The Animal Chiro

12/19/2025

Food for thought

Sometimes you have to think outside the box when talking to humans 😅

I was tending to a clients horse and as usual, chatting. It came up randomly in the conversation that the horse was behaving oddly when ridden. The owner was quite concerned about his knee. 😳
I asked "is he lame?", she said "no".
"Is it swollen?" Again she said "no".
I said "then what is it about his knee that has you concerned?"

She said "well he keeps rubbing it!"
I kinda have a feeling where this is going but thought let's lead her to it.
So I ask "what is he rubbing it on?"
She says "his nose! He suddenly stops when I'm riding and rubs his knee with his nose! The vet has been out and said there is nothing wrong with his knee but I'm sure there must be." She was visibly very worried.
So I asked "well what about his nose?" This puzzled her.
So I tried again "is there something wrong with his nose rather than his knee?" I saw the penny drop!
"Oh" she says, "I hadn't thought of that, but what could possibly be wrong with his nose?" I admit she looked a bit sheepish at this point 😅
So I asked "You mentioned it only happens when he's ridden? Never in the stable or in the field? What about when lunging?"
She says "never in the stable or field but yes he does on the lunge"
I ask "do you use a cavesson to lunge or your bridle?"
She said "bridle"
I double check "the same bridle you ride in?" And she confirmed. "I suspect the problem is your bridle is irritating him somehow" I finished.

Anyway, long story short, this horse happens to have an unusually high nasal notch and the owner was using a flash noseband which was fitted normally (not tight!) but given the horse's anatomy, it was sitting on the soft part of the nose, squeezing his nostrils and therefore his airway. The harder he was working, the more he was struggling to breathe easily through an airway that he couldn't dilate. The very clever lad had realised this thing on his nose was the problem and was stopping to try and get it off. The further into a session he went, the more frantic it was.

Now, in hindsight it's obvious, but the owner genuinely believed the problem was his knee! She was determined to find and fix the problem, just was looking at it upside down 🙃

I explained how to find the nasal notch and discussed nosebands that could work with his anatomy. We settled on a grackle because the horse was strong to a jump and could cross his jaw, hence the flash to start with. The problem vanished instantly 🥰🥰

We've always got to think outside the box, and ask the right questions. I've included a shot from my previous post on how to fit a noseband, just to demonstrate where the nasal notch is. In some horses it is very high and they cannot wear a flash or drop noseband at all! It's worth having a feel of your horse's nose and double checking too 😁

Just a quick edit - The part of this behaviour that was concerning is that it was interrupting his work. It is normal for them to have a quick rub at the end of a session or when resting but they should not slam on mid ride to do this. That points to a problem.
Also please note that this behaviour doesn't necessarily have to be the noseband. It was for this horse, but it can have many causes. As a few examples - dental wise we have wolf teeth (possibly blind ones), teething in young horses, sharp points, hooks, tooth root infections, food stuck etc. Other causes can be allergies, bridle buckle pressing on nerves, headpiece pressing on the ear base, poorly fitted bit, soft tissue damage, true trigeminal head shakers (this will be obvious daily and not just ridden though) and even none head related issues like neck pain or back pain (this is more about needing to put their head down rather than about the rubbing).
In this case it was a combination of the horse never showing the signs in the stable or field and showing the signs when lunged in the bridle without a saddle or rider that made me go to the bridle first.

12/16/2025

This is something I am always concerned about as our weather drops with our two ponies. But ponies are not the only ones that can be affected!

Equine Winter Laminitis
Brian S. Burks, DVM
Diplomate, ABVP
Board-Certified in Equine Practice

Acute laminitis is a severe condition of the horse’s hoof brought on by a complex, and often not completely known, series of events. Treatment must be swift, specific, and aggressive. The therapeutic goal in the acute phase is limiting the severity of the digital pathologies to limit the patient’s chances of suffering mechanical or structural failure of the foot. Although there are many different opinions concerning the treatment of acute laminitis there are basic principles on which most equine practitioners agree.

During cold weather, it is normal for horses to shunt blood via arteriovenous anastomoses which cools the feet but preserves core temperature. When oxygen tension becomes too low, the shunts open again to allow blood to enter the foot.

Some horses may have damaged vasculature or more constriction than is normal. Elevated insulin and cortisol levels make blood vessels more sensitive to vasoconstriction. Elevated insulin is associated with increased levels of endothelin 1, a potent vasoconstrictor. The stress of the cold may cause an increase in endogenous cortisol levels; increased cortisol causes vasoconstriction and reduced blood flow to the feet.

Horses with PPID, (equine Cushing’s Disease) or equine metabolic syndrome may have high insulin and cortisol levels make the vessels more sensitive to vasoconstrictors and more difficult to dilate. Their vessels are more constricted as a starting point. In normal horses, these AV shunts are expected to open to maintain circulation to the foot.

Insulin levels also increase in the winter and can become erratic, contributing to abnormal foot circulation, and predisposing the horse to laminitis.

Also affecting insulin is pasture grass. Stressed pasture grass stores high levels of sugars, leading to laminitis. Affected horses should not be allowed to graze until it has warmed up a bit and the grass has had time to respire and use some of the sugars stored overnight.

The reduced circulation causes pain, made worse by walking on frozen, bumpy ground. Pain and now the stress response, leads to an increased cortisol production, and this creates a vicious cycle.

Horses with PPID/EMS often lose their ability to thermoregulate, leading to stress and increases in endogenous cortisol production. Many horses also get less turn out time and exercise during very cold temperatures, which decreases insulin sensitivity.

Those horses that are prone to winter foot pain should be protected from the cold. They do not do well in the wind, rain, and snow. They may require blanketing and require distal limb protection via fleece lined boots or wraps.

Affected horses present much like any other horse with laminitis: sawhorse stance and a reluctance to move. There is usually no heat in the foot and there is often little sinking or rotation of the coffin bone.

Treatment of winter laminitis is like any other laminitis cause. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may not work as well as for other causes. The underlying endocrine disorders should be under control before winter, limiting sugars in the diet and administration of pergolide or other medication. Thyroid hormone is used to improve insulin sensitivity (not to treat hypothyroidism, which is nearly non-existent in adult horses). It can also be useful to lessen the impact of the cold, hard ground as it concusses the feet. If you cannot offer softer ground, hoof boots can help protect from concussive forces and help keep the feet warm.

What you can do:
- prevent or limit access to grass during and after sunny frosty weather until the weather changes to milder nights and overcast days, and feed analyzed hay with sugar and starch levels below 10% instead. It is not the frost itself that is the risk, it is the weather conditions that cause the frost, so do not allow horses to graze once the frost has melted with the sun - wait until the grass has been able to respire and use up some of its sugar.
- keep feet warm and protected - use leg wraps/bandages, pads and boots on feet, warm deep bedding. Thick wool hiking socks can be great for keeping pony feet and legs warm.
​- ensure feet are well trimmed/balanced - even the slightest tipping of the pedal bone onto the sole by high heels or pull on the laminae by long toes can exacerbate pain and discomfort when a horse is walking on hard rough ground.
- blanket well, provide good shelter out of the wind/weather - particularly for PPID/underweight horses. For overweight/EMS horses, cold weather can encourage weight loss so consider whether they really need a thick blanket.
- soak hay in cold water.
- cut back feed (calories, not fiber) if exercise/turnout is reduced.
- provide warm water for drinking to reduce the risk of impaction colic (not such a great risk when soaking hay) - particularly for older/PPID horses that might have tooth problems.

Fox Run Equine Center

www.foxrunequine.com

(724) 727-3481

12/16/2025

08/07/2025

Who is “adjusting” your pets?

There are people out there who claim to be “animal chiropractors”…

Some say they manipulate animals.
Some use the term “animal chiropractor” in quotes or parentheses, because they aren’t actually trained or certified.

🚨 This is a serious red flag.

Becoming an animal chiropractor requires years of education, training, and certification. Here’s a look at what’s involved:

✅ A Bachelor’s degree (typically in biology or a related field)
✅ A Doctorate in either Chiropractic (DC) or Veterinary Medicine (DVM)
✅ Passing all required board exams (for chiropractors: Parts I, II, III, IV, and Physiotherapy)
✅ Completion of an accredited 220hr animal chiropractic program
✅ Passing of the AVCA certification exam and/or IVCA certificate exam
✅ A current active DC or DVM license
✅ Ongoing continuing education for professional licensure, whether DC or DVM
✅ Ongoing continuing education to maintain animal chiropractic certification
✅ Malpractice insurance, which those who are unlicensed can not obtain
✅ Compliance with your state’s laws (in Illinois, for example, a veterinarian must sign off on animal chiropractic care)

As you can see, becoming an animal chiropractor takes 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗦 of commitment and rigorous training.

👉 Please do not trust anyone who is not properly educated, licensed, and certified to perform chiropractic care on animals. It’s not just unethical, it can be dangerous.

💡 Always ask:
Are they licensed?
Are they certified?
Do they follow state laws?

🐕‍🦺 If you love your pets, protect them by choosing qualified professionals only.

𝑨𝒕 𝑽𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝑨𝒏𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒍 𝑪𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒄, 𝒘𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒅𝒍𝒚 𝒎𝒆𝒆𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕. 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒕’𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔.

If you’re not in our area, we still want your pets in good hands. Search for certified professionals near you here:
🔹 animalchiropractic.org (AVCA)
🔹 ivca.de (IVCA)

AVCA is the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association and IVCA is International Veterinary Chiropractic Association. If a doctor completes their education passing their certification exam and maintains their required continuing ed, they will automatically be listed. Question those who are not. If they do have the qualifications, they should welcome you asking, just like Dr. Cat and I would.

08/02/2025

11/16/2024

Food for thought..

10/04/2024

Join forces for a remarkable effort, friends! We're Chloe donations and supplies tomorrow and Saturday morning and then will be personally taking it up to the Lake Lure area. We all have seen the devastation that has hit all over the area. People are still stranded. Every item counts in addressing their pressing needs. If we can collect enough, we can maximize our horse trailer's capacity! Friends have volunteered to be drop off stations in Spartanburg and Fountain Inn, along with our location outside of West Pelzer, and while we are at hockey at the Pavillion. Reach out to the people located in each area. Supplies needed are listed below that. We're also accepting gently used clothes to extend a helping hand. Your support inspires us – thank you!

Fountain Inn: Renate Malejka

Spartanburg: Melissa Leialoha Shecter

West Pelzer/Taylors: Natasha Jaskiewicz

03/24/2024

Some food for thought…

12/06/2023

This makes it easy to remember which way your clip should face!

As blanket season is in full force upon us, here is a very important reminder courtesy of the horse doctors at Miamitown Equine Veterinary Services:

"When securing blankets, make sure that the snaps/clips are facing inward, toward the horse! If they are facing out, they can easily become stuck on something, like the hay net in the picture."

03/10/2023

Quiet Legs

Decades ago, I removed my spurs. Research studies suggested that lack of forward movement was not due to insufficient propulsive activity of the hind legs but instead, the incapacity of the thoracolumbar spine’s muscular system to properly transmit forward through the thoracolumbar spine, the thrust generated by the hind legs. Basically, lack of forward movement was due to spine dysfunction instead of lack of a hind legs’ activity. The thought behind removing may spurs was that keeping my spurs, I would likely address problems increasing the hind legs activity instead of concentrating on the thoracolumbar column dysfunction.

It was amazing how fast the horses adapted to the no-spurs situation. In fact, very soon, they responded with greater accuracy to any touch of my legs. At first, I attributed their calmness, subtleness and higher sensitivity to the fact that they no longer feared the sharp contact of the spurs. Equine research had already demonstrated the wrongness of Gustave Steinbrecht’s “spurs attacks.” Jean Marie Denoix DVM, PhD explained that having two heads, on inserted higher on one vertebral body and the other lower on the adjacent vertebrae, backward movement of the rib stimulated by the contraction of the muscles situate between the ribs, “spurs attack,” compressed and therefore altered the mobility of the two vertebrae connected to the rib.

Further studies demonstrated that the old concept of the rider’s legs stimulating muscles engaging the hind legs was unrelated to equine functional anatomy. The muscles situated under the rider’s leg are the re**us abdominis and they don’t engage the hind legs. The rider’s leg touch in fact sensors, which are designed to feel touch. Theses sensors have the capacity to feel a fly. ”Protection against external parasites involves feeling their presence and taking appropriated action.” (Carol A Saslow) In its more elementary form, the touch of the rider leg is interpreted by the horse’s brain as a forward movement signal. This is the simple concept of conditioned reflex. The touch of the rider’s leg is compared in the memory with previously stored stimulus and recognized as an indication of forward movement. The message is transferred to the cerebral cortex and the cortical decision is “go”. The cortical decision is integrated to the elements of the brain such as the olivary nuclei or cerebellum, which monitor the horse’s body state, and the cortical decision is adapted to the body situation. If the body state is a dysfunctional spine, the message “go” is resisted by fear of discomfort or pain. This very basic understanding of equine perception exposes the infantilism of the belief that if the aids are properly applied, the horse responds executing the correct movement. Instead, the horse response is always a compromise between responding to the rider’s aids and protecting existing muscle imbalance, morphological flaw, weaknesses, memories, or other issues.

“Once, we humans, have divised ways to measure the physical world, it became apparent that our perception of “reality” was a constrction of our human minds and not a faithful physical replica.” (Plato) Our sensors functions as filters which pass only a minute proportion of physical energies. Our brain uses this fragmentary information to construct a view of the world that was advantageous to the survival of our primate ancestors. With education, the horse’s brain constructs and refines responses to nuances in direction, duration and intensity of the touch of our legs.

Once chaotic stimuli created by the spurs were no longer disturbing the horses’ perception, the subtlety and precision of their responses suggested a sensitivity beyond the scope of conventional beliefs. Carol Saslow’s recent study provides the scientific answer. “Using stimuli developed for gaging human tactile sensitivity, we were surprise to find that horses sensitivity on the parts of the body which would be in contact with the rider’s legs is greater than what has been found for the adult human calf or even the more sensitive human fingertip. Horses can react to pressure that are too light for the human to feel. This raises the possibility that human instability in the saddle results in inadvertent delivery of irrelevant tactile signals to the horse. And a consequent failure in teaching the horse which signals are meaningful. Horses deemed insensitive to the legs (dead- sided), may simply have never had the chance to respond to consistent, light and meaningful signals. Similarly, the seeming ability of a well-trained horse to have extrasensory perception for his rider’s intentions may be instead its response to slight movement or tightening that the rider makes without awareness. “ (Carol A Saslow, Understanding the perceptual world of horses, Applied Animal Behavior Science, 78 (2002) 209-224) ,

There are riding techniques as well as saddle designed that result in inadvertent delivery of irrelevant tactile signals to the horse. Basically legs instability result from seat instability. Saddle with high cantle and enormous knee pads often lead to rider rolling on the back of their seat bone and lifting the knees into the contact of the knee pads. The aberration makes then squeezing the thigh above the knees moving the calf away from the horse flanks. In order to have contact, riders have to squeeze the legs disturbing the horse’s sensitivity with intermittent and strong physical contact. Riding techniques emphasizing such approach as well as techniques such as kicking with the heels, causes disturbing stimuli in an area of the horse’s body that is highly sensitive.
Jean Luc Cornille

03/04/2023

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😳

🥵

02/17/2023

𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝗽 - 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗲

This is a great exercise to do in-hand. Walking over a raised pole requires greater flexion in your horse's joints than trotting.

Place a raised pole, or small log in a place where you can regularly walk your horse over it - for example to and from the field.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗶𝗺
✅ To lift and flex the back, hip, shoulder, elbow, stifle and hock.
✅ Strengthen the muscles and structures involved in engagement, hip flexion and pelvic stability.
✅ Improve suppleness and flexibility through the shoulder, elbow, hip, stifle and hock.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝘁
🐴 Walk your horse over a pole on the floor.
🐴 Gradually raise it until it's around knee height.
🐴 Encourage your horse to lower his head to look at the pole.

To really see the benefits do this on a daily basis