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Qualified chiropractors are trained to recognize and treat subluxations. However, riders, trainers and horse owners can monitor whether or not their horses have spinal problems. Inspecting the spine before purchasing a horse is just as important as inspecting the legs.
Your own observations: consider your horses recent performance and demeanor:
- Has your horse’s behavior or performance changed recently?
- Does unusual or fluctuating lameness exist?
- Does the rider have difficulty sitting straight on the horse?
- Has the rider or trainer noticed changes in the various gaits?
- Does the horse drag its feet or are the shoes worn down on one side?
Examining mobility: the horse should be able to move freely in all directions without tension, with or without rider:
- Using a treat if necessary, ask the horse to turn its head and neck to the side so that it touches its flank with its nostrils. Less mobility one side compared to the other could indicate a problem in the cervical vertebrae.
- Test lateral movement of the spine by placing one hand on the spine and with the other pull the horse’s tail carefully towards you so that its back bends around your hand. Is one side stiffer than the other?
- Place slight pressure on the back from above. The back should swing easily and evenly, spring and swing. It should not feel stiff and hard.
Feeling the Muscles:
- Examine the horse’s main muscle groups for pain, tension and asymmetry. The muscles of a trained horse should be symmetrical; feeling firmly elastic but not too hard or too soft. If you place the muscles under moderate pressure, the horse should not show signs of being in pain.
Feeling the Spine:
- Feel the spine from the withers to the tail, paying attention to any elevations and protruding areas of bone. Compare the two sacral tubercles (jumpers bump region of the pelvis), these should be level. Look for any protruding areas of bone in the neck.