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Timing is Critical for your Foal’s Crooked Legs – An Equine Vet Covers the Basics

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This post on the early treatment of ‘crooked legs’ in foals (Angular Limb Deformities) is written by Dr Lauren Jones, the veterinarian behind Kentaro Veterinary Services, a mobile equine practice on the Coffs Coast of NSW, Australia.

Known for her calm, practical approach, Lauren spends her days helping horses from foals to elite eventers. She’s passionate about education, preventative care, and the demystification of veterinary medicine, giving owners clear, no-nonsense advice they can actually use. 

Dr Lauren Jones, Kentaro Veterinary Services

Dr Lauren writes:

Ever had someone say your horse is duck-footed or pigeon-toed? Or maybe that they paddle or have a wonky gait?

That’s often due to a conformational fault. The good news is that in foals, it’s something we can often correct before it becomes a long-term problem.

There are all types of these – legs that bend in, out, or are contracted or lax. Each type changes the way the joints line up and the way forces travel down the limb.

This is exactly why I’m so particular about foal checks at birth. Early intervention gives us the best chance to guide those growing legs into alignment.

It’s never a one-person job – it takes a team effort: dedicated owners, a skilled farrier, a bodyworker, and a vet with an eye for detail. Together we can make a huge difference in how that foal matures and moves for life.

Foal hoof trimming and taping. Image (c) Lauren Jones
Foal hoof splinting and bandaging, plus trimming. Image (c) Lauren Jones

A quick run-down on those crooked legs

Angular Limb Deformities (ALD) can look like a foal doing the hokey kokey, but what’s really happening is much more complicated. These deformities come in a few different flavours and can be congenital (born that way) or acquired (develop after birth).

Carpal valgus (‘knock knees’) is one of the most frequently seen angular limb deformities. Image (c) M. Power

Congenital causes

These are usually linked to what happens before or around birth.

  • Soft tissue trauma during delivery.
  • Lax or flaccid joints, when the ligaments and tendons are just a bit too stretchy at birth.
  • Premature birth, twin pregnancies, placentitis, etc. can cause underdeveloped bones (incomplete ossification)
Congenital angular limb deformity
Forelimb and hindlimb contracture is a less commonly seen congenital angular limb deformity

Developmental (acquired) causes

These are termed ‘acquired’. They tend to show up a bit later and are often influenced by:

  • Unbalanced nutrition (too much, too little, or the wrong mix for growing foals).
  • Excessive exercise or trauma – those young legs take a lot of load too quickly.
  • Environmental factors – a hill can cause a slant if a foal is already tending one way or another.
  • Lack of good hoof care early can lead to abnormal wear, changing the forces on the foot.

Some of these can be sneaky and hard to spot until the foal hits the ground and starts moving.

Acquired flexural deformity in a foal (c) Dr. C. Whitton, MSD Manual

In simple terms, we talk about:

  • ‘Valgus’ is when the limb angles outwards (toes point out, knees or hocks in).
  • ‘Varus’ is when the limb angles inwards (toes point in, knees or hocks out).
  • Contraction is when everything is too tight.
  • Laxity is when everything is too loose.
  • A combination of all the above.

Windswept at birth

 

And ever seen a little foal that looks like the wind’s been blowing from one side a bit too long? Meet the windswept foal – a classic example of Angular Limb Deformities in action. This foal is half Valgus, half Varus. You put your left foot in and your right foot out and shake it all about…

 

Straight talk about treatment

Every foal is different, and the key is working out whether that crooked leg needs a bit of time, a trim, or a team approach to get things straight again.

The good news? With the right plan and good teamwork, these cases can do brilliantly, and what’s more, they do so in a pretty short period of time.

Here’s how we can tackle mild to moderate limb deformities with conservative management. For more severe cases, surgical management is an option.

Exercise-restriction or controlled exercise

When the muscles are too tight, then we need to rest them to let them relax. When the muscles are too loose, they need gentle exercise to strengthen them.

Corrective trimming

Our farrier team works magic here! Small, frequent trims can help rebalance how the foot hits the ground and redirect forces up the limb.

Here we are looking at left-to-right imbalances. When you pick up the foot of a pigeon-toed horse, you will notice that one heel is longer than the other. The first step is to even the heels up (it can be millimeters), before reassessing.

If the fetlock is straight, great! If not, we can come back and take off a couple more millimeters. Be wary, as there isn’t much foot to play with. It’s best to do this trimming under an experienced eye.

Hoof extensions

Glue-on or lightweight extensions can shift the weight distribution and give growing bones a little nudge in the right direction.

Carpal valgus is one of the most common angular limb deformities. Image (c) Lauren Jones

 

Foal hoof extensions
Dalric hoof extensions by Nanric. Available https://www.nanric.com/foal-shoes

Physio tape

This fires the nerves to work more on one side than the other, due to gentle tactile feedback. This can encourage the muscles to work slightly harder on one side in order to straighten the leg.

Splints and bandages

Used carefully and for short periods, these help support weak or lax joints while the soft tissues strengthen. They can also be used to gently stretch tight joints. Note: these look simple, but are not without risk, as they can heat up the leg, slip, or cause rub. It’s very easy to end up with long-lasting scar tissue and white hair. If used incorrectly or if the foal is too boisterous, they can cause negative effects quickly!

Bodywork

Some gentle bodywork, including a little limb mobilisation and stretching, or acupuncture can help ease the muscular tensions that build up as the foal works hard to balance itself. Some modalities will stimulate the nervous system and help it to ‘forget’ the incorrect posture as the limbs improve.

Surgery

For more severe or stubborn cases, we can use veterinary surgery. ‘Stripping’ is when the bone membrane is lifted to speed growth on the ‘short’ side of the leg. ‘Stapling’ is when a screw or pin is fixed across the growth plate to slow growth on ‘long’ side of leg. That’s how surgery influences bone growth. It’s a higher level of intervention, but timing is still critical.

Should your foal be confined or not?

Owners are often ‘advised’ by well-wishers that they should keep their foal confined, or allow it to run around to exercise – with the same advice being given for all manner of Angular Limb Deformities.

Try not to take such advice, but instead get a vet with an experienced eye for forelegs AND hindlegs to have a look at mare and foal in the first 12 to 24 hours. Doing so gives many advantages.

 For the mare, we check that:

  • She has passed her membranes,
  • Her udder is comfortable,
  • Any minor tears are treated.

We can also assess whether she is going to need a post-foaling flush treatment.

For the foal, we check that:

  • Meconium has passed normally,
  • The bite is strong,
  • The heart has no murmurs,
  • The lungs are clear,
  • The umbilicus is clean and dry,
  • There are no hernias,
  • Temperature is normal.

We also do an IGG test to check the immune system has absorbed enough antibodies from mum’s first milk, which carries colostrum.

Importantly, we check legs for straightness and development, seeing problems that the owner might not spot. We create a plan if they need treatment.

It’s best to keep both mum and foal confined until then! This also has another advantage: the pair bond in a safe place so that mum doesn’t need to get over-protective or run from that ‘lion’, over-exercising those vulnerable baby legs.

Be sure to act in time

No matter the approach, monitoring is critical. Foals grow fast, sometimes changing week to week, and what’s perfect timing for one joint might be too late for another.

Don’t leave it too late! Fetlock deformities are best addressed before 4 months of age, as growth plates near closure. The window for knee and hock deformities is longer, but the best results are achieved before 6-8 months.

Where possible, early management is nearly always better, as you’ll see faster results for less intervention. It also leaves less time for problems to worsen or lead to additional issues.

That’s why early checks and ongoing follow-up visits make all the difference to your growing foal’s legs.

Dr Lauren Jones and friend

Hiring an Equine Chiropractor: 10 Crucial Questions You Need to Ask

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When you’re hiring an equine chiropractor, it’s really important to ask some questions first. And I don’t mean just the usual ‘what do you charge’ and ‘do you work on Saturdays’, although you can obviously ask those too.

You see, there are chiros and then there are chiros. One group consists of equine chiropractors who are genuinely qualified and skilled, while the other includes chiropractors who are not.

Unfortunately, when it comes to hiring a correctly trained chiropractor, word of mouth recommendation isn’t always enough. (I look at some of the issues in an earlier post, Why Do Horse Owners Keep Hiring Unqualified Equine Chiros?)

And unfortunately, it’s often hard for horse owners to ask the right questions of professionals, because the fact is that many of us don’t know enough to know what to ask.

Why does this matter?

Equine chiropractic is one that’s called an invasive approach. This means it frequently involves the use of high pressure to get results (here’s a good university overview).

And the thing with approaches that use high pressure is that everything is fine – until it isn’t. That one mistake can be catastrophic, because a high-pressure move was applied in the wrong place or at the wrong time on a particular horse. This is very well expressed in this article by a veterinarian.

Note that some non-chiro equine vets are sceptical about the benefits of chiropractic. Some of this comes down to different uses of the word ‘subluxation’ – if you’re interested, holistic vet Dr Madalyn Ward DVM explains this aspect very well.

Questions you can ask a horse chiropractor

The following 10 questions may be helpful if you’re thinking of hiring an equine chiropractor.

Some of the answers may be on their website, so do take a look. If there’s no website, ask when you speak to them.

A qualified professional will not mind being asked at all, although do remember they may be busy. But with non-vet chiros, I’d count an irritated response to being asked as a potential red flag 🚩

By the way, if you’re thinking of hiring a chiropractor who’s a veterinarian, then you can be reassured that there’s a high level of professional regulation in place. This protects your horse and you as a customer. This also applies if you live in a region where all equine therapists are heavily regulated. In such cases, you may not need to ask more questions at all.

Otherwise, here’s where you can start.

(c) https://vetmed.illinois.edu

1. “What is your qualification?”

The answer to this does not always tell the whole story, but is definitely a good starting point. You’ll most likely find it on the website.

It’s not always true that big qualifications make good practitioners. However, when it comes to invasive practices – i.e. those that use a higher level of pressure, meaning moves will have an impact, come what may – solid qualifications are essential. No qualification is a cause for concern 🚩

2. “Where did you train?”

It follows that their qualification needs to come from a reputable training organisation. Find out the answer (it’s likely to be on the website), and then look it up. Is it accredited? Does it come with approvals from regulatory bodies? If not, 🚩

(c) https://www.midriversequine.com

3. “Does your work involve pressure?”

This follow-up question might relate to the practitioner’s understanding of their work and its effect. This is a roundabout way of identifying the possible use of high pressure or force – read this post about Unqualified Equine Chiros for more on this.

If the question can’t be answered, the chiropractor may not even understand what it means, or why it’s important. And if they don’t the answer, how much are they thinking about your horse’s experience of their work? Red flag alert🚩

4. “How exactly do you get results?”

Again, if joints are simply being pushed and pulled, or if the practitioner learned just by watching someone else, this question may be tricky to answer 🚩

On the other hand, if the chiropractor answers articulately, you may not understand what they are on about – anatomy and physiology can certainly be hard to dip into. If you’re not clear, try a follow-up question.

5. “Is there somewhere I can read about that?”

This is a follow-up question if you’re feeling bamboozled by science. Every practitioner should be able to point to a source of information, somewhere, or offer to send a link through later.  A vet may be busy, but they’ll at least mention their professional association’s website. Other qualified professionals will appreciate their customers being interested.

If you’re brushed off or the subject gets changed, take note 🚩

6. “Will you be able to tell me what’s wrong with my horse?”

This question is a bit of a bear trap. Diagnosing is telling you specifically what a condition is and trained professionals should know that only a vet can diagnose. So, if a non-vet chiropractor answers ‘yes’, you may have a red flag answer 🚩

7. “Does your approach always work?”

The answer should be that there’s never a guarantee, that some conditions can’t be helped (although the secondary effects can), that veterinary diagnosis and/or intervention may be required, or that not every approach works best for every horse.

If the practitioner says yes, they are either wearing rose-tinted glasses, don’t know as much as they should do, or are over-selling what they do 🚩

8. “How do horses respond to your work?”

If you care about the experience your horse is being lined up for, this is an important one to ask. “They like it” is not an adequate answer 🚩 You definitely need to hear a bit more about what happens with the horse after the session and what you can expect.

(c) https://www.coretherapiesdvm.com/

9. “Are you insured?”

This one can elicit an interesting answer, given that association membership and up-to-date qualifications are usually required for chiropractic due to its invasive nature (regulations vary by country and region).

I’d recommend that you NEVER hire a chiro who isn’t insured 🚩

10. “How many sessions do you recommend – and why?”

If you hear that all will be sorted out in one session, do not believe them 🚩 If they suggest that your horse should be treated every time they visit the area, hide your horse and padlock your wallet 🚩🚩

 

To sum up…

Now I realise that not every practitioner is super-articulate. In any group of professionals, there are those who speak well and those who are more introverted.

Hopefully, the information you’re looking for will be readily available on a website if not in conversation.

Yet as with any group of professionals, even with all questions answered positively, there’s no guarantee of high-level skills or ability – or sensitivity to your horses’ responses.

But you will be dramatically lowering the chance of hiring a poorly trained and less knowledgeable chiropractor who could be unwittingly putting your horse at risk.

 

BEMER And Bodywork: What I’m Seeing And Why I’m Hooked

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As a bodyworker, I’ve been using hands-on therapies to help horses for nearly 20 years. Only recently, I came across BEMER and decided to add this blanket and leg wraps to my practice, Equine Healthworks.

So how did I come across BEMER, what have I found, and – as a PhD-level critical thinker – what do I make of it?

Here, I explain how and why it fits into my holistic practice. I start with some observable effects in horses, then unpack these as to what might be happening, and finally explain where it sits in my view of how we work with horses.

Note: The following reflects my personal experience and views, and as such are anecdotal in nature. Always consult a veterinarian if you have concerns about your horse’s health. I am a BEMER UK partner presently in Australia and receive no compensation for this piece of writing.

Thoroughbred Broodmare
Thoroughbred broodmare receiving some assistance.

How I was introduced to BEMER

As a rule, I don’t jump onto bandwagons, especially where the-next-great-device is concerned.

I’m the marketer’s nightmare, being a seriously slow uptaker of new technologies. And that’s why I had my heels dug in very firmly when a UK friend first started telling me about BEMER.

But then, after a few years (I’m not kidding), I started to do some reading. I found scientific papers and anecdotal information that were variously good, bad, or on the fence. Much of the good science related to the ‘human’ BEMER forerunner of the equine version.

It was only when a very qualified European colleague offered to hand deliver my own BEMER and, what’s more, give a presentation to my clients AND stay with me and talk BEMER all weekend, that I finally took the plunge.

Since then, I’ve been near-obsessing over how this therapy device is producing such remarkable results in the horses I work with.

My initial observations

What surprised me immediately was the similarity of physiological effects arising from the BEMER and those arising from my bodywork.

  • Many horses show a response that suggests parasympathetic nervous system activation. There is visible dilation of blood vessels, particularly around the upper limbs. The pulse is visibly raised along the jugular groove. Horses ‘zone out’, with head lowered, eyes shut, and lips drooping. Then there are all the big sighs with licking and chewing… and the gut rumbles (peristalsis).

  • Additionally, sweat patches can appear, and muscle twitches (fasciculation) occur randomly.
  • Some horses don’t respond during the first session, but do so later, once they’re able to mentally ‘let go’. I work on  a second horse and look back to find that the first horse is now zoning and yawning, with the blood vessels raised.
  • And yes, the parasympathic state appears to be just a heartbeat away for the rest of the day and night.

In short, what I saw happening was what I’d been watching for nearly two decades of bodywork practice.

I’m a therapist/healer, yet this technology was producing crossover results – how?

What else have I seen happening?

Using the BEMER with equine clients gives me chance to stand back and watch, before assessing progress over multiple sessions.

  • Musculoskeletal

The horse’s muscles are softer when I start to work, vertebral joints free up more easily, and the ‘hard’ tension is often absent from the thoracolumbar fascia.

Horses will focus on a problem area as the effect is felt. They turn and look at it, or reach down to nuzzle a knee or foot. I see this as blood flow increasing in a restricted area, causing some form of prickling or tickling (actually, I’ve had personal experience of this with the human BEMER device).

Horse turns to look at problem area.
Horses often focus on areas where heightened sensations are felt, with locations confirmed during the bodywork that follows.

Certain areas of the body may sweat and these often correspond to known problem areas. I put this down to ‘ischemia’, the inward rush of blood to an area where supply has been compromised through injury or lack of use.

Sweat patch at an injury site post-BEMER
After a BEMER session, sweat appears at the location of an injury received a week before. Related ventral odema disappeared by the following morning.
  • Posture

Horses with bad hoof imbalances will shift around a lot. Again, I’m thinking about sensations felt when blood supply improves – and the hooves are certainly subject to a degree of blood perfusion that can be restricted or impaired. (And I hope that current hoof balance allows its restoration…)

This also happens with lumbar spinal and pelvic region issues – the horse shifts weight between the hinds as sensations increase.

Horses shift their weight and square up. I’m certain that there’s also an afferent effect from the signal – proprioceptive awareness increases or is restored.

Horses often shift weight and very deliberately square up during a session.
  • Injury

Bruising doesn’t happen when we might expect it to, for example, post-surgery. I’ve seen this absence (if that makes sense) in a pink-skinned horse – in that instance, the vet expressed surprise at lack of post-surgery bruising and swelling, without knowing BEMER had been used.

Swelling reduces rapidly or even fails to develop at all, as fluid (oedema) is swiftly moved.

  • Circulation

While it’s normal for veins and arteries to become raised under the skin during bodywork, this is even more intense as many tiny vessels also become dilated.

Even smaller blood vessels become dilated and raised
Vasodilation is a frequently seen bodywork effect, but here there has only been a few minutes with the BEMER.

In horses where an immune response is already visible, in the form of overdeveloped lymph nodes, hives, etc., signs can disappear overnight.

Dull horses become bright in the eye again. Horses with either no known or supposedly resolved veterinary issues, suddenly improve after a session or two. Health has been restored to an internal problem that we may have known nothing about and probably never will.

  • Temperament

Very anxious horses can respond with parasympathetic activation almost instantly, within the first 1-2 minutes. It is as if their exhausted nervous system is on a knife edge, ready to shift states. These horses appear to be have extreme sensitivity to the blanket, as befits this problem.

Paint mare responding to BEMER
Some stressed horses, like this anxious paint mare, respond within a couple of minutes of the BEMER being activated.

Not strictly bodywork-related but certainly client-horse-related: Performance horses can become more relaxed at events, and therefore more focused in classes. Quality of rest during their overnight stays appears to be improved.

I’ve also seen how separation anxiety at events can be drastically reduced through use of the blanket.

Swifter, more effective warm-ups are valuable for horses at all stages of their careers.

Unpacking these effects

Our appreciation of BEMER’s benefits must rest in understanding HOW and WHY circulation is often compromised, even in small degrees that we’d never usually be aware of.

Because, whether you’re coming to bodywork from the Western or Chinese perspective, adequate blood supply is the touchstone of life.

Some of the physical effects described here can be explained by the (researched and evidenced) fact that BEMER targets microcirculation, moving blood to the areas it needs to reach and where it has been restricted.

Restoring circulation quite clearly doesn’t mean simply warming up muscles – although it does do that. Basically, all the tissues in the body that receive blood are being nourished, something that is essential to the healing process.

As improved bloodflow returns, the horses often focus on an area of their body. I assume they’re experiencing a prickling or ‘pins and needles’ effect (again, I have experienced this directly). They don’t appear to be worried, although they can be distracted. The returning bloodflow also appears to create heat and unusual areas of sweat.

The horse often shows its awareness of where something interesting is happening in the body.

There’s a lymphatic effect too, as interstitial fluids leaked from capillaries are eased away from the tissue to start their journey via lymph vessels back to the heart. I assume the BEMER signal is stimulating this process, via the improved action higher up the circulatory network. Lymph vessels are also able to function more freely at ever level.

There simply has to be an improvement in nutritional uptake after illness. This is due to parasympathetic activation (‘rest and digest’), but another factor is starvation and lack of stimulation of digestive blood flow that’s associated with an low level of digestive processes (due to lack of food).  Blood collects nutrition from the gut to deliver through the body. And if the blood circulation has been depleted and is then stimulated… we are looking at multi-level improvements, at point of collection, transport, and delivery.

Recently rehomed, this malnourished riding pony produced some incredibly loud and prolonged gut sounds, enough to startle her and surprise her owner and I.

When less is more (or different)

This brings me to an important point. Again, it’s solely my personal viewpoint based on observations.

Many people using different modalities have different preferences and not all follow the same lines of thought, which is of course fine!

Yet some will always say that a device needs to run with greater intensity to reach ‘deep enough’ in the horse’s body.

To me, that’s like viewing the body as inert tissue that needs to be physically penetrated in some way.

The leg ‘cuffs’ are independent units, which gives scope for further targeted addresses on the limbs after the blanket session.

Devices that have greater strength or intensity work, of course they do. But very often I find that the key difference is not in whether high-powered or low-powered devices are more effective, but in how quickly that effect happens.

Even then, that’s not a hard and fast rule, as horses are individuals and any holistic approach brings different results in different individuals at different speeds.

Talking to the Central Nervous System

Due to my own hands-on work, I’m very aware that there’s no need to go heavy when stimulating change in the body.

My view is that you don’t need a hammer to crack this particular nut. Quite the opposite, in fact.

BEMER’s electrical frequency is tiny, yes. So is its magnetic density. But there’s a number one reason for that: it’s emulating a specific neuronal signal in the body.

And not just any signal: one that’s essential to maintaining the optimal health of all its tissues (more here).

And seeing this as a weakness is to do a serious disservice to the equine peripheral and central nervous system.

Why? Because light contact creates afferent impulses can bring about change.

And what does that mean?

Stimulated by touch, afferent (sensory) signals carry information to the brain, where it is integrated and processed. The brain then coordinates a response via efferent (motor) signals back to the rest of the body (more explanation here).

It’s Also What Feels Right To Me

The way we adopt technology in our work is a choice.

I believe that many tech devices work, but in different ways. I obviously have preferences. I would never have deep tissue massage or high velocity chiropractic for my own body and have no desire to administer anything that impactful to a horse either.

I think we can do better than that now, given what we know.

That’s why, due to the way that BEMER works – gently harmonising with the body to guide its systems back towards homeostasis – this device sits very comfortably within my practice.

And at last, I can understand what my colleagues have been going on about for so many years.

 

Below: Fresh from the paddock, this driving pony received a full body session and then extra focus on his neck.

 

Why Do Horse Owners Keep Hiring Unqualified Equine Chiros?

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Let’s take a moment to talk about unqualified equine chiropractors.

I’m not talking about veterinary chiropractors, or those who’ve trained with well-regarded institutes. These are professionals who approach a horse with a safe pair of hands and a head full of knowledge.

I’m talking about the ones we could loosely call the whackers and crackers. The ones who lean right in when they’re pushing, and who lean right back when they’re pulling – because that’s how you adjust a great big ol’ horse.

These are the guys – and the majority are male – who do the endless rounds of repeat visits, adjusting the same horses over and over.

And who often deliver on-the-spot diagnoses, despite never having had a day’s veterinary training in their life.

Note: This is the first of two posts. Once you’ve read this, take a look at Hiring an Equine Chiropractor: 10 Crucial Questions You Need to Ask

Right, but my chiro is great

Of course, many people will say yes, they know there are bad chiros out there, but their chiro is great and really helps their horse, so what’s the problem?

The problem is this. When everything’s going right and all is well, the problem won’t be seen. Yet when a mistake is made, the outcome can be disastrous.

This is because chiropractors perform moves that can be invasive. This means that a result is achieved by applying a direct physical pressure that the horse’s body can’t resist or avoid.

Let’s look at how that plays out in practice.

The nature of the chiropractic move

1. Untrained chiropractors

The moves unqualified chiropractors perform are what is called high velocity, non-specific joint adjustments, and they’re usually made with long lever techniques. For example, a leg is moved at high speed to address a series of vertebral joints, or a number of joints in the leg.

These moves may take joints beyond, just beyond or even well beyond their usual range of motion. It all varies according to the level of skill involved. The joints may have different limitations, but the individual assessment isn’t always there.

2. Qualified chiropractors

A highly trained chiropractor who is a vet or who has an accredited qualification performs specific, high velocity and low amplitude (HVLA) adjustments. Here’s one definition of HVLA: it’s “a rapid use of force over a short duration, distance, and/or rotational area within the anatomical range of motion of a joint to engage the restrictive barrier in one or more planes of motion to elicit the release of restriction.” (LaPelusa, 2023.)

Note the word ‘anatomical’ – this is where a healthy joint should be able to move. This is different to the physiological range of motion, which is where a joint is currently able to move, given the issues that might be limiting it.

Why high-level training is important

Sounds complicated? Well, that’s because it is – and so it should be.

When it comes to chiropractic adjustments, the specific location and angle needs to be spot on, as if performed incorrectly, they can cause damage.

If you’re going to go past the physiological to reach the anatomical range of motion, then you need to know exactly where each of those is. You also need to understand the tissue structures and issues that might be limiting the joint’s movement.

Based on that information, there are times when a move shouldn’t be performed at all.

A qualified chiropractor knows exactly where and what the locations and angles are, and understands the tissue damage, conditions and restrictions that mean a move shouldn’t be made (called ‘contraindications’). This involves nerve function as well.

The unqualified chiros, not so much.

This is not something you can just pick up as you go along, because you’ve always been around horses, or heard about it from some bloke you used to work with at the racing stables.

Because get it wrong and force a joint too far at the wrong time, and matters can go south very quickly indeed. The consequences can be minor, but equally they can be disastrous.

It’s a risk many people hiring equine chiropractors don’t even know is there.

10 reasons why unqualified chiros get hired

Let’s be aware of what influences our decisions, including those to hire unqualified chiros. (And I’ll own here that I’ve been impressed by the wrong people at times in the past, so I’ve no intention to judge people who are trying their best.)

So, understanding that many people just want to help their horse, here’s the good, the bad and the ugly of this owner decision.

1. The word-of-mouth recommendation is shaky

A friend mentions a name and describes an experience that sounds positive. However, what if they don’t know quite as much as they appear to know?

2. The practitioner has an innate air of authority

A lot of these chiros are used to walking up to racehorses with a manner that demands obedience and stops any trouble before it starts. It sure works, but confident body language doesn’t only work on horses, it convinces people too.

3. Male horse people often prefer male practitioners

A percentage of men do prefer other men to do the job, and view cracking the horse’s body as a practical, fuss-free approach they can relate to. Not all men, of course, but plenty of them.

4.  It’s seen as a physical job that requires a man

This is the belief that the work requires strength, for instance when lifting a solid back leg up without getting kicked. For those who believe it should be done this way, it can follow that a muscled bloke is preferrable. To a horse owner who believes big horse bodies need to be pushed or pulled into alignment because, well, they’re big, then this sure looks impressive.

5.  Men are still seen by many as experts

Sadly, many horse owners, many of whom are female, still seem to believe that an expert man is more expert than an expert woman. I find the chiro’s words are often repeated with such reverence that you’d think he was up there alongside the equine vet. Please women, let’s change this mindset!

6. Some vets still support these chiros

It’s true. Inexplicably, some vets still informally refer to these practitioners who are 100% qualification-free and never do any update training, and even deliver quasi-diagnoses. Meanwhile, an unsuspecting owner absolutely trusts their vet – who would blame them?

7.  The cracks are impressive

That noise. As we know, it’s carbon dioxide gas bubbles escaping the synovial fluid as a joint moves (‘cavitation’), or a ligament or tendon moving suddenly over bone. Yet for the uninformed owner, both of these are the sound of a joint going ‘back in’ and a problem being resolved.

8.  This method does the job and it’s quick

Yes, but so is tying a loose tooth to a door handle and then slamming the door. Does that make it the best or the right intervention, especially when it comes with risks?

9.  It’s cheap

This is naturally seen as a good thing, and for anyone on a tight budget, it is. However, most chiropractors who’ve spent years in expensive education and training can’t afford to give their work away.

10.  There’s nobody else in the area

I understand. Honestly.

So, what can horse owners do?

When choosing an approach, use imagination and engage empathy to think about how you would like your body to be handled.

Next, asking questions before engaging or hiring a professional is a good way to start assessing the level of training and professionalism in the chiro you’re hiring.

Checking the person’s website and checking professional association lists can go some way towards getting answers – once you know what questions you need answering.

That’s why I’ve written this additional post that should help: Hiring a Horse Chiropractor: 10 Crucial Questions You Need to Ask

 

Note: The images in this post were all sourced in the public domain on social media and third party websites.

 

 

 

Physio at Feed Time: Using Food to Mobilize Your Horse’s Body

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In this guest post, Tanja Kraus introduces variable feeding positions, which bring musculoskeletal benefits while also enriching your horse’s day.

As an equine educator from the East Coast of Australia, Tanja’s passion is using kind horsemanship philosophies and connection to develop a partnership horse with the rider.

This extract comes from her latest book, Lessons from Horses: Movement, whch provides insight into why and how our horses should be moving each day, with exercises to contribute to their physical health, mental wellbeing, and longevity.

She writes about variable feeding positions with the support of Dr Sharon May-Davis, who developed this combined feeding approach.

You can find Tanja’s books here.

All text is copyright of the author Tanja Kraus. No reproduction without permission.

The Day I Heard About Variable Feeding Positions and Horse Posture

I first heard about variable feeding positions when attending an Equine Symposium where Dr. Sharon May-Davis was presenting.

Sharon presented on variable feeding positions, and showed many examples of the benefits of variable feeding she had seen, both in wild horses and in domestic horses managed in this way.

This included reduced asymmetry in the body, improved teeth and hooves, a more complete and balanced recovery from injury, and improved performance across multiple disciplines.

Comparing wild herds to domestic horses, she discovered that domestic horses with restricted lifestyles suffer with issues not only in the musculoskeletal system, but also uneven teeth wear. Jaw alignment and foot growth due to the limited postures.

Horses commonly ignore easy grass pickings to nibble from trees. (c) Hilary Graham

Natural Feeding Behaviors in Horses

As Dr May-Davis was talking, I was imagining my own horses and what I had seen them doing naturally in their paddock, and she was, of course, right.

My own horses who run in a herd of around 10 (give or take) in a paddock of varying terrain of about 40 acres adopt ‘variable feeding positions’ regularly and quite naturally.

And when I say regularly, I mean daily, through all the seasons.

So, they are not driven by lack of resources, which many people will argue ‘horses only eat out of trees when they have no choice’ – this is 100% incorrect.

My horses will happily roam their paddock and graze and browse and everything in between every day.

Images (c) Dengie: ‘Hedgerow Haynets for Horses’

We’re fortunate that our paddock contains a wonderful variation of pasture, different types of grasses, trees, and weeds that our horses can pick and choose from.

They are regularly seen choosing to eat ‘above the knee’, which is the measurement used to define browsing.

This can involve something as simple as eating the top of long grass around knee height, to completely outstretching their head and neck until their teeth are facing the sky to pull leaves from trees.

When you observe horses doing this, and pay attention to their bodies as they do it, you can see just how significant the range of motion is.

Horses extend their backs and stretch forward when eating from height. Indoor and outdoor spaces need to be large enough for them to do this.  (c) thehorsesback.com

Naysayers are often heard grumbling that horses ‘shouldn’t hollow their backs’ and that ‘high feeding is bad’ for this reason.

However, if you observe other animal species such as dogs and cats, they can all be seen stretching their spines by rounding and then hollowing.

And where would our own Yoga classes be without the classic ‘cat / cow’ pose?  Range of motion is healthy, natural and necessary.

Our domestic horses are often denied any type of variable feeding as we feed hay and hard feeds on the ground, and many horses are kept in paddocks that have limited access to appealing trees, shrubs, and long grass to facilitate variable feeding.

So how can we help?

Horses with good spinal mobility appear happy to eat from any angle on a hill. (c) Tanja Kraus

 

Offer Your Horses Variable Feeding Positions

Provide opportunity for variable feeding, with the following examples:

  • High hay fixed
  • High hay swinging
  • High feeder on rail
  • High feeder with ramp
One flake of hay per day in a swinging high net keeps this herd, which lives out, actively mobilizing their necks. (c) Sally Taylor

If hay has to go on the ground, you can make use of the natural lie of the land.

  • Feed on slope uphill / downhill
  • Hay scattered around to encourage movement
  • Multiple haynets and feeders to encourage movement
This mare stands square while eating on a gentle slope and raising her cervicothoracic spine. Note that she could stand at the top and eat virtually on the level if she preferred to. (c) thehorsesback.com

The Benefits of Variable Feeding Positions

Basically, we can try any variation from the usual static grazing position.

Feeding in variable positions can also be a useful ‘passive physio’ technique. They may find it harder at first, but it gets easier as their bodies become more supple and mobile.

It follows that horses being rehabbed from injury or restriction can be fed to encourage beneficial postures that activate or stretch particular muscles or body areas.

Gypsy needed encouragement to load an injured forelimb. Unlike most horses, she had been loading her hindquarters rather than her forehand. The gate encourages her to come forward and raise the lower neck. (c) thehorsesback.com

It’s important to note here that I have had some equine dentists express concern as they have seen terrible damage to horses’ teeth (namely racehorses) who are fed only in high feeders.

But, those horses are stabled and fed only in up positions, and therefore the grazing position is not a part of their daily routine. A recent study suggests there is no negative dental effect in horses using haynets for a period of one year [1].

Below, these horses are fully mobilising their necks while eating from a shared large small-hole haynet – and from the ground. Note the near squared position of the grey mare, who suffered a fractured pelvis as a yearling.

We can also reverse engineer this – if your horse has an asymmetry, or difficulty working in one direction, is the way you position their feed having a negative effect?

Horses, when given the freedom to choose, graze approximately 80% of the time, and browse 20% of the time, and this balance should be sought when providing variable feeding positions for their benefit.

 

Solid and safe ramps and pedestals can be created to replicate environmental factors. (c) Footloose Barefoot Hooves

I have adopted variable feeding positions for my own horses, student horses, and for horses when they come in for training.

I’ve taken photos and filmed their start of variable feeding, and as they progress, and I have noticed a significant improvement in their posture while eating, along with their resting and grazing stances.

Depending on what you are trying to achieve there are many options, and the best part is the horse is doing their own physio in a gentle way.

 

Read more about enrichment in this blog post:  How Well Are We Doing? Why Some Horses Thrive While Others Just Get By
Reference
[1] Johnson L, Martinson K, Keener L, DeBoer, M. A preliminary study: Effect of hay nets on horse hay usage, dental wear, and dental conditions in mature adult horses. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science; 2023;124;104366; doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2023.104366.