Whatever the age of your horse or dog, and whatever their lifestyle, activity or sport, you can improve their comfort, wellbeing, general health, quality of life and performance with the aid of physical therapy. What does treatment involve? Each treatment is individually tailored to the animal’s age, symptoms, condition and needs, with treatment options including:
• McTimoney chiropractic techniqu
es for animals.
• Sports and remedial massage.
• Myofascial release.
• Electrotherapies – low-level laser, pulsed magnetic therapy and ultrasound.
• Exercise therapy – including rehabilitative and strengthening/conditioning exercises. McTimoney is a gentle, non-invasive chiropractic technique that works to relieve pain and achieve healthy functioning of the nervous system by manipulating any misaligned joints throughout the body, paying specific attention to the spine and pelvis. Misalignments can cause loss of normal motion in the joints and impair nerve function, leading to pain, discomfort, inflammation, muscle spasms, tension and compensatory movement patterns. Treating misalignments helps realign the vertebrae and other joints, restoring normal motion, releasing nerves from any pressure and relieving pain and discomfort. Combining the treatment with sports/remedial massage and myofascial release helps to relieve and address any soft tissue problems that may be contributing to (or caused by) the skeletal misalignments. Musculoskeletal problems can be caused by an acute accident or injury e.g. if the horse/dog has a slip, trip or a fall. Often they’ve built up over a longer period of time e.g. micro traumas that build up each time they happen, day to day activities that put the musculoskeletal system under stress, or longer-term compensations in the way the horse/dog moves following injury, rider imbalance, wear and tear, arthritis and so on. In horses, typical signs or symptoms of discomfort can include:
• Reluctance to work in an outline or to go forward.
• General stiffness and reluctance to bend.
• Reacting to the saddle or being grumpy to girth up.
• Difficulty striking off on the correct lead or becoming disunited in canter.
• Bucking, rearing or napping, or any unwanted resistance to work.
• Shifting weight or trying to get him/herself comfortable.
• Excessive tail swishing, carrying the tail to one side or a clamped tail.
• Uneven shoe wear, stumbling or toe-dragging.
• Reduced performance level e.g. knocking or refusing jumps, less elevated paces.
• Uneven muscle development or atrophy.
• Changes in temperament e.g. uncharacteristic grumpy behaviour, tired and lethargic. In dogs, typical signs or symptoms can include:
• Not being able to jump into the car or onto the sofa.
• Reluctance to sit.
• Uneven gait.
• Crying out.
• General stiffness or pain including when getting up and/or after exercise.
• Change in temperament e.g. tired and lethargic, reluctance to exercise, unusual aggression or other change in behaviour.
• Uneven claw wear, toe-dragging or scuffing.
• Signs of discomfort when being groomed or stroked.
• Licking or chewing a part of the body.
• Carrying the head or tail unusually low or to one side.
• Loss of performance e.g. an agility dog who has started knocking poles or coming out of the weaves. Acute conditions can respond quite quickly to treatment, but those that have built up over a long period of time might take longer to respond. Similarly, older horses/dogs, or those with conformational issues or breed characteristics that might be contributing to the problem may need treating on a maintenance basis to help prevent symptoms recurring. For active and sporting animals, regular maintenance treatments are highly recommended to keep the musculoskeletal condition in good condition and help prevent injuries occurring. Electrotherapies such as low-level laser and pulsed magnetic therapy may be used to complement the hands-on therapies where appropriate, and aftercare advice on stretches and rehabilitation/strengthening exercises that may aid your animal’s recovery will be given after each treatment. About me:
I have been involved with horses since I was a child, and continue to enjoy trail riding and pleasure rides in the beautiful Lake District and Yorkshire Dales. I have a fantastic rescue dog Roxy who I enjoy competing with at agility. I decided to train in McTimoney and sports/remedial massage after experiencing for myself how much the treatments helped my own back (and other various injuries!), and repeatedly seeing how well they worked for several of my friends’ horses. I hold an MSc in McTimoney Animal Manipulation, graduating with a distinction from the McTimoney College of Chiropractic. I have also completed qualifications and training in animal and human massage, human sports therapy, electrotherapies, saddle fitting and equine behaviour. I am fully insured as an animal and human therapist and am a member of the McTimoney Animal Association (the professional association responsible for setting and upholding standards of treatment for McTimoney animal practitioners). Veterinary consent:
The treatment of animals is regulated under the Veterinary Act and, by law, veterinary consent is required before any therapist can treat your animal. Most vets understand the benefits of physical therapy and will readily give permission for treatment. I aim to work in collaboration with your vet and will always refer back to them if I feel that there may be an underlying condition which requires veterinary investigation. Areas covered and prices:
I am based near Kendal in the South Lakes and cover Cumbria, north Lancashire and surrounding counties/areas. Travel charges may apply outside a 25 mile radius but I aim to keep these to a minimum by combining treatments in the same area. Treatment prices are:
Horses: £45
Dogs: £35
Humans: £35
Saddle fit/rider assessments: £45
Discounted day rates are available for riding schools, colleges, trekking centres and other multi-animal establishments – please enquire. I can also offer a variety of half and full-day workshops including: Massage for Owners, Canine/Equine Conditioning, and Saddle Fitting.
