McTimoney for horses
Regardless of whether they are your beloved pet or a horse/pony that is out competing every weekend, musculoskeletal dysfunction can occur. These can be acute in onset, caused by falls, slips, kicks, or can be caused by chronic issues such as current or previous poorly fitted tack, conformation, rider imbalance or hoof imbalance.
Quick, gentle adjustments are then applied to these misalignments in order to correct them. These adjustments encourage the surrounding muscle to relax and allow the misalignment to be corrected without the necessity for too much force.
However, even if your horse is not showing signs of discomfort, an 'MOT' can be greatly beneficial to maintain general wellbeing and comfort, particularly as they start to age- we all start to get a little stiff as we get older!
What to look for
Signs that your horse may benefit from a treatment include:
-
Poor performance
-
Muscle spasm
-
Difficulty bending on one rein
-
Stiffness
-
Struggling to pick up canter/struggling to pick up the correct canter lead
-
Difficulty maintaining a contact
-
Reluctance to carry out lateral work, extend or collect the gait
-
Behavioural changes
-
Reluctance to jump
-
Dipping the back/flinching away from you when being tacked up/groomed.
Benefits of treatment
Regardless of whether your jhorse/pony takes part in competition or is simply a pet, they are constantly subjected to both external and internal stress which can in turn have an effect on their musculoskeletal health. Treatment combining both McTimoney Chiropractic and soft tissue techniques can have widespread benefits with regards to general health and wellbeing, rehabilitation from injury and prevention of injury. These benefits can include:-
-
Increased flexiblity and joint mobility
-
Increased stride length and symmetry of stride length
-
Improved recovery rate after exercise
-
Improved muscle tone and suppleness (reduced muscle tension)
-
Improved sirculation
-
Reduced stress levels, increased relaxation
-
Improved coordination
The treatment
The first treatment will begin with a case history being taken. This allows an insight into previous medical issues, current/recent issues, and factors that will impact the treatment process as well as any aftercare tjat is given post treatment.
An assessment of both conformation and gait will then be carried out to assess for asymmetries in conformation, muscle development and movement, gait patterns that may be having an impact on the musculoskeletal system, and movement patterns that indicate areas of dysfunction,.
The horse will then be palpated to identify any areas of dysfunction (whether muscular or skeletal) and then these areas will be treated using a range of McTimoney Chiropractic, soft tissue yechniques and passive stretches.
After treatment, detailed aftercare will be given covering the immediate few days following treatment, as well as exercises that will help to address any issues in the longer term.