Can an Equine Chiropractor Help Your Horse?
Many people who ride horses don’t consider the fact that—despite popular myth—a horse’s back is not actually designed to carry a load.
When a horse carries a rider, it must use its muscles and balance in unnatural ways. Ideally, horses are schooled in a way that strengthens their muscles, and the rider rides in a way that helps the horse balance. Unfortunately, this is frequently not the case.
When is Treatment Necessary?
A horse that is poorly balanced and misaligned can experience back pain, which is often expressed through undesirable behavior. Even some lamenesses can be attributed to spine and joint dysfunctions.
While good riding and a properly fitting saddle are instrumental in caring for our horses’ backs, many horses (and riders) benefit from chiropractic treatment, as part of holistic care. Chiropractors focus on the skeletal structures of the horse and use manual manipulations to bring these structures back into their proper alignment.
If your horse is experiencing any of these symptoms or behavior issues, chiropractic treatment may be helpful:
- Difficulty bending or flexing
- Obvious back or neck pain
- Difficulty picking up leads at a canter
- Signs of resistance such as bucking, rearing, swishing tail
- Uneven gaits
- Difficulty with gait transitions
- Spooking
- Bolting
- Head tossing
- Toe dragging
- Uneven shoulders or hips
- Crabby while being groomed
- Holding the tail to one side
- Rooting
- Rearing
- Becoming under or over-flexed
- Pulling
- Jigging
- Lameness
- Stiffness
- Lack of impulsion
- Difficulty maintaining collection
- Cold-backed or cinchy
- Nappiness
- Won’t stand on three legs when hoof cleaning or for the farrier
- Short strides at the trot or canter
- Refusals at jumps and being ring sour
