animal under the direction of a veterinary surgeon. Please discuss your decision with your vet before treatment.

---