International Diploma in Equine Osteopathy

Description

Increase your discount by clicking The Horse’s Back when you apply.

Are you yearning for more knowledge? The past decade has seen an explosion in hands-on equine therapies, with an unprecedented number of courses in musculoskeletal therapies appearing.

There are surely more equine bodyworkers than ever before. It’s a competitive world out there for therapists!

Perhaps, like many, you’ve found there’s a ceiling on the level of training you can access.

You may be adept at working with the soft tissue structures of the horse’s body, yet when it comes to addressing deeper structural concerns, you’re sometimes at the limits of your skills.

Thankfully, there’s now an opportunity to dramatically raise your knowledge and skills, while gaining the professional edge in your mission to help horses.

Introducing The International Diploma in Equine Osteopathy

International leader in animal osteopathic education, the London College of Animal Osteopathy (LCAO), has recently launched one of the highest levels of training currently available outside universities.

The International Diploma in Equine Osteopathy (Int’l DipEO) is led by LCAO founder and renowned osteopath Professor Stuart McGregror, D.O., who shares the knowledge and techniques he has taught internationally since 1998.

Previously accessed only by vets and qualified osteopaths, the diploma is now also open to physiotherapists, chiropractors, massage therapists, and animal care professionals such as trainers, vet techs, breeders, trainers, and farriers.

Watch this 2-minute introduction…

It’s the perfect balance of theory and practice. Drawing on 30 years’ experience of teaching equine osteopathy, Stuart will instruct in the following areas, building your capacity as a therapist.

Understand the systemic and functional anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics of the horse.
Learn how to perform performing a physical examination using observation, palpation skills, and clinical reasoning skills.
Be able to deliver an effective treatment using appropriate osteopathic techniques.
Recognize indications and contraindications to osteopathic treatment.
Understand your role as an osteopath within today’s animal health care model.
Understand the osteopathic philosophy and principles as applied to horses.
Understand the osteopathic approach to health and disease based on structure-function models.

Remember to unlock a further 5-10% discount by mentioning The Horse’s Back when you apply.

Helping Horses with Equine Osteopathy

How you can become a more effective practitioner: Stuart will teach you a general osteopathic treatment with its roots deep in classical osteopathy. Called Osteopathic Articular Balancing (OAB), it improves the horse’s function by relieving pain, maximizing movement, and increasing performance.

As a gentle manipulation of the whole body, OAB removes tensions and restrictions, restoring health through the assessment and treatment of muscles, joints, tendons, and ligaments.

“One of the main principles in osteopathic medicine is that treatment should restore health to the local tissues. This involves the restoration of blood supply, nerve supply, and lymphatic drainage. Where any of these are absent, the tissues can only be in poor health.” – Stuart McGregor

Learn Better Assessment and Treatment of Horses

Treat with more effective skills… Putting OAB into practice with the horse, you’ll examine the functional anatomy of each joint and its accompanying structures. You’ll also consider the direct and indirect relationships that extend through the skeletal system, taking in posture, gait assessment, and palpation.

Next, you’ll mobilize associated bones using the ‘functional’ osteopathic techniques taught by Stuart. These are gentle, slow and small controlled movements, as opposed to high velocity, short lever thrusts.

Unlock another 5-10% discount by mentioning The Horse’s Back when you apply

Learn a truly holistic approach by exploring the many factors affecting horses’ bodies.

Besides treating the horse’s whole body with equine osteopathy, you’ll learn how to bring other considerations and assessments into your treatment approach. You’ll be learning about:

The effect of gravity and rider weight on the vertebral column and pelvis.
Pathologies associated with specific sports.
The differences in the functions of hindlimbs and forelimbs.
A range of congenital and developmental conditions.
Various health issues.
Incorrect riding.
Poorly fitting tack.
Inferior hoof balance.
Dental issues.
Behavior.

Are you ready for 1,000 hours of equine osteopathy training? It’s fascinating and deeply rewarding!

This training will help you to develop as an effective practitioner with the knowledge and skills to truly help horses.

To qualify, you’ll need to complete at least 1,000 hours of core knowledge and clinical learning. You’ll submit written and video asssessments, and a thesis, and take an elective class in advanced clinical skills – available in Europe, the US or Australia.

As an equine professional, you’ll expand your practice and develop treatment styles relevant to your current practice, through:

Pre-clinical studies to build your core knowledge (500 hours).
Clinical studies, guiding you through osteopathic research (500 hours).
Advanced masterclass, with hands-on clinical training in advanced modalities such as cranial osteopathy, short lever and functional techniques.
Individual tutoring sessions.
Open group discussions.

With flexible formats that suit your lifestyle, you can study for the International Diploma in Equine Osteopathy in a way that suits you.

Most of the content is delivered through recorded lectures, video tutorials, downloadable presentations, digital textbooks, and additional readings. This means you can work at your own pace, at times of the day that work for you.

But you’re never alone with your study, for you can constantly connect with your course instructor and student forum.

This means that you can complete in your own time and, best of all, benefit from lifetime access to the online resources.

The LCAO uses a best practice model derived from the academic programs of higher education institutes, with an eLearning platform powered by Moodle software.

Who Can Apply?

The International Diploma of Equine Osteopathy is open only to approved therapists and animal care professionals

As not everyone can take this qualification, you need to apply to be admitted. The LCAO will consider applications from:

DVMs, VMDs, animal physiotherapists and chiropractors
Osteopaths and osteoapthic manual therapists (OMTs)
Registered MSK practitioners, ie massage therapists, osteopathic manual therapists
Veterinary technicians, nurses and assistants
Equine bodywork therapists with 7+ years of experience
Equine professionals with 7+ years of experience, eg trainers, breeders, farriers, equine massage therapists and bodyworkers, yard managers
Graduates and students of animal science degree programs

Start your application by downloading the prospectus to learn more, or apply straightaway.

More About Prof Stuart McGregor, D.O.

Stuart McGregor has taught hundreds of animal osteopaths over a period of some 30 years.

He graduated from the UK’s European School of Osteopathy in 1984, having completed his dissertation on The Principles of Osteopathy Applied to the Horse. This was the first known work about osteopathy for horses.

He soon began treating horses and dogs, and it was not long before he set up the Osteopathy Centre for Animals in Oxfordshire, England.

Other osteopaths and veterinarians soon came across his work and were keen to learn more, so in 1998 he began to teach. Since that time he has refined his methods and instruction, leading to the training that he practices and teaches today.

“In our treatment, there is something we call ‘intent’. This is where we apply the techniques intending to enable healing. We imagine ourselves inside the tissues being treated and then bring about positive change.” – Stuart McGregor

Treat Horses and Dogs with the LCAO

If you’re keen to expand your practice to include both horses and dogs, you may be interested in the Animal Osteopathy qualifications, which address both species.

For licensed veterinarians (DVM/VMD) and final year students of veterinary programs, LCAO also offers the following postgrad programs: