Chiropractic Update

I finally got the business card of an equine chiropractor that works in my area from the farm where I have been buying Promise's herbal pain supplement, STP. I called him on Wednesday, and he was very quick to get me on his schedule for today.


He was 30 minutes early - in fact, beat me to the barn, because we'd agreed on between 12 and 12:30 for our appointment. I was about 20 minutes away when he called to say he was there. He wasn't concerned at all about waiting for me, and was very pleasant, personable and knowledgeable when I finally got there.


He didn't want to see her move before he began, said he wanted to watch for pain without bias and adjust her, then see her move. Here's the breakdown of what he saw:

• Her withers were out of alignment, creating an irregular "s" shape
• Several vertebrae were out of alignment through the middle of her back
• Her left hip was lower than the right (I saw it the other way around, but at least I'm not crazy and one of them was lower!)
• No trouble with the jaw, neck, poll or front legs and knees or ankles
• Her hind end was sensitive and tight
• Her last vertebrae (at the end of the tail bone) was out, and her tail was very tight, also creating an irregular "s" shape
• She had some muscular swelling through her withers, back and hind quarters

Promise stayed relaxed and cooperative throughout her adjustment. The only time she got tense was when he worked on her spine (he was on a stool above her) but she relaxed when she began to feel better. And, she was unsure of him when he worked on her from behind to get her to lift and stretch her back. But again, she relaxed into it when she felt the release it created for her body and started licking and chewing.


He started with her withers, and after the initial adjustment, got a huge sigh and some licking and chewing. He made 3 or 4 more small adjustments there and then got on his stool to do her back. Then he had her stand square and manipulated her to lift her back (like a cat stretch in yoga) which allowed her spine to stretch, accentuating the adjustment he'd done on the top. 


To do her left hip, he had his daughter hold Promise, while I went to her right hind, and put my leg under her hock, to guide her leg behind her, and get her to stretch toward the ground. He pressed on her left hip while her right leg was extended and got a release from the joint pretty quickly. He did that twice, and then squared her up to check. He was amazed it took that little of an effort, and commented that he wouldn't adjust her even an inch more, because the alignment on the hips wouldn't get any better.


After that, he had me take her to the paddock and walk her back and forth for him. Her hips looked level, she was swinging through the back and fully extending both hind legs under her, tracking into the print of the front foot. He then walked her back and forth for me, so I could tell him what I saw in her gait, since I know more about her.


I was completely amazed -- she looked SOUND! She still takes the occasional short step with the right hind, but at the walk, she is SOUND!!!!


After walking a few times, he had her stop on level ground and handed her back to me. Then, he went to check out her tail. He tried to lift it, and she clamped it back down. So (don't try this at home, kids, lol) he pulled it three times, using most of his body weight behind it. At first she looked back like, WTF do you think you're doing, buddy? But when he released it after the first pull, I could see her kind of mulling things over. After the third pull, she sighed and he was able to throw her tail all the way over her back. 


We then went back into the barn, and he showed me how to loosen up the muscular swelling in her back and hind quarters. When he ran his finger down her back, she flinched and moved away. So, he gently pulled the muscle away from the bone and held it with both sets of fingers, for a minute to loosen it, and then massaged into it with a golf ball attached to a t-screw type handle. He said I would feel the muscle begin to loosen and give, and after 5 or 6 days of this, muscle memory would set in, and would help maintain the adjustment. He repeated this massage at her withers on both sides, on the other side of her back, and along her hips. When he finished, she no longer flinched when he ran his fingers over the muscles.


As he was doing that, I very hopefully asked if he thought she might be sound at the trot now. He said he thought it was a good possibility and when he was done, we could try it out.


So, he finished the massage, and held her while I went to get my lunge line. The four of us walked to the arena, and I let her out to walk and trot to the left. She was still hip-hiking to the left at the trot, but definitely looked better than the last time I had let her go that fast. I switched direction, and to the right, I'd say she was at least 85% sound. In both directions, she was happy and relaxed, ears forward, tracking under herself in a nice, forward trot. 


He took over so I could watch her from outside the circle, and let her go to the left. He had her do a really nice extended, forward trot and as she went around a couple of times, she started to look a little more sound. He let her canter a couple times around and then brought her back to the working trot, and she looked slightly more sound again. Basically, the more she worked, the better she looked.


When he brought her around, she looked happy and like she could have gone forever. She seemed trilled to move like that and not hurt doing it!


So, we talked for a while about how to maintain the adjustment and get her going better. He agreed that she wasn't 100% sound, but seemed to think that she'll benefit from lunging and/or riding several times a week, to rebuild muscle and let her body heal from the inside out (we all know blood flow helps!). So, he recommended lunging with or without tack, mostly at a forward, working trot, and mostly to the right, since the left hind (which he says is actually the weaker one) will have to do more work on the outside. And, if I could, or wanted to, to ride her. He said there was no need to restrict her to walk and trot undersaddle - if she was willing to canter, to let her - but made the good point that you can canter all day long and not build the same muscle you'll get with trot work. I am also to massage her with my own little golf ball contraption before and after working her. And, I am also to continue with my stretching of her legs, and asking her to reach for her shoulder, ribs, and hip, to keep her flexible. She was able to touch her hip after he was done!


So, the prognosis, it seems, is good, now that she's realigned. He told me to call with any questions, or concerns, and, of course, if I thought she was out again, we'd schedule another appointment. He didn't think she was terribly out in the first place, but said it was definitely enough to affect her ability to heal herself.


I am SO excited that she's this sound after one adjustment. She's not 100%, but some of the lameness we're seeing in her hind end COULD be her arthritic hocks, in conjunction with the stifle. So, I got the new joint supplement/herbal concoction from the farm, instead of the pain supplement this time, so with any luck, it will be perfect timing to maintain, and heal those aging joints. And, I guess I will be back to officially having no life between hospice and Miss Promise, as I will be trying to get there at least 3 times a week to get her out and about on the lunge line - and maybe even hop on her in the next couple of weeks - woohoo!!! 


And, I totally forgot to ask him if I could take pictures while he was working, so unfortunately, anyone who has never seen a chiropractor adjust a horse, will have to settle for youtube: