REASONS FOR TREATMENT – FOR HORSES

When would McTimoney & Massage Benefit your Horse?

· Performance/competition horses – to retain performance and as a preventative treatment (like a car MOT!)

· Uneven muscle development

· Problems standing for the farrier

· Uneven wear of shoes

· Relief of discomfort caused by compensating for Arthritic joints

· Recurrence of symptoms successfully treated by manipulation or massage

· Lameness after a fall or accident where alternative causes have been ruled out by your vet

· Rehabilitation after acute trauma

· In the absence of any resolution of the problems using conventional methods

· If your animal’s lameness has been resolved but now there is a remaining secondary back issue caused by compensatory gait when he/she was lame

· Maintenance of ongoing arthritis/spavins which are causing secondary back soreness

· Poor foot balance which has caused gait anomalies

· Sports Massage during or after a period of box rest to limit muscle atrophy and stiffness

· To provide comfort for muscle injuries – increases circulation and provision of nutrients and Oxygen

· Muscle tears – speed up recovery time for back to work

· Where the range of motion of joints is restricted

· Swinging leg lameness where the cause could be muscular imbalance

Ridden

· Uncharacteristic change in performance or behaviour

· Uncharacteristic resistances when ridden

· After a fall or major slip

· Traumatic/rotational fall where fractures have been ruled out by your vet

· Unlevelness, especially behind

· Problems with canter and canter transitions –

o Bucking into canter

o Difficulty picking up one lead

o Disunited canter

· Problems with transitions

o Downwards transitions (‘falling’ into downward transitions)

· Asymmetry

· Stiffness in one rein/difficulty flexing in one direction

· Sore back from uneven saddle pressure or saddle slipping