# Let's talk chiropractors



## 3Barrels (Jan 27, 2012)

I know nothing when it comes to chiropractors haha I only really learned about them a couple months ago, but I have some questions if someone would be willing to answer 

If you buy a horse would you have the chiro out before you ride it/do anything with it even if it isn't showing any pain/soreness?

Do you have your chiro out on a regular schedule like hoof trimmings/teeth floating or only when your horse shows signs of pain/soreness?

(I know this one will vary some since everyone lives somewhere different)
How much on average do you pay for a chiro visit?

What are the pros to have chiro work done on your horse?

What are the cons?

How do you tell if the chiropractor you have is doing a good job?

What can go wrong if the chiropractor you have has no idea what he/she is doing?

What is the normal prodecedere when a chiro comes our to work on your horse?



Sorry about the overflow of questions. I'm just thinking about having some work done on my gelding, and want to have everything covered


----------



## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

I had to open with my own sentence or the forum software won't let me reply:?



3Barrels said:


> I know nothing when it comes to chiropractors haha I only really learned about them a couple months ago, but I have some questions if someone would be willing to answer
> 
> If you buy a horse would you have the chiro out before you ride it/do anything with it even if it isn't showing any pain/soreness?*Not likely, unless the vet doing PPE, recommended that route.*
> 
> ...


That's how we all learn


----------



## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Here's my 2 cents worth, and I have been using chiro's for decades. First, try to figure out why the horse is out of alignment in the first place. Is his back or hip constantly out because of some other problem that needs to be addressed or was it a trauma? Secondly, no chiro treatment is any good without a therapeutic massage to help the muscles adjust after a treatment other they will just hurt & probably force the alignment out of whack again, IMO. I will only use a certified massage therapist who is also a chiropractor, only time I have results that last.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## QHDragon (Mar 6, 2009)

I have used a Chiropractor on and off for a while now. Typically I only have the chiropractor out when I notice that something feels off and no other detectable lameness can be found. That has solved a lot of problems frequently. When I first get a horse I tend to have the chiropractor out because a lot of people don't use them. Its amazing what an adjustment can do for a horse's way of going as well as their personality.


----------



## 3Barrels (Jan 27, 2012)

Thanks for the answers! 

The only thing I'm worried about is I've only heard of one in our area... and knowing the reputation of vets/farriers around here (90% of farriers are in it for the money and are scared of horses/don't do a good job, 50% of vets are the same way..) I'd have to make sure I found some people that had used said chiro before.

Anyway, I'm rambling, thanks again!


----------



## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Equine Chiropractic, Pros, Cons, and Alternatives

This might be useful reading

There are a lot of con artists in this profession. They only make their money out of doing this so if they tell you your horse has nothing wrong you wont pay them for their services

Unless a horse is visibly uneven with an unlevel action its unlikely that anything is out of alignment as all the bones in the skeleton rely on each other
You need to have a rectal ultrasound or an X ray to properly confirm this sort of thing. I know someone who paniced when she was told her horse had its pelvic bone out of alignment by a chiropractor and had it Xrayed - there was nothing wrong with it. 
I have another friend who paid a lot of money to have her horses 'uneven action sorted' - it actually had an abcess in its foot

Horses can suffer all sorts of trauma in accidents and riders can also create uneven muscle by the way they ride or what they do with their horses
I would always go to a good vet first if I had a concern and if they thought it was worth it I would use an equine physio combined with an equine osteopath who specialises in massage therapy
If a problem is severe enough they will also prescribe pain meds and muscle relaxants combined with rest to speed recovery


----------



## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

3Barrels said:


> Thanks for the answers!
> 
> The only thing I'm worried about is I've only heard of one in our area... and knowing the reputation of vets/farriers around here (90% of farriers are in it for the money and are scared of horses/don't do a good job, 50% of vets are the same way..) I'd have to make sure I found some people that had used said chiro before.
> 
> Anyway, I'm rambling, thanks again!


I have read on other forums where folks from MO have said the same thing:--( 

You don't happen to be on the side of Missouri that borders KY and TN do you? Chiros will travel but the road fee increases, incrementally, once 40 miles is passed up.

The vet was here Tuesday to give my four their bi-annual physicals. He checked everyone structurally, literally from ears-to-tail.

He pinpointed the hot spots on the two horses with most issues but said the chiro was doing a great job keeping them in alignment. I never said a word in advance but he was right on target pinpointing the sore spots:shock:

Point being, I know how fortunate I am to have a great vet that supports chiropractics and that HE is familiar with how all that works and thinks the current chiro is doing a great job.

Back to which side of the state you live on --- if you're close enough to TN/KY you might do some investigating in those two states and see if anyone travels.

My chiro is right below Nashville, so it isn't likely she would travel to your area; plus her second child is due right around Christmas, so she's on-leave from adjusting any horses until after the first of the year.

If you can't locate anyone, I could e-mail her on the off-chance she may know someone reputable, if you're in the SE side of MO


----------



## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

Aha .... one of my favourite topics for discussion!

Unfortunately it is way past my bedtime so will come back and report my opinion tomorrow!


----------



## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

If you buy a horse would you have the chiro out before you ride it/do anything with it even if it isn't showing any pain/soreness?

No, I would not. I am well experienced enough to know if a horse has problems or not by muscle structure and how level it is. 

Do you have your chiro out on a regular schedule like hoof trimmings/teeth floating or only when your horse shows signs of pain/soreness?
Again experience will tell me if a horse needs the chiropractor. I do always get her out to check the foals within the first month of their lives. 

(I know this one will vary some since everyone lives somewhere different)
How much on average do you pay for a chiro visit?
A lot depends on how much work she does and how many horses in one place. Often have outside people bring horses here to cut on her travelling.

What are the pros to have chiro work done on your horse?
The obvious is realignment allowing the horse to move freely.

What are the cons?
Some chiropractors are qualified but not well trained. I would not have a McTimony trained practitioner touch me or any of the horses. I do not think they are taught anything other than the basics and I disagree with many of their theories. 

How do you tell if the chiropractor you have is doing a good job?

Your horse will move more freely although he might take a while to realise that he can do so and some have to be taught.


What can go wrong if the chiropractor you have has no idea what he/she is doing?

Misalignment - especially along the spine.

What is the normal prodecedere when a chiro comes our to work on your horse?

A good experienced chiropractor will be able to feel over the horse from nose to tail, and tell you what problems you are having when you ride it. 

The chiro. I have uses Applied Kinesiology to diagnose not only exactly where a horse is misaligned but which direction it needs correcting. It also tells which way the muscles need to be worked to alter their memory so the horses stays aligned. 

Adjusting the pelvis.










Adjusting the pelvis - notice the different angle to the first picture.










Shoulder adjustment.










Altering muscle memory


----------



## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

jaydee said:


> There are a lot of con artists in this profession. They only make their money out of doing this so if they tell you your horse has nothing wrong you wont pay them for their services
> 
> Unless a horse is visibly uneven with an unlevel action its unlikely that anything is out of alignment as all the bones in the skeleton rely on each other
> You need to have a rectal ultrasound or an X ray to properly confirm this sort of thing. I know someone who paniced when she was told her horse had its pelvic bone out of alignment by a chiropractor and had it Xrayed - there was nothing wrong with it.
> ...



I agree with you with your first paragraph. There are probably more bad practitioners than good.

I do disagree that a horse has to have an uneven or unlevel action to indicate that it is misaligned. 
A horse that will not canter on a certain lead, a horse that will not bend to one side, a horse that is cold backed, often a horse that is bad tempered will be misaligned without showing any form of unsoundness.

A lot of horses are misaligned through the pelvic area, the cause can be from them just slipping in the field. In turn to make life easier for them, they will become misaligned in the diagonal shoulder.

A scan or even x-rays will not necessarily show this.

Applied Kinesiology will stop misdiagnosis. It will read exactly where there are misalignments.

Vets are not trained as a matter of course to adjust horses, they have to learn how from other courses. 

I agree that problems can come from riders - it can also come from evading the bit because of poor dentistry. 

This horse was very misaligned through his pelvis. He was sound and competing eventing, just not very free with his movement and what I would call sour to work although he never put a foot wrong. He had been looked at by three equine vets, all said nothing was wrong other than he was 'uneven' in his pelvis. 
Treatment to correct this turned him into a totally different horse, happy, more willing and far softer to ride.


----------



## anna336 (Oct 13, 2012)

*chiro*

We use a chiropractor regularly. They help so much. It is also good to have a chiropractor out when you get a new horse or before because they can tell you if the saddle you are going to use/using on the horse is a good fit or not. If the saddle is not a good fit for the horse's structure, then the horse is uncomfortable. It is also good to have a chiro out regularly because they can tell you and let you know if your horse is developing any problems. Our old horse that we sold to some friends with little children started bucking for them about a year after we sold her. So we offered to take her back for a few weeks to tune her up and work with her a little bit. Well, as soon as we saw her I could tell she was in pain. So we called the chiropractor and he adjusted her. The chiropractor pointed out a zigzap type shape in her back and adjusted her. She feels so much better and doesn't buck for the family anymore. I think everyone should use a chiropractor. I have seen so much of a difference in my horses.


----------



## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

anna336 said:


> We use a chiropractor regularly. They help so much. It is also good to have a chiropractor out when you get a new horse or before because they can tell you if the saddle you are going to use/using on the horse is a good fit or not. If the saddle is not a good fit for the horse's structure, then the horse is uncomfortable. It is also good to have a chiro out regularly because they can tell you and let you know if your horse is developing any problems. Our old horse that we sold to some friends with little children started bucking for them about a year after we sold her. So we offered to take her back for a few weeks to tune her up and work with her a little bit. Well, as soon as we saw her I could tell she was in pain. So we called the chiropractor and he adjusted her. The chiropractor pointed out a zigzap type shape in her back and adjusted her. She feels so much better and doesn't buck for the family anymore. I think everyone should use a chiropractor. I have seen so much of a difference in my horses.


 I don't need a chiro to tell me if a saddle is a good fit or not - that comes with experience. 
If you are needing a chiro on such a regular basis then you need to address the causes and not just treat the symptoms. Horses that are working at strain levels - like jumping, dressage, barrel racing etc are more likely to cause themselves damage and strain so if this is your thing then I can understand however in many cases the problems are caused by bad riding positions over a period of time, bad saddles and bad training methods
A good chiro should also tell you how to manage your horse to avoid problems and not just keep making money by repeatedly treating the horse for the same issues
Its good that your pony got sorted but I would have been extremely concerened as to how it got like that in the first place
This is taken from a Chiros webpage as reputable people in the business are also concerned by the large number of 'quacks' out there ripping people off. Its not saying that Chiro is a bad thing but that many of the practices being used by unreliable people are wrong and there needs to be stricter controls to protect the public


----------



## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Try to attach these again!!!


----------



## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

If you buy a horse would you have the chiro out before you ride it/do anything with it even if it isn't showing any pain/soreness?

I bought my horse with a trial period, and I did get him chiro'd shortly after I brought him home, but it wasn't until after I had decided to keep him, and only because it was recommended by my vet during the PPE. It's not something I would do as a matter of course for every horse without a specific reason to do so.

Do you have your chiro out on a regular schedule like hoof trimmings/teeth floating or only when your horse shows signs of pain/soreness?

I would only do it if my horse were showing signs of pain, behavior problems, unwillingness to bend, pick up a lead, etc.

(I know this one will vary some since everyone lives somewhere different)
How much on average do you pay for a chiro visit?

It was $80-85 for the chiro I used last time. He's comes to my barn every couple of months and always has a full day or work, and often ends up staying late into the night!

What are the pros to have chiro work done on your horse?

Fixing the problems you've noticed with the horse that prompted you to call in a chiropractor.

What are the cons?

You may not notice any difference after the visit, or worse, the chiropractor could actually cause harm to your horse.

How do you tell if the chiropractor you have is doing a good job?

Problem goes away 

What can go wrong if the chiropractor you have has no idea what he/she is doing?

He could injure your horse and/or your horse could injure him.

What is the normal prodecedere when a chiro comes our to work on your horse?

He starts by doing an exam and asking about any specific problems the horse has been exhibiting. If the owner is there, he'll discuss the course of action, and then proceed with treatment (otherwise the BO holds the horse). The whole thing usually takes ~1 hr.


----------

