03/18/2025
Why equine chiropractic?
Letās talk about asymmetrical pelvisā. This love presented to me with a clear disfigurement with no real insight as to why or how long he had been in this condition. When his companion got him, they did not realize how severe it was until they got him home. They took the correct step in having the horse evaluated by their vet, but nothing noteworthy was found and he was cleared.
Fast forward, they do some lunge work and get under saddle with him. They do not notice anything in particular with movement, but the asymmetry is clearly present in the horseās hind end.
The companion contacted me to evaluate this horseās condition. During my evaluation I noted there was a swing with his left hind leg, which appeared to be isolated to the affected hip. Otherwise, there were no other substantial problems to point out. It was also noted that while the horse is standing, he appears to rock back on himself, leading to the wider view of his glutes.
While palpating, he revealed that his pelvis and sacrum was restricted with a minimal pain response. Muscle tone was noted to be mildly atrophied. His lumbar appeared sore as a result of his compensation.
I proceeded with adjustments, correcting his pelvis while addressing his compensations. As you can see in the pictures, the results were dramatic.
At the beginning of treatment the horse started off stressed even with minimal pain response. By the end, with a combination of adjustments and soft tissue work, he literally walked away a new horse.
As I always encourage with cases like this, follow ups are crucial to check in on how the horse responds to their adjustments. These follow up visits allow me to see what has held verses and what did not, while checking for any new compensations. This love deserves care and attention to ensure he makes progress and is comfortable. He has a young spine, so it is important to take care of now instead of waiting until later.
So why chiropractic? While not every chiropractic intervention results in visible structurally changes, this dramatic case illustrates the huge impact adjustments can have, see for yourself!