Benefits of a Well-Adjusted Pain-Free Horse

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Created on Monday, 14 November 2011 14:46

by Bethany Willis

Most horse owners know when their horse is off. That tilt of the head, the second stumble he just took, even the bucking fit they had yesterday. Sometimes it came on slow, sometimes right after an accident. A poorly fitting saddle, improper hoof care, or rough play session with a pasture mate may have been the culprit. Any way you put it, the horse is in pain.

Now that your horse is in pain they may no longer want to be saddled or go on a favorite ride. They may refuse to work even if they've shown pleasure in it before. And you as an owner are frustrated and wondering what is going on.

The horse's spine is their framework. When all the vertebrae are aligned properly it allows the horse to function normally and without pain. When the spine is not correctly aligned, joints and muscles cease to work the way they were intended. The nerves that send the body signals may be pinched, muscles are too tight on one side of the joint and stretched to capacity on the other. Sore spots and heat indicate inflammation in a joint that's dysfunctional. You'll find the horse is stiff or will only bend in one direction. Mysterious lameness and problems with movement may happen.

Chiropractic care can provide much needed relief for horses and their owners in this position. A trained professional will evaluate your horse for symptoms of misalignment and manipulate the spine to restore proper alignment. Most professionals today will duplicate the movement a horse would need to make in order to move the vertebrae. In essence they help the horse adjust themselves. Many practitioners use only their hands and a thorough knowledge of anatomy to make adjustments. Others may request x-rays or additional diagnostics. Once the spine is back where it should be the joints and muscles can soon resume their normal functions.

Recovery time from the first adjustment can be anywhere from days to weeks depending on the severity of the injury being treated. Horses with ongoing, long term or chronic conditions may need several adjustments to maintain normal spinal function. Generally speaking the longer the horse has been in pain the longer it will take to fix it. Your horse's muscles may be sore the day or two after because the muscles have been out of their intended position for so long. They need time to relax back into their natural locations and jobs. As a horse becomes used to being adjusted their recovery times tend to lessen and the body's healing times improve.

In most situations chiropractic care should not be mixed with medications. You might be saying, "If my horse is in pain why not give him something for it?" The answer is that while the medication may relieve pain for a short while the overall problem has not been dealt with. Muscle relaxers may relieve tension but they will not put the muscles, and the joints to which they are attached, back where they belong. Additionally pain relievers let the horse feel well enough that they may injure themselves further, not being aware of their limitations. Chiropractic treatment addresses the cause of the pain instead of just dulling it for a short time. An added benefit is that you won't be pumping your horse full of chemicals that may lead you nowhere in the end.

Regular evaluations by a trained professional will reveal any ongoing issues you or your horse may be having. Frequent problems in the withers and lumbar area may indicate a pressure problem from an ill fitting saddle. Reoccurring shoulder pain may point towards a hoof problem. Trouble chewing and not wanting to make a sharp turn may be telling you about a jaw misalignment. Many owners are now choosing to have a chiropractic evaluation at the same time they have vet checks for a better understanding of their horse's health and changing needs. Other owners may choose to receive training on how to evaluate their horse so that they can monitor any ongoing conditions and know when to call a professional.

Some say an aligned horse is a healthy horse. While this may not always be the case it has some truth to it. The series of nerves originating at the spine are connected to major organs in the body. It stands to reason that an irregularity of the nerve would have some impact on the associated organ. There are many medical conditions that will benefit from chiropractic care. While this care may not treat the condition directly it helps to return the body to a normal state, thus allowing the body to heal itself more effectively. In this way chiropractic can be used as supportive care during a health care crisis.

Let's face it. When your horse is hurt, you lose out. Emotionally and financially it can be a drain and you may miss out on events you've both trained for. Frustration when the vet pronounces the horse sound only makes it worse, especially if you're given a myriad of medications or surgery as an option. Confusion on your part, and the horse's, is a natural occurrence after all this. Seeking out the opinion of a competent chiropractic practitioner can help alleviate the emotional and financial roller coaster. A viable alternative to treat the cause, ease the symptoms and return you and your horse to a pain free state.