And Then There Was Just Stretching

A horse is basically a furry suspension bridge.

... And a little bit of bending and flexing. After Speedy gave some loud complaints while saddling this past week or so, I figured a chiropractic adjustment was needed.  CC, the chiropractor I tried out last summer, was called back in for another visit.

I really like this guy (send me a message if you're local and want his number). First of all, he was early, which is always a good thing for me. On top of that, he's very gentle with the horses and takes his time. It's obvious he's gentle as both boys cozied up to him in no time. I've used three or four other chiropractors over the years, but CC seems to be one of the best that I've tried.

Rather than use what we think of as traditional methods, yanking, cracking, etc., he does a lot of relaxation stuff before he does an adjustment. He explained that a horse's skeletal system is a lot like a suspension bridge; everything is just hanging from a central cable. If you can get the muscles and other soft tissue to relax, gravity and a little flexing should put everything back where it belongs.

Both boys needed adjustments from head to tail: their polls, neck, scapula, RIBS, hips, and sacral vertebrae. Sydney even had some sesamoid bone thing that needed tweaked. As he worked, there was lots of twitching, cringing, and wrinkling of lips, but by the time he was finished, both boys were oblivious to his pushing and prodding. They clearly felt better once he was finished; the doe-eyes, lick lipping, and equine smooches were dead giveaways.

I really liked the fact that CC didn't appear to be clock watching. He kept working until every sore spot was resolved. He also showed me some different types of stretches that I can do easily. I hope I don't need to call him back anytime soon, but when I know the boys are feeling a bit out of sorts, you can bet I'll have him back out.

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They do look a lot like a suspension bridge when you remove the fur.

Everyone at work was fascinated by the fact that I use a chiropractor for my horses. None of my colleagues were surprised, however, as they know my boys also see the dentist regularly. They were very curious about the cost though and weren't afraid to ask as they know I am willing to share that kind of information. For those who are interested, this particular chiropractor charges $125 per horse, but if the horse doesn't need an adjustment, there's no charge. I felt that the price was quite fair and that I got my money's worth.