Ready, Set, Spring!

Spring is officially here! I can’t believe how quick the winter months or lack thereof went by this year. The quick thaw has led to horse owners already getting ready to start riding more regularly again. I often get asked, “How do I know if my horse needs to be adjusted?” 


The most common signs of possibly needing an equine chiropractic assessment are noticing a horse is in pain (either neck or low back pain), localized joint stiffness, poor performance, or altered gait. The owner might notice one hip of the horse is higher or they’re holding their tail differently. Owners may notice behavioral changes like tail swishing, pinned ears, or the horse refusing to perform tasks that they would have easily done in the past (backing out of a trailer, problem picking up a lead, or jumping). The horse may be so uncomfortable that they have bucked their rider off or shown signs of lameness. However many owners I work with have their horses checked on a wellness basis. They may compete and want their horse to perform to their best ability. They may do a lot of uneven trail riding. Or they may have a horse with previously diagnosed arthritis and they want to do what they can to keep that at bay. 


One of my favorite groups of horses to work on though are the well loved senior horses. There’s something about relieving tension and pain for a twenty something year old horse. I love when they start to relax during their adjustment by licking their lips or lowering their head. Sometimes they even close their eyes as if they’re going to fall asleep on me. It makes me smile when owners call me to say that so and so is trotting again, or rolled (in a happy way) after their adjustment. 


The overall goal of chiropractic adjustments with my equine clients is to restore full range of motion to spinal joints as well as joints such as shoulders, hips, and pelvis. Lack of motion to joints can cause muscle spasms, inflammation, swelling, and pain. And restoring motion to these areas can help to reduce these symptoms leading to a happier horse (and owner).