McTimoney for Horses

 
The increasing demands of Equestrian sport are pushing the equine athlete to the extremes of its physiological limits. Regular tailored equine chiropractic sports therapy is one of the best ways to keep your horse working at their best.
 

What Does Equine McTimoney Do?

Just like humans, animals may suffer musculoskeletal problems including neck, back, and pelvic issues and may benefit from McTimoney treatment.

McTimoney is a whole body treatment using chiropractic techniques that helps to re-align and balance the musculoskeletal system. John McTimoney developed the approach in the 1950s, modifying his human technique to apply specifically to animals.

Every joint in the body has a range of movement, but sometimes joints can get ‘stuck’ at one end of their range of movement; muscle tension and sometimes muscle spasm is associated with this and the result is stiffness, restriction and reduced range of movement. Imagine the vertebrae of the spine to be like a plastic toy snake, made up of lots of moving segments – sometimes these segments can get stuck together, causing the snake to be less flexible.

The spinal cord runs through the spine and nerves branch out from between the vertebrae (between the segments of the toy snake). These nerves provide all the information that the brain needs to send to the various areas of the body – muscles, organs and soft tissues. If the body’s spine is not in alignment or there is muscle tension, then the body’s nerve supply and often blood supply can be compromised. This results in sub-optimal function and often pain or discomfort.

When to Treat?

 
All equines are likely at some point to have musculoskeletal problems. The more we ask of our horses the more likely they are to have issues, just like human athletes. In addition, misalignments may be caused by acute problems such as a slipping, tripping, falling, or becoming overzealous playing in the field.  Chronic, long-term issues may include previous or current ill-fitting saddles, hoof imbalance, dental issues, conformational stresses and rider imbalances.

The treatment of animals is currently regulated under the Veterinary Act. As a fully trained and qualified McTimoney practitioner holding a Postgraduate Diploma in Animal Manipulation, I work closely with vets to ensure a safe, appropriate and effective treatment.

Because McTimoney looks at the whole body its uses and benefits are widespread. Not only can numerous ridden and behavioural problems be helped but McTimoney is a beneficial way to enhance performance, prevent injury, aid exercise recovery rates and, achieve optimum performance.
 

What Should You Look for?

• Asymmetries, such as stiffness on one rein
• Unexplained deterioration in usual performance
• Lack of impulsion, struggling to work through from behind, unwillingness to go forward, not covering the ground
• Unwilling to extend
• Refusing at jumps, frequently knocking jumps down, reluctant to jump through combinations or overspreads, not travelling through the air
• Rushing into canter, going disunited, striking off incorrectly, bunny hopping
• Stumbling/tripping
• Sore or cold backed
• Uneven pressure from saddle or the saddle slipping to one side
• Unexplained resistance, such as napping, rearing, refusing, bucking, etc
• Uneven muscle development or atrophy
• Stiff or un-level, either in front or behind
• Behavioural changes
• Uneven wear of shoes, frequently losing the same shoe

The Benefits of McTimoney for Horses

Whatever we do with our equine friends we increasingly put pressure on our horses to perform better.

Within any equine discipline, sport may result in soft tissue injury, muscle tension, stiffness or soreness and imbalances in musculature.

Sports Therapy using equine McTimoney chiropractic techniques can go a long way in alleviating, preventing and treating such problems.

• Increased flexibility and joint movement and mobility
• Increased stride length and evenness
• An increase in muscle elasticity
• Improved coordination
• An increase in muscle elasticity
• Encouraging healthy circulation
• Relaxation and a decrease in stress levels
• Relief from discomfort
• Increased rate of healing
• Quicker recovery from exercise
• A decrease in post-exercise muscle soreness
• Helps to prevent muscle strain
• Provides excellent pre and post-exercise stretches/exercises

McTimoney is a whole body treatment using equine chiropractic techniques and as such the benefits are widespread. It is a fantastic treatment for horse rehabilitation and for preventing injury. For equines involved, it supports faster recovery and prevents many injuries from occurring.

To book an appointment and details of training classes offered please call me on 07779029080 or email: emma@emmapunt.com.