What Does a Horse Chiropractor Do?
will recommend a veterinary lameness exam if your horse has an obvious injury. A chiropractic session may treat some of the pain associated with lameness, but the underlying cause should be investigated.
Some high-level show jurisdictions, such as the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), heavily regulate medications that may be given to horses competing in their events. Chiropractic and other integrative modalities may increase comfort and performance without the potential side-effects of some of these medications, whether a horse is being shown or not.
Conditions that may benefit from chiropractic adjustment
- General muscle tightness or soreness
- Uneven wear and tear from conformational defects
- Uneven wear and tear from imbalanced riding
- Poor performance
- Increased sensitivity to grooming or pressure
- Pinning its ears or other signs of anxiety
- Loss of topline (the musculature on either side of a horse’s spine)
- Difficulty bending
- Picking up the wrong lead, cross-cantering
- Bucking or rearing under saddle
- Difficulty chewing
- Holding the tail abnormally
- Uneven muscling/loss of muscle
- Abnormal posture
- Head tilt2
What Are the Benefits of Chiropractic Care?
The goal of a chiropractic session is to restore normal joint movement and function to an area that had been previously misaligned. Following a session, your horse may be more comfortable under saddle and may improve performance. If you've noticed loss of muscle (atrophy), this may improve, especially if it occurred along your horse's topline. Overall, they may seem more comfortable, happy, and healthy.
