Frequently Asked Questions

How often should my dog/horse be treated?

This depends on many factors such as the level of work, conformation, health, the extent of any  injury, etc. Your normal average working horse using treatments for  a general maintenance program, to assess training and to head issues while they are still subtle, should be treated at least every 4-6 months.  Rehabilitating some injuries will require treatments once a week.

 How soon before a competition can my dog/horse be treated?

Once your horse is on a regular treatment schedule the day before competition is perfectly fine. However, if this is your animals’ first session he will need to get used to his new way of moving, which may make him slightly out of sink, probably not a good idea for a show.  He may also be sensitive after the first session and hard physical exertion is not recommended.

My horse is for sale, I am worried that if people know you are seeing my horse they will think she has a problem and will not want to buy her?

As people are becoming more educated in the world of complimentary health care they now know that our therapy is used a lot for general  maintenance, not just for problems, which you can also help them understand.  You can also rest assured that confidentiality will always be kept, and under no circumstances will you/your horse be discussed with anyone other than yourself, unless prior permission is given to discuss with another member of the team e.g. Farrier, vet, dentist, etc.  I may use your horse as a case study to educate others but names of horses/owners/ trainers/farriers etc. will never be used.  Even if I am directly approached by someone, for example, someone thinking of purchasing your horse, I will not give them any information with regards to the work I have been doing on your horse without prior permission from yourself.

When will I notice an improvement?

Again, it depends on the individual and the issues they have, but sometimes an immediate  improvement can be seen, whereas others take a few sessions, and the first day after a treatment the animal can be a little sore

I use a massage pad on my horses’ back is this not good enough?

Horse back massage machines/rugs/pads etc. are really good to be used in between sessions, however, for full time independent use they are not sufficient enough  to provide a thorough, responsive, intricate enough treatment.  I can treat the whole body from head to tail, assess, analyse and isolate all of the individual components, perform different movements and adjustments of different intensities and pressures as required, perform stress point therapy, direct pressure and cross fibre friction, which is just not possible from a machine/rug/pad.

My friend says I need to get the ‘back man’ or ‘chiropractor’ to my horse is that you?

Yes but no! In the same way that the term doctor is for a human and a veterinarian is for animals, the term ‘chiropractor’ is used specifically for human patients, and animal manipulator is for animals, which is one of the treatments I am qualified and experienced in. Also, yes the ‘back man/woman/person’ or ‘back cracker’ or many other names, I am also called.

What can I expect in a treatment session?

1. Begin with a full history of the animal will being taken and confirmation that you have gained permission from you vet for treatment to go ahead (first session only).
2. A full evaluation of the animal, static and dynamic, from different angles to identify areas of possible problems, conformational issues, muscle asymmetry and to see if anything has improved or worsened since the previous session.
3. The animal is palpated and some superficial checks performed.
4. The animal is then treated using various massage, adjustment, manipulation, stretching techniques. Areas of sensitivity, pain, misalignment, spasm, etc. are noted, isolated and worked on, and further active, passive and relaxation stretches and exercises are carried out. Treatments are adapted depending on what is found and any other therapeutic techniques that would be of benefit are applied, such as magnetic field therapy, hot/cold therapy, kinaesthetic taping, etc.
5. Feedback and findings will be discussed. Please feel free to ask any questions.
6. The owner or handler will be introduced to appropriate, safe techniques for stretching, massaging, training and riding that the specific animal requires in between visits.