Osteopathy for horses

Osteopathy

This article is written by Osteopath Alison O'Docartaigh, member of the Holistic Horse Help treatment team (www.holistichorsehelp.com), as a 3 part series for my free 'Brain or Pain' newsletter. To receive your copy of the newsletter simply fill in your name and email address on the homepage at www.holistichorsehelp.com.

Part 1 – What is Osteopathy?

The science of Osteopathy was developed in 1874 by Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, a medical physician ardently searching for a more effective system of healing. He taught that the structure of the body and how it functions are inextricably linked and that each person contains within himself the resources necessary for health. In other words the body is an intrinsically self-healing, self-regulating, self-adjusting organism

The primary osteopathic tool, in both assessment and treatment is the highly skilled sense of touch of the osteopath’s hands, known as palpation. From the outset of their training, osteopaths develop their sense of touch, to be able to feel information that is not readily experienced by the untrained hand.

With this palpatory skill, applied with an informed, light touch, the osteopath can detect joint mobility, and tissue tension and quality, sometimes deep within the body. Combined with visual observation and a detailed knowledge of anatomy, the osteopath builds a ‘survey’ of the patient’s body to establish how well that body is functioning as a living, moving unit.

Part 2 – What does an Osteopathic treatment consist of?

Treatment techniques employed by the osteopath may include:

·       Soft tissue techniques, such as massage and stretches, used to ease, relax and soften tight or tense muscles and fascia.

·       Mobilisation which involves passive rhythmic and repetitive movement of a joint.

·       Functional techniques which involve placing a joint in position of ease or moving the joint in such a way that there is minimum tension.

·       Manipulation techniques which involve a fast, controlled movement of a joint over a very small range. This sometimes is accompanied by an audible click, which is perfectly normal.

·       Working with the hands to improve the function of the lymphatic, or drainage, system of the body.

·       Cranial osteopathic techniques which involve very quiet gentle approaches, using touch to sense the quality of the tissues. This can involve contact anywhere on the body, but commonly is on the low-back, pelvis and the head

·       Palpation and identification of tender reflex points in order to assist diagnosis

·       Exercise advice

The treatment is tailored to meet the needs of the individual patient, human, horse dog or another animal.

Although the above outlines the scope of osteopathy there is a great deal over overlap between the different treatments available for humans and other animals. I feel that Osteopaths, Physiotherapists, Chiropractics and McTimoney Chiropractics all want to achieve the same outcome – a healthy, pain free animal and a happy owner! We just have slightly different tools in our tool box with which to achieve this and ultimately it is about finding the approach that works best for you and your animal.

All therapists involved with treating animals must, under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, gain consent from a registered veterinary surgeon before an animal can receive any complementary physical or manipulative therapy.

Part 3 - The Horse and Rider interaction from an osteopathic view point

Many horse owners regularly have their horses checked by the “back person” – be that the physiotherapist, osteopath or chiropractor – but how many of us ever consider getting ourselves assessed?

What effect could we be having on our horse’s ability to work to their full potential?

If we have, for example, one hip that is slightly more restricted in its mobility than the other, then there is a chance that we may sit on the saddle with unequal pressure through our seat bones, which in turn could lead to the horse having to compensate for this in the way that he moves. Could that be why the horse struggles more on one rein than the other?

If our lower back is not as supple as it could be, can we absorb the movement of the horse underneath us effectively or could our stiffness be leading to the horse stiffening up beneath us?

Could the increased strength of one of our hands over the other cause our horse to be tighter on one side of his jaw, poll and/or neck than the other, potentially leading to more difficulty working on one rein than the other?

As we form our partnerships with the horses we ride, all of the above factors, and many others, may be affecting the way our horses move. It is still of primary importance to have our horses assessed and treated at regular intervals, but what about getting ourselves assessed as well? This will help to ensure that we can be as balanced as possible with our horses and, as a team, reach our full potential whether that is a relaxing hack in beautiful countryside or competing at the highest level.