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Understanding Equine Chiropractic

“Six years ago we thought that 80% of the problems in the upper body of the horse came from problems in the feet. Now from the work we have done since, we know that it is as low as 50% or less. In other words problems in the upper body can cause changes in the feet, and in around 50% of cases minute pathological changes, capsular rotations and imbalnces can be attributed to some other problem in the upper body. These upper body problems can be diverse anything from saddle fit to sacroiliac restriction.”

Kilmartin & Clifford 2006

Treatment of back problems is far more complicated than getting a few joints to pop and crack or soothing a tight muscle. It involves identification of the major causes of the spinal soreness. The location of the vertebrae and or muscles which are involved need to be determined and then the reason these areas are sore or restricted need to be found. Once these questions are answered a chiropractic practitioner needs to rectify these problems within the bounds of any underlying pathology or damage which may be associated. A good example of joint pathology is arthritis. In other words it is vital that no further damage is done during chiropractic treatment. This requires experience and expertise.

The underlying cause of the problem can be many. In most cases there is a primary problem which the horse has been coping with by compensating elsewhere This leads to a range of secondary problems. These are often manifest in multiple stress, or trigger points which are detected by careful palpation over parts of the body. There are also distinct muscle tension association patterns in various parts of the body. Stress points are distinct from areas of spinal pain which stem from the intrinsic spinal muscles which are situated deep in between vertebrae. In horses and all quadripeds for that matter evidence of stress points inevitably indicate there will be changed spinal movement somewhere. At these sites there is an alteration in the range or quality of movement in the paired joints between the vertebrae, called facet joints. Chiropractic adjustments involve restoring intervertebral movement to the optimum for that particular horse. Because the horse is a biomechanically co-ordinated unit the level of the spine that needs attention may be remote from the stress points. The muscle tension association patterns resolve as well once the animal is treated.

The problem may be in one facet joint or a number of joints. Once the horse has to compensate to maintain balance while in motion there is a good chance that further alterations in spinal movement and restrictions between facet joints can occur. It is worth bearing in mind that initially much of this compensation is done at a subconscious level. Once the pain becomes an issue, your horse may start showing uncharacteristic behavioral changes. This will usually start at a low level like resisting turns or resisting gait changes and may develop to the point that bucking or rearing occurs.

Rectifying these problems requires a thorough examination. This will involve examining balance, posture and muscle development as well as a gait or movement analysis. Of utmost importance is the examination of the feet. This provides vital clues to the problem areas before any palpation or hands on work is done. All chiropractic practitioners will provide you with a diagnosis and then only carry out adjustments only if there are no contraindications. Contraindications are many fold and are simply good reasons why the particular horse should not have chiropractic treatment done at this time. Some of the more common contraindications are acute or recent injury, pregnancy, arthritis, cancer, or if the horse is suffering from a disease.