Many avid riders and trainers will have noticed cases of tenonities in the front limbs of their horses. In most such cases a veterinarians is called into help cure the discomfort of the horse and attempt to return it to riding quality. In this short article I will suggest a different approach usng techniques of chiropracty to reharmonize he mouvements of the animal and treat the root cause of the tendonitis rather than the symptoms.
One must first understand that a quadraped when dealing with an offset step pain in it’s posterior end will compensate in a particular way in order to relieve the straing. Therefore a tendonitis in the front left limb for instance does not stem from pain the that limb. Rather it points toadisfuction in the opposite side rear quarter. With this in mind the practice of injecting stereoids intot eh front limb in fact over time will worsen the horse’s pain. Lessening the inflammation without correcting the root cause will lead to the animal being unable to compensate for strain thus worsening the original injury.
Having thus determined that the currently accepted intervention of steroid injections in not a corrective course of action. I propose we test the animal to find where the corresponding orinila injury or biomechanical disharmony exists.
Watching the horse trot straight away and towards you will allow you to visually see anomalies in it’s gait. With practice one can pinpoint which side and even vertebrae is affected. Once the determination has been made visually you must palpate the area looking for softer and harder muscles on either side of the vertebrae.
There are a variety of methods to use to correct lumbar and basin problems in the horse. Including using its own body weight and a counter balance and using the tail and traction and subtle reflex movements.
Once the correct adjustments have been made it is imperative to realign the rest of the system. This includes fore limbs and neck adjustments. The horse at this point will be felling tired and lethargic. It is as important to instruct the handler of the proper follow up exercises in order to prevent further injury and streghthen the muscles that may have wakened as a result of the injury.
