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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 456
 
Location: SW MO | What is everyone's experience with getting their horses adjusted? What tipped you off that they needed it? How off were they? Did you give them a break after they were adjusted or any rest/bute/etc? TIA |
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 Expert
Posts: 2335
Location: IL | I know everyone is going to bash me on here, but I'm not a big chiro fan or user. I think massage does better. Unless my horse just had a bad slip, fall, or injury I don't think chiro is long lasting at all. If you have a horse that is having problems and you "pop" them back into place, their body is just going to return back to that how they were before. Muscle memory....if you get a massage then atleast you are working on those muscles to help loosen and aleviate the problem, but you have to be pretty consistant with massages to retrain the muscles. And if you have an underlying issus like sore hocks, nothing is going to fix that until you address the pain issue. JMO |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
 
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | I love having Chiro work done on mine when they need it, I can always see and feel the difference in them after its done, I always would give them a few days off afterwards.  |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 456
Location: SW MO | merdth6 - 2016-03-03 12:56 PM
I know everyone is going to bash me on here, but I'm not a big chiro fan or user. I think massage does better. Unless my horse just had a bad slip, fall, or injury I don't think chiro is long lasting at all. If you have a horse that is having problems and you "pop" them back into place, their body is just going to return back to that how they were before. Muscle memory....if you get a massage then atleast you are working on those muscles to help loosen and aleviate the problem, but you have to be pretty consistant with massages to retrain the muscles. And if you have an underlying issus like sore hocks, nothing is going to fix that until you address the pain issue. JMO
I'm just looking for everyone's experiences.. its just something I want to know more about. I know that a chiro can't fix the underlying pain issues, my horses get their regular injection maintenance. Just trying to get a little more knowledge :) Thanks for the reply I like massage therapy along with magna wave treatments as well |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 456
Location: SW MO | Southtxponygirl - 2016-03-03 12:59 PM
I love having Chiro work done on mine when they need it, I can always see and feel the difference in them after its done, I always would give them a few days off afterwards.
What do your horses do that lets you know they need done?
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 695
Location: Missouri | we have one that has a problem with his poll not staying in - when he starts fighting us touching he head - it is time for him to go and as soon as it is "popped" back in he is good as gold!
other horses, maybe they are not turning or bending as well or just asking p***y, we can take them have them adjusted and all is good.
But if I have continued headaches or hips hurting I go to the Chiro and once adjusted I feel so much better! So I assume my horses feel them same way! |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Mzbradford - 2016-03-03 1:06 PM Southtxponygirl - 2016-03-03 12:59 PM I love having Chiro work done on mine when they need it, I can always see and feel the difference in them after its done, I always would give them a few days off afterwards. What do your horses do that lets you know they need done?
The last time I had my boy done, I noticed that he was not moving right in his back end, stumble a little bit and was not quite picking up his back feet right, draging his toes so I knew that he had to be out was on the sore side too, had my friend come out thats a chiro and he went over him and worked out all the problems. |
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 I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | I use to use a chiro on my horse and myself and have found out that a really good massage therapist works better for both of us. I will use a chiro if I did something fresh and can get to them right away and follow it up with a massage therapist. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 788
| I decided to take one of mine to a Chiro because I could tell she was a little stiff on one side. Sure enough, he said she was out on that side, fixed it and shes as good as new. :)
If you know your horses and ride a lot its usually something you can just feel is different. On the other hand, I did have another horse that I had no idea he was out but he began simply not turning as well. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | I also like that my chrio will use acupuncture too. |
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I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | Signs your horse needs a chiro/massage therapist.
Horse doesn't want to give to one side.
Stumbling.
Feel like your horse has a flat tire.
Swishing tail and being ****y.
Crossfiring.
While you are riding one stirrup feels like it is getting longer and longer.
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 575
| I usually try to take mine every 4-5 months if I'm using them consistently. My one mare is the one who really benefits from it. If she starts to not perform as well, or if she stumbles pretty bad during a run, I take her in. You can just feel the difference in the way she rides when she needs it. She usually will go out in her withers/shoulders, and her lower back/hips. She'll get stiff, kind of sluggish, and I know she's out. I stretch her every day (per the chiro's instructions) and that helps her a lot. He tells me how much time they'll need off. Usually a day, sometimes 2, even up to 4 if they need a lot of work. They ALWAYS get that day off, and usually the next day as well, although I don't think I've ever had to bute one after. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 617
Location: London Ontario | I have mine decked out in BOT every chance I can. But with that being said I also bring my chiro in. With my current OTTQH, she was seen beg. Jan and had her pelvis and withers out. I also get her massaged every two weeks(in house massage therapist that give me a great deal, I feel you need to do both). She then started cross firing and not wanting to trot - only lope, in the last two weeks so got the chiro out last night and she had her poll, withers, lumbar, hip and pelvis all out. As soon as lumbar went back into place, her head lowered, eyes softened, let out a huge sigh and started licking her lips. I will now get him out again in two weeks as she had so much wrong with her and have her massaged next week. I know I am super tender after I get adjusted so I always give them at least the day of chiro and the next day off, then lightly lunge the following day. Then resume riding. My chiro also does acupuncture so I get her done two or three times a year with that as well. I think it all goes hand in hand. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 456
Location: SW MO | Thank you! that's a great list. I have one that stumbles that may need seen by a chiro.. I got a horse in recently that was out EVERYWHERE. sternum was out, ribs out, out in the pole, hips, withers, just bad. First step was injections, second magna wave, teeth and chiro |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 634
| I get my mare adjusted every 8-10 weeks. My vet does the chiro and also massage too at the same time and I love it. I think the combo works great. My #1 priority is for my equine athlete and teammate to be comfortable while I'm running her every weekend during the summer. She also loves it and hangs her head down and licks her lips when he hits a good spot! I usually keep her up for a 2 days and then light turnout for 2 days. After that you are good to go!  |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
| My young horse gets massages regularly, and is injected when needed. My trainer was concerned that she would not let you brush her on one side toward her hips. She was chomping on the bit and did not want to be rinsed off on her hind legs. Recently at a barrel race, my trainer felt that she needed to be adjusted on Monday before the barrel race. On Friday she smoked the barrels. On Sunday she was kind of all over the place. Trainer said take her back to the vet on site. He adjusted her again. Now she is a different horse. Lets you brush her, rinses without a problem, and has quit chomping on the bit. Sometimes it may take a couple of adjustments to get everything to stay where it is supposed to. she is back to wrapping the barrels. Chiropractic does help but really needs to be done often to get the most out of it. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 456
Location: SW MO | streakysox - 2016-03-03 1:52 PM
My young horse gets massages regularly, and is injected when needed. My trainer was concerned that she would not let you brush her on one side toward her hips. She was chomping on the bit and did not want to be rinsed off on her hind legs. Recently at a barrel race, my trainer felt that she needed to be adjusted on Monday before the barrel race. On Friday she smoked the barrels. On Sunday she was kind of all over the place. Trainer said take her back to the vet on site. He adjusted her again. Now she is a different horse. Lets you brush her, rinses without a problem, and has quit chomping on the bit. Sometimes it may take a couple of adjustments to get everything to stay where it is supposed to. she is back to wrapping the barrels. Chiropractic does help but really needs to be done often to get the most out of it.
THIS- the horse I recently had adjusted was doing those same things! I will be keeping a close eye on her to make sure I keep up with it. Thank you!!! |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | I get mine adjusted 2-4 times a year. If he's acting particularly cranky, or isn't grabbing a lead right away, cross firing, tilting his head while moving--that's what tips me off.
I'd be more inclined to do Chiro rather than massage but if the horse is really sore and hurting. And you can afford to do both, I would adjust and then the massage. That is what I do on myself. I get myself aligned and then I loosen up the muscles. |
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boon
Posts: 3
| We get our horses done once a month when we are running. The lady who does our horses does a combination of adjustments and massage. She evaluates each horse before and after their treatments. They all get rubbed down and put in their stalls with a cooler for a couple of hours after their treatment. I think it keeps the horses running and feeling better - it's nice "spa day" for them! |
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I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | Thought of another...If when riding your horse feels like he fell in a hole in the rear...Can't think of a better way to explain. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 911
Location: Northern Ontario | I agree with merth6... I have had my horse adjusted a few times and it lasts a bit but then just pops back out because of muscle memory. For it to really work, you need massage too. You take the tension out of the muscles first to allow the bones to adjust more easily and for the muscles not to pull the bones back out of alignement. If used together, you shouldn't have to chiro more than once or twice a year unless rehabbing from an injury. Massage and chiro together are very beneficial to performance horses imo |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 456
Location: SW MO | Thanks everyone! has anyone had to do more than chiro to help with TMJ issues? |
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Chiro