Subluxations are caused by one or a combination of three things: trauma, toxins and/or stress. Trauma could be from the memorable refusal on a hunter/jumping round or that fall in third turn during Barrel racing or from the little one on the horses back twice a week kicking Nellie in the ribs repeatedly during the half hour lesson. The postural stress of a neglected horse, from not frequent enough farrier work resulting in an improper shod or long toe/short heel or from teeth problems or improper nutrition all can result in subluxations. Neglect from the owner growing up and moving away can also change a horses use and therefore again change the biomechanical stresses demanded from the horse. The cliché “use it or loose it” applies here. So instead of going on a ride once a week it’s now down to once every four months and now the tried and true horse is not conditioned for the ride. Thus injuries can result. On performance horses usually the rider or the trainer/owner notices the problem first and they call an Animal Chiropractor in to help the animal. Often the horse and rider will have similar areas for subluxations.
Some signs that your horse may benefit from Chiropractic care are the following:
Short striding either in the front or back
Rope walking
Dog walking/tracking
Dizziness, shaking his or her head
Quidding, passing whole bales of hay( not chewing his food)
Change in moods or temperment
Laboured breathing
Not taking the bit
Acute head shyness
Inable to collect himself for a jump and/or a canter/gallop
Competed or about to compete in a sporting event
Chronic infections
The only way to be sure if your horse’s spine is healthy is to have him or her examined by a Certified Animal Chiropractor. The examination will include posture analysis, gait analysis, vertebral and extremity (legs) static palpation, vertebral and extremity motion palpation, short leg analysis, orthopedic evaluation and neurological evaluation. Chiropractors also make sure that your pet is under the care of a veterinarian as animal chiropractic does not attempt to replace necessary traditional veterinary care. Only your veterinarian can dispense medications, perform surgery, take blood work as well as inject medications. Working together, we can help you keep your horse in the best possible health. |