Horse chiropractors? What do you think? worth it, or not?

Question

My farrier suggested my mare might have back pain or discomfort, because when he lifts her hind leg right up to trim her hoof she kicks a bit and puts her ears right back.

He suggested a horse chiropractor might be able to help, but quickly added that most arent any good, and its really just a load of c**p and a waste of money.

Have you ever had a chiropractor help your horse? And if so how do you find a good one?

Answer 1

We have had good results with chiropractors BUT remember a certified chiropractor (at least in the US) has to be a DVM and that also goes for an acupuncturist (not acupressure-massage therapists can do that).  So if someone is not a DVM and working as a chriopractor-not good.  There are people out there (chriopractors and acupucturists) that will work on animals BUT  would you want someone that didn't go to school for veterinary medicine working on your horse, dog or cat?   Not me.

Being that the chriopractor you should use is a vet, they should take a thorough history and evaluate your horse for any lamness issues anyway when they come out.  I wouldn't accept it any other way.  I would ask for references from previous clients and if that person is not willing to give your references, then go somewhere else.  

Hope this helps.  I believe both massage and chriopractic is wonderful if used in conjunction with traditional medicine.

Answer 2

Personally I have had incredible results with equine chiropractors. I have a horse who every once in a while will go "off". Won't move forward, get's grumpy, and can't collect. A visit from the chiropractor and she's 100%. Nothing else was wrong and certainly not a vet type problem. She's playful in the pasture and just sometimes pulls things the wrong way!

I do have a word of warning though. There are some so-called chiropractors out there that are totally c**p and are just out there to get your money like your farrier said. They won't do your horse any good and possibly cause more harm. I ran into a few of those with my previous horse before finding a great one. The best way to avoid this is either get a veterinary recommended one, or one that is well recommended by accomplished horse people.

Answer 3

I am a certified equine sports massage therapist.  I can tell you from working on many, many horses that massage, chiropractic, and acupuncture can make a world of difference for a horse.  My guess from what you farrier told you is that your horse has muscle tension in her back or glutes.  That tension could be from the work that she does, or it could be from a misalignment somewhere in her spine.

The others are correct, it is hard to find a GOOD equine chiropractor.  Before you have someone come twist your horse around be sure to get references and actually check them out.

If you want to find a massage therapist in your area you can visit http://www.iaamt.com and use the link at the bottom of the page to send them an e-mail.

If your horse has a misalignment that has been present for a long time the muscle tissue will need help as well.  Chiropractic & massage work well together.

My advice would be to try the massage therapy first.  It will cost you less money and there is zero chance of someone doing something to cause your horse injury.

Answer 4

from someone who knows.. it makes a world of difference. yes. my horse had acupuncture and it helped a ton too.

depends on where you're located... if you live around missouri.. there is dr. klinepeter and if you are in ohio or indiana there is dr. fleck. those arnt the only ones but thoes are what i have used.  there are many others.  alot of times because they arnt that good its not worth it untill you fine a good one.

hope this helps

Answer 5

I would have a vet do x-rays first and then go from there. Chiropractors are good, but you wanna make sure that they can really help your horse first. At least if you had x-rays you would know what kind of problems she has first, they would also really help a chiropractor if you had them for him to look at. The vet would probably point you in the right direction.

Answer 6

You may have more of a problem just finding one than finding a good one.  I don't know where you are, but chiropractors for horses are rare.  I would make sure the person is a licensed human chiropractor that has trained to adjust horses (or a vet but we do not have any vet-chiros in our area).  I would not trust my horses to someone who was not qualified.  Otherwise, adjustments can really help your horse.  My horses love being adjusted, especially my TB who has had neck and TMJ problems because of his track life.  They respond very well to treatment and it is obvious they feel better.  I can also tell a big difference in the way my horses move after an adjustment.  With sore muscles, equine massage can be very helpful also.  With my horses, I also treat them with Photonic Therapy which is a form of accupuncture performed with a light source (cold laser) so there is no damage to tissue from needles.   One of the best rides I ever had was the day after both me and my warmblood had an adjustment.  We both had such great balance and communication.  If you do have your horse treated, you should give her the day off on the day she is treated and the day after.  It is important that she have time to rest and allow her body to respond to the changes without physical stresses.  It may take more than one treatment and you have to be willing to commit to that.  If it is not helpful to your horse, it will not cause any harm and that is not the case with other health and hoof care practitioners.

One more thing, in order to treat a horse with chiropractic treatments, it is required by law that the horse has been examined by a vet and the vet has stated that the horse has no overt medical issues.  All clients have to sign a treatment release stating that their horse is well and does not suffer from any illness or injury.  Anyone who treats your horse should require this of you.  This protects you, your horse, and the treating physician.

Answer 7

I swing both ways on this. Then recently I read an interesting article that said horses naturally align their backs by rolling over.

But then what about my pony that does the same as your horse and only gets down and rolls on one side, stands up and rolls on the other side? I'll be interested to read other responses to this question.

Answer 8

Your working in the dark if you don't get a Vet to see her jog on a hard surface. The Veterinarian can see if she is "off" as it could be an stifle,hock or ankle problem.After the vet observes he may need an x-ray to determine if anything is there or just a bad habit. I had a horse that did the same thing so I looked for the problem.None of the rider's "felt" her off but she swung her foot out when jogging. She had some heat in her ankle,slight swelling in her pastern. Result was a small fracture.Caught in time. Rest healed it up completely.Horses are honest they give hints if we look.

Answer 9

I adore my Equine Chiro .... I rescued a "lame" yearling and it was my chiro that helped me with her ..... Her back left leg was injured we think due to a casting ..... I called out the Chiro .... her: hip, pelvis, and back were out .... we spent 30 days hand walking ..... he came back re-adjusted her and we spent another 30 days on easy exercise ...... she is now just 2 years old ... healed up and filled out ..... I will be starting her this summer and I can't wait .... people don't even know it is the same filly ...... My vet actually recommends my chiro .... they work with each other and not against .....

Make sure you shop around ... ask for references ..... and get someone who does is up on current techniques ..... I have a great reference in Southern California .....

Answer 10

I definitely think that it's worth having your horse seen by a chiropractor and as a rule always used to get my horses checked twice a year, once when I was bringing them back into work for the season and then after the season was over whilst roughing them off for the winter.  

To find a good chiropractor, ask around at your yard to see if anyone can recommend someone for you, you could ask your vet, your instructor etc.  

Also, it may be worth considering having your horse massaged by a qualified equine massage therapist.

Which ever way, you need to check with your vet as veterinary permission is required prior to anyone (chiropractor, EBW etc) working on your horse.

Answer 11

My horse has sore hindquarters, so shes getting massages. I dont know where you live, so i cant give you any numbers.

The only thing i can think to do is ask your instuctor, trainer, vet or farrier. They could probably give you some good suggestions.