# Can Chiropractic solve Hip/Stifle and hock problems?



## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

My answer would be yes, it can alleviate these problems *but*a lot depends on the experience and type of training a chiropractor has!

Personally I do not like McTimony trained chiropractors. I think that you might as well spit into a force 9 gale for the good they do.

I have also had more harm than good done by poor chiropractors.

On the other hand, a good chiro is often better than the vet! 

Look at the horse as a car in that it has four corners. You can drive a car with the tracking out but the steering and brakes do not work as well and the tyres wear out unevenly.

It is the same with horses and humans, if a part of the body is misaligned then the muscles will either tighten or loosen and this can happen where one side loosens and the other tightens. In turn this causes other reactions further along the body, and the wear and tear is uneven - often causing arthritic changes. 

When realigned the wear goes away.

I do not believe in such a thing as a cold backed horse. Yes, a horse will shrink away from the pressure of the saddle but this is not because the back id 'cold' it is from the tension in the muscles going across the horse's back from misalignment in the shoulder and the diagonal hind quarter. Get those squared and the tension immediately disappears. 

_It is very very rare for a horse to actually move a spinal disc, When these are 'out' it is generally caused by a chiropractor._

This is a picture of a horse that is misaligned in his pelvis you can see how uneven he is. He was showing signs of stiffness in his hocks and had had injections.










http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s275/Foxhunter49/hips.jpg
By reading through Applied Kinnesiology (AK) it was determined that this needed straightening by a high lifting, 










Unusually, this horse was wrong in his left shoulder as well as his left hind - 90% it is diagonal. This was also straightened.










Finally, the muscle memory was altered so that they did not pull the misalignment back from where it should be.

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s275/Foxhunter49/Stretchinghindmuscles.jpg 

There are several exercises that you can do to see if the horse is square or not. If anyone wants them PM me and I will send them to you.

_I have out another horse (chestnut) rather than the bay, having a high lift as it is a better picture _


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## Black Beauty 94 (Dec 26, 2011)

Wow, thanks so much! He is even, but he has been inverted for awhile, so I want him to get in good shape first.
What is wrong with those trained chiropractors. I am going to be using one that alot of people have liked in my area.
I would love exercises 


Foxhunter said:


> My answer would be yes, it can alleviate these problems *but*a lot depends on the experience and type of training a chiropractor has!
> 
> Personally I do not like McTimony trained chiropractors. I think that you might as well spit into a force 9 gale for the good they do.
> 
> ...


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## SouthernTrails (Dec 19, 2008)

.

Nice photos Fox, stretching can help a lot.

We have a TB with a bad stiffle problem, another thing that helps him is to Walk up a very long and steep hill, for him it almost always helps.

As far as Chiropractors, there are some good ones and not so good ones, get some recommendations from others that have had good success with one.


.


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## Black Beauty 94 (Dec 26, 2011)

What do you do do for his stifle problem? Chiropractic?


SouthernTrailsGA said:


> .
> 
> Nice photos Fox, stretching can help a lot.
> 
> ...


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## BarrelRacingLvr (Feb 26, 2012)

I truely don't think that chiropractic would help a hock or stifle problem....unless the horse is very out of alignment and is compensating in the way he travels. 

Have you had him checked by a vet to see what exactly is going on with him?


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## Black Beauty 94 (Dec 26, 2011)

Yeah, he cross fires in the canter, and I think it is his stifle. He seems tense so I thought it would help him.



BarrelRacingLvr said:


> I truely don't think that chiropractic would help a hock or stifle problem....unless the horse is very out of alignment and is compensating in the way he travels.
> 
> Have you had him checked by a vet to see what exactly is going on with him?


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## SouthernTrails (Dec 19, 2008)

Black Beauty 94 said:


> What do you do do for his stifle problem? Chiropractic?


The walking up the hills was our solution.


.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

A chiro can definitely help. I have my horse done a few times a year but the big issue comes with where is the exact cause of the pain? Is the week stifle causing the hock pain? Is the hock pain causing the back pain?

I am using the word pain only because there is obviously compensation going on due to the stifle issue. A friend of mine had a horse with a weak stifle and she found that tons of forward cantering helped to strengthen it. 

basically, if you can pinpoint whatever is causing the cross firing then you can figure out a way to treat. The problem is, since the horse can't talk and there is no obvious point of contention, you have to play the geussing game.

I think a chiro adjustment is definitely worth a shot.


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## Black Beauty 94 (Dec 26, 2011)

Thanks so much for the info!

It is hard to tell, because my vet in my area is not knowledgeable on the breed/problem and went from one thing to another on what is causing the cross firing.

I am starting him back on Previcox again because he was doing really well for awhile on it.

Today, I ran my fingers on either side of his spine, and I noticed when I got right before the start of the hip, he dipped his back and almost immediately started resting one of his hind legs (resting, not putting on pressure)

I know his saddle fits well, so I believe it is a tight back but I am not positive.



farmpony84 said:


> A chiro can definitely help. I have my horse done a few times a year but the big issue comes with where is the exact cause of the pain? Is the week stifle causing the hock pain? Is the hock pain causing the back pain?
> 
> I am using the word pain only because there is obviously compensation going on due to the stifle issue. A friend of mine had a horse with a weak stifle and she found that tons of forward cantering helped to strengthen it.
> 
> ...


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## Black Beauty 94 (Dec 26, 2011)

BUMP! need more suggestions!


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