• "A dog has lots of friends because he wags his tail and not his tongue" -Author Unknown
  • "Every boy should have two things: a dog and a mother willing to let him have one." - Anonymous
  • "Whoever said you can't buy happiness forgot little puppies." - Gene Hill
  • A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same. - Elbert Hubbard
  • "A hug is like a boomerang - you get it back right away." -Bil Keane
  • "A meow massages the heart." - Stuart McMillan
  • "There is more to life than increasing speed." -Mahatma Ghandi
  • "Happiness is where we find it, but rarely where we seek it." - J. Petit Senn
  • "If your horse says no, you either asked the wrong question, or asked the question wrong." - Pat Parelli
  • "There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man." - Winston Churchill
  • "Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole." -Roger Caras
  • "No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle." - Winston Churchill
  • "Agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms." - George Eliot
  • "To err is human - to forgive, canine."
  • "Money may buy you a fine dog, but only love can make it wag its tail." -Kinky Friedman
  • "Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." - Anatole France
  • "I hope to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am." - Unknown
  • "Horses - if God made anything more beautiful, he kept it for himself." - Author unknown
  • "Are we really sure the purring is coming from the kitty and not from our very own hearts?" - Terri Guillemets
  • "There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face." - Ben Williams

Animal Chiropractic for Horses

Common Symptoms

POSTURE & MOVEMENT

  • Back posture-roach or swayback
  • Consistently holding tail to side
  • Decreased flexibility of back or neck
  • Muscles are even/atrophy
  • Presence of a hunter's bump
  • Stiff coming out of stall

BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS

  • Any change in behavior/attitude
  • Hollows back when touch/brush
  • Resents bit / difficult to bridle
  • Bucks, rears, or kicks out
  • Facial expressions of pain
  • Resists lifting one leg for farrier
  • Decreased enthusiasm for work
  • Difficulty chewing food
  • Teeth grinding
  • Resents having saddle cinched
  • Pinning of the ears
  • Head shaking
  • Does not roll

GAIT ABNORMALITIES

  • Horse is 'off', but not lame
  • "Off" only when ridden
  • Slow to warm up / "cold-backed"
  • Uncomfortable to ride 
  • Choppy gait or uneven
  • Heavy on one rein/heavy in bit
  • Unable to engage hindquarters
  • Drags toes/loses shoes often
  • Rider thrown forward in saddle
  • Resists lateral movements
  • Difficulty with gait transitions
  • Interferes / strikes / forges
  • Refuses/hits jumps frequently
  • Rider/saddle slips to one side
  • Resists leg aides
  • Stumbles/trips/uncoordinated
  • The rider has back problems
  • Shortened stride of 1 limb
  • Cannot extend
What is Veterinary Spinal Manipulation (Animal Chiropractic)?

eqchiro1.jpgEquine chiropractic care is a holistic approach to many health and performance issues of the horse. The goal is to eliminate the cause of a problem rather than only treat the symptoms.

Animal chiropractic care focuses on the proper function and health of the spinal column. The spinal column is a very complex structure consisting of bones, nerves, muscles and ligaments.

What is a Subluxation?

It is a chiropractic term used to describe a bone that is "stuck" or unable to move properly in its full range of motion. When a subluxation occurs, it affects the flexibility and movement of the spine and can interfere with nerve transmission signals to other parts of the body.

Subluxations generally cause pain and stiffness and lack of flexibility. Internal organ function can also be affected (nerves control the function of all tissues of the body).

What causes Subluxations?

There are many different reasons that a horse can have subluxations. A combination of several small incidents often add up to create an ongoing problem.

Possible causes of subluxations:eqchironeck
  1. Macro-Trauma: slips and falls, missteps, getting cast in the stall, etc.
  2. Micro-Trauma: repetitive movements such as sliding stops, jumping, isometric dressage moves.
  3. Lifestyle: Stall confinement, trailer rides, etc.
  4. Rider Ability: The horse may need to compensate for an unbalanced rider.
  5. Equipment: poorly fitting tack, esp. improperly fitting saddles.
  6. Shoeing: Improper foot care of poor shoeing.
  7. Conformation: Individual traits such as long-backed.

  8. Age/Gravity/Condition: The body accumulates many small stresses and compensations. Gravity is a constant force pulling on the body. Horses that are overweight/out of condition are more likely to develop problems.

How do I know if my horse needs Spinal Manipulation?

All animals deserve the benefit of a chiropractic examination to assess the health of the spinal column. The following is list of common symptoms indicating a problem. If a horse is exhibiting one or more of the following symptoms, it does not guarantee that it is a chiropractic problem - have a complete examination and work-up done!