The Animal Chiro

05/09/2026

Three weeks into Rolo’s journey, and we thought it was time for a little update 🤍🐴

The first week was focused mostly on helping him settle in, decompress, and transition to a more forage-based diet aimed at supporting overall health and reducing inflammation. Sometimes the best place to start with rehab is simply giving the body the right foundation to begin healing.

Rolo came to us with a chronic stifle injury involving the medial patellar ligament, along with hoof balance issues and overall muscle weakness from time out of work. Because of that, our approach has been focused not just on the injury itself, but on improving whole-body function and rebuilding strength from the ground up.

Along with dietary changes, we started incorporating PEMF (pulsed electromagnetic therapy) every other day, along with a weekly light chiropractic check combined with postural rehabilitation work. We also began hand walking 10–20 minutes daily (or as often as time allows) over gentle terrain, as well as a few simple strengthening exercises — including backing exercises, which he has been handling really well.

The following week, Rolo (along with the rest of the crew) had visits from our farrier, Shearer from Stonehenge Forgery, and our equine dentist, Krause Equine Veterinary. Proper hoof balance and dental function are huge pieces of the puzzle when it comes to helping horses move and function at their best — especially during injury recovery.

Radiographs of Rolo’s feet showed some moderate imbalances that we’ll continue addressing over the next few trim cycles before reassessing with follow-up radiographs down the road. On the dental side, aside from a retained root at 101 and some sharp points causing a few cheek ulcers, there thankfully were not any major concerns that would significantly restrict normal jaw motion.

One thing we did notice before his dental was that he would eat with a head tilt and then stretch and extend his neck afterward. After his dental, the head tilt has resolved while he is eating his feed on the ground. Some of the neck stretching and tilting of the head in the air has returned intermittently, but it has still shown improvement overall.

Over the last week, we’ve added daily laser and bioenergetic therapy sessions, incorporated more incline work into his walks, and gradually increased his strengthening exercises to 6 sets of backing 6 steps each.

So far, we’re really happy with how things are progressing. We’ve already noticed less right hind toe drag at the walk, and he’s beginning to gain a little more topline muscle and weight as his body becomes more comfortable using itself correctly again.

Rehab is rarely a straight line, but we’re encouraged by the small wins so far and are excited to continue documenting his journey along the way ✨

04/20/2026

We’re so excited to share that we’ve welcomed a new horse to our farm 🤍

He’s already settling in nicely—though our senior pony, who definitely thinks he owns the place, might have something to say about that 😅 On the other hand, Chloe and our other pony are pretty sure they’ve found a new best friend.

We feel incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to bring him home. He has a long road of rehab and healing ahead, but things are looking optimistic. Every horse deserves a chance to heal!

This will be a special case for us—one we’ll be documenting closely as we combine chiropractic care, laser, PEMF, nutrition, hoof care, proper dental occlusion, postural and movement rehabilitation, as well as a few other therapeutics, to support his recovery.

Real case. Real rehab. Real results — follow along as we rebuild strength, restore function, and track his progress every step of the way.
We can’t wait to share his healing journey with you all 🐴✨

More to come in the near future!

03/26/2026

One of my favorite exercises, and it’s so simple!

Backing Up has Big Benefits

If you’ve been following us for a while, you’ll know this is one of Gillian’s all-time favourite exercises and for good reason.

Backing up is a simple, low-impact movement with no moment of suspension, making it ideal for horses at all levels. It can be performed both in-hand and under saddle, with the horse stepping in clear diagonal pairs.

When done correctly — with relaxation, impulsion, and a softly lowered head, backing up offers powerful benefits:
✨ Increases thoracic vertebral rotation
✨ Encourages core engagement (abdominals, thoracic sling, and hip flexors)
✨ Improves back mobility and posture
✨ Supports collection and overall way of going

This exercise asks your horse to shift more weight onto the hindquarters, maintaining flexion through the hindlimbs, lumbosacral area, and back throughout each step.

How to get started:
Begin with just 1–2 quality steps, and gradually build up to around 20. Focus on long, marching, correct steps rather than rushing or quantity.

Consistency is key. Try to include backing up as part of your daily in-hand work.

Want to perfect your technique?
Comment 'back' below and we’ll send you Gillian’s top tips video for a better back-up.

03/24/2026

Yesterday I asked a question:

If forces are reducing at breakover, why does the hoof wall still move away from the coffin bone in laminitis. And let’s focus on insulin dysregulation as the cause as I understand there are different types of laminitis.

I’m asking this because there’s a message circulating online that:

“There are no lever forces on the lamellae when the toe is long.”

I’m not concerned with who has said it—what matters is that it’s being repeated, and it’s worth unpacking properly.

When I first explored this, I assumed that a long toe simply increased lever forces and pulled the capsule away from P3.

But then I came across force plate and pressure mat studies showing that peak vertical force occurs at mid-stance, and that force is already declining by the time the horse reaches breakover.

So naturally, that raises a really important question:

If force is decreasing at breakover… where is the leverage coming from?

I’ll share the papers below, because many of you asked for them-

Eliashar et al. (2004) Distribution of hoof pressures

Heel and midfoot regions bear most load during stance

Toe loading increases late in stance but does not represent peak force phase

The majority of load is borne by the palmar/plantar regions for most of stance.

Weishaupt et al. (2002) Ground reaction forces in horses

Classic ground reaction force (GRF) curve:
-Single peak at mid-stance
Force declines toward toe-off

Van Heel et al. (2005) Uneven feet and pressure distribution

Alterations in hoof balance shift pressure distribution
-Toe loading is variable and condition-dependent
- peak forces ≠ breakover phase

Chateau et al. (2004) Hoof kinematics and ground reaction forces

Centre of pressure (COP) moves: heel → midfoot → toe during stance

Peak vertical force occurs at mid-stance, not at breakover

At toe-off (breakover) the Vertical force is already declining

Weishaupt et al. (2002) Ground reaction forces in horses

Classic ground reaction force (GRF) curve:

Single peak at mid-stance
Force declines toward toe-off

Wilson et al. (2001) Effect of foot conformation on force

Long toe
-increases moment arm
-increases force on DDFT and lamellae

Even if vertical force is dropping the mechanical leverage increases

And in a nutshell-
Force plate and pressure mat studies show that peak vertical loading occurs at mid-stance, and forces are already declining at breakover. However, this does not mean the toe is biomechanically insignificant.

03/03/2026

🦷🐎 Teeth & Posture — It’s All Connected

I’m currently in a postural rehabilitation course, and one of the most fascinating topics we’ve looked at is how much a horse’s teeth can influence their entire posture.

It’s easy to think of dentistry as just a “mouth issue” — floating sharp points, checking hooks, maintaining weight. But the reality is much bigger.

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ), hyoid apparatus, tongue, and cervical spine are all intimately connected. Restrictions or imbalances in the mouth can contribute to:

• Poll tension
• Under-neck development
• Difficulty flexing laterally
• Resistance to contact
• Asymmetrical muscle development
• Even front-end lameness patterns

When the jaw can’t move freely, the body compensates. And horses are masters of compensation.

This is why a collaborative approach between veterinary, dentistry, bodywork, hoof care, training and living space/herd managment is so important — especially for performance horses or those struggling with chronic tension patterns.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re “chasing symptoms” in your horse’s neck or shoulders, sometimes the conversation needs to start in the mouth.

Posture is not just about topline exercises — it’s about the whole system.

Excited to keep learning and bringing these insights back to my equine clients. 🐎✨
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1ATHCvANZU/

02/05/2026

Food for thought for riders…

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.