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Question:
I have a
question regarding the need for chiropractic and dental work on
horses. Is it a good idea to have a horse evaluated by these
specialists?
Answer:
I have had a
lot of horses come in to the barn and have received many telephone
calls related to horses that buck. There are many reasons that a
horse will buck. It may not be a broke horse, or the freshness has
not been taken off of it before it was ridden, or there may be
medical issues or saddle issues. The medical and saddle issues can
be one and the same.
For a long time
I was training horses and looking for reasons for bucking and trying
to find solutions. Sometimes, what I thought was a training issue
turned out to be a medical issue and the horse was in pain. Some
horses, just like people, can handle pain and their threshold of
pain is much higher than other horses. Through continuing to seek
answers, I started utilizing chiropractic care for horses. But
honestly, it didn’t come about until I started having chiropractic
treatments myself. It is interesting how we find things in one part
of our lives that can translate into other parts of our lives. My
back had been bothering me for a long time but I grew up in the old
school that you tough it out. Once I started going to a
chiropractor and started to get relief for my own back problem, I
started looking at the horses in a different light. Sometimes we
look at horses as being different from us because they are animals,
and in many ways they are different. But if you think about it,
they are flesh and blood, they do have a mechanical structure.
Their bones can be out of alignment and that can cause discomfort.
When a horse
comes into training now, we evaluate all possible health issues. I
have a chiropractor that comes in once a month and we check out the
alignment of any new horse or horse that is having issues. I have
had horses here at the ranch that had difficulty picking up a lead
because of bones being out of alignment and causing discomfort. I
have found that chiropractic care is very necessary. This is
probably true more so of horses that are stalled or kept in a small
paddock where they can cast themselves and get hung up on the
sides. Horses in pasture can have chiropractic problems but they
are less likely to need adjustment. Usually horses can adjust
themselves if they are in pasture. They can roll completely over,
going back and forth, and a lot of times they adjust themselves. I
have had horses come in that were out of alignment, especially in
the axis area (the top of the poll) and through adjustment, they
were freed up and then able to relax and move properly.
Chiropractic issues can cause discomfort and if you are having
issues with your horse you may want to have a chiropractor check him
out. When people come to me that is usually the first option I
suggest.
One of the
other things we do here at the barn is have the dentist look at the
horses. There are a lot of trainers even today who do not use or
believe in the dental care of horses. Generally, horses out in the
wild in the right setting can maintain their teeth. For horses
cared for humans and kept in pens, stalls and pastures, eating soft
foods and grains, it is very important that their teeth be
maintained. Dental care is part of the integrity of care. This is
especially true for horses under age 3 and I recommend seeing the
dentist every 6 months because their teeth are changing so much.
For others, I suggest they be seen at least once a year. You
usually do not have to pay an outrageous amount. There are people
who do specialize in horse dentistry. When I have a horse come into
the barn that has had his teeth checked by I veterinarian, I have
the dentist evaluate the horse, not because I think the vet did a
poor job, but I need to know for myself that the horse doesn’t have
problems.
When the horse
dentist comes out, there is always a vet on hand to administer the
shots and put a spectrum in the mouth and check to see that the
horse is closing and chewing properly. A horse chews from side to
side and it is important to know that they are not locking up or
that there are mo other dental problems causing discomfort. In
training horses I have found that dental problems can be a huge
factor. Dental problems effect behaviors such as throwing the head,
not yielding properly, problems with lateral and vertical flexion
and not being able to come through. Every time a new horse comes
in, young or old, we always have the dentist look at the horse and
make sure it is fine. Over 90 percent of the time something needs
to be done to the teeth. As general maintenance for your horse, it
is always good to have dental work done once a year and a
chiropractor come out and look at your horse from time to time.
Charles Wilhelm
It’s Never Ever the Horse’s Fault
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