Will not allow hind feet to be picked up

Hi Karl

I'm glad to hear Zaks problem is sorted now, poor chap. He's lucky to have owners that listen to him now, I dread to think how long this would have gone untreated in his last home.

I recently had a phsyio look at Bebe for her sacroiliac problem. She didn't seem to do much with her hands at all but Bebe definitely felt much better for it, although she ran through a range of reactions - from biting at me to falling asleep. I did wonder about the value of this type of treatment beforehand but having seen it's value for myself, I wouldn't hesitate to have it done again. Sounds like you got someone reputable too, seems like that's difficult to do in some areas.

Amanda
 
Gosh - That thread was from a long time ago! :)

Fizz - I don't know! :) It was a second hand saddle that is simply marked "The Spanish Saddlery". I don't think that was responsible...back in April he was doing lots of galloping around the field, leaping into the air and twisting and the general consensus is that he threw his back out while playing. In any case, he's had no re-occurance since so it seems to be cured. We'll see what happens when Spring arrives! ;)

Amanda - We had a chap from Burton - I forget what his name was now, but seemed very good. I've heard quite a few "horror stories" myself.

In any case, it seemed to work and results are what matters! Glad to hear that Bebe is okay too. It took Zak quite a while to recover properly so don't expect too much from her straight away!
 
I don't tend to check the dates, I only read the top few posts most of the time anyway! :)

Bebe is fat and hairy at the moment so regardless of her back we wouldn't be doing much anyway. She's perfectly happy racing around the field during the day and munching her way through the better part of a bale of hay at night, working would just be too much for her at the moment! Actually, we're hacking at the walk for 45 mins every other day now which is seems to be having a good effect.

It's good to know there's a decent back/physio person not too far away. The one I used came up from Bucks (she did a lot of the horses on the yard all at once) so isn't too convenient for things that need to be seen to quickly.

Glad everythings okay anyway.
Amanda
 
Karl I'm glad you got your horse sorted out, but I would like to tel you off now!!!!

Firstly before using a back specialist (it sounds like you used a chiropractor) you SHOULD have got the vet to check your horses legs out. It is still possible that he has arthritis, and that will probably be likely if he starts to get worse again in time.

Secondly ALL horses should dip their backs if you press them in the right place. EVERY time I see someone think that means it is in pain I get very angry because that's not the case, and is a perfectly normal reaction ( a bit like when doctors hit your knee and your foot kicks out. Is that painful? no it's a reaction and shows that you are in fact normal!)

Thirdly what your chiropractor has done is smack the muscles on each side of your horses spine. This causes them to contract and relax and will indeed make him feel more comfy, just like a back rub would. It doesn't necessarily mean there is a real back injury. If you were hard working and then were given a massage you'd feel great too!

Horses backs that respond in that way to manipulation tend to be because there is a problem elsewhere (by the way my friend the chiropractor told me this and he's well known for being very very very good). This causes them to adjust their way of standing and their way of moving (even if they are not lame) and that causes what is called muscle gurding in the back. Manipoulation and massage will make the guarding go away and the horse will feel more comfy for a while. However this is not a permanent solution.

In your case it sounds as if the massage may have helped a lot, so fine, and the advice you were given was sound, but I still think you need to make sure there is nothing else going on. Back problems that respond to this kind of treatment will usually reoccur if the original problem isn't sorted out!
 
PS: I do think that if your horse has no other problems, a regular visit from a chiro may be a good idea if it means that he has regular massages to help him work better. They can certainly do a lot of good for horses, and I don't deny that at all, I am only concerned about whether there are other problems being overlooked! However some horses, especially those which work hard do benefit from regular treatment to ease tired muscles. I wish someone would come and give me a back rub!!:D
 
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