Category: Chiropractor

Body Work for Izzy

7/23/2018

I am not sure why Izzy gets all the cool stuff - Speedy's the one doing all the work, but he does. Last week, the chiropractor was out for his quarterly visit.

Izzy loves him.

When CC was out last time, Izzy was in great shape and no work was needed. I knew he wouldn't get off so easily this time, and I was right. Nothing was seriously out of whack, but he had a few issues.

Izzy's tension starts in his poll which then creates a domino effect. Once his poll gets sticky, the problem moves on down the line through his neck, withers, ribcage, and pelvis.

Besides working out some general body soreness, CC is also a great resource for training questions. CC is a western trainer, but training problems are often the same no matter the discipline. When I explained the bitting issue, he said I should mix it up. I should switch back and forth between the bit Izzy likes and the legal one. CC explained that by this stage in Izzy's training, he doesn't get to be picky.

He said that in their training program, they might use two different bits for one ride. If a horse needs a reminder, go to the bit with more oomph! and then switch back. Basically, he felt that Izzy has a job to do, and he doesn't get to have so much of an opinion about it.

I know Izzy enjoys the body work, and he really likes CC. Even though it was hot as blazes, CC took the time to play with Izzy when he was finished just like he always does. Having the chiropractor out multiple times a year isn't exactly cheap, but it's sure worth it.

I know Izzy thinks so!

2 Comments

What Do You Do When Nothing Hurts?

5/7/2018

0 Comments

Izzy's been seeing the chiropractor since June of 2015, nearly three years. Since May of 2017, he's been seen every three months like clockwork. Each visit required pretty major bodywork from his poll to his hocks. I am happy to report that for the first time in three years, the chiropractor couldn't find anything to adjust.

I swear that CC wasn't mad at Izzy. He's just letting Izzy give him a snuggle.

In fact, the visit was so short that I barely had time to get a photo. I explained to CC that several times a week I have been doing the stretches that he'd shown me in January. He nodded approvingly and then offered another one.

I also described how much better Izzy has been working over the past six months. I told him about the over-flexion exercise and he said that they do something very similar with all of the babies they bring along. CC is an accomplished trainer and competitor in the western world; they work cattle.

We agreed to keep to the same every three months schedule for at least one more visit. Depending on how that goes, we'll try a visit every four months. Ultimately, it would be great if Izzy could go on a twice a year schedule. Poor Speedy hasn't been seen since February of 2016, more than two years ago. I think he's probably due.

I think my big brown horse is getting broker by the minute.

0 Comments

Quarterly Chiropractic Visit

1/5/2018

2 Comments

After getting Izzy's hocks injected for the second year in a row, I decided that I needed a better maintenance plan. Injecting hocks every year is pricey and carries some risks. There's also some doubts as to its true efficacy. In an effort to reduce the frequency of hock injections, I decided to bring the chiropractor out every three months whether Izzy looked sore or not.

I think one of two things will happen. First, Izzy will still need his hocks done in the summer or fall which will mean the chiropractic work kept him happier, but didn't address the hock issue. Or, Izzy won't need his hocks injected which will mean that the general soreness that builds up along his top line is the cause of his sore hocks.

When CC did the adjustment in August, Izzy was really sore even though he'd been adjusted just three months prior. CC recommended hock injections which I had done in early September. When CC returned in October, the adjustments he needed to do were pretty minor. This week, Izzy was sore in all the usual places, but the adjustments were once again easy to make.

One interesting thing to mention was that even CC noticed how much more mature Izzy has become over the past few months. Our hope is that as he gets broker and less prone to being a wild card, he'll let some of the muscle tension go which should help him feel much better.

Obviously not Izzy. Meet Glee!

The day before the appointment, I was with a friend who was lamenting her horse's sore hocks. I told her my chiropractor was coming out and asked if she'd like him to look at Glee. Since she already had the day off, she figured a chiropractic visit couldn't hurt.

I love watching CC work. Even though my friend was certain the NQRness was coming from the hocks, CC quickly pointed out that he didn't think so. Glee didn't have any of the hamstring tenderness that comes with sore hocks. Instead, he felt confident that she was just body sore.

After asking Glee to stretch throughout her body, he tackled her mid-section. Even a non-horse person would have been able to see that her back and ribs were sore. CC explained that she's probably been sore for a very long time but has been so stoic about it that she just works through it. He went on to say that horses like Izzy are easier to work on because they're so vocal about what hurts. With him, there's no mystery as to where the soreness is coming from.

When he finished working on Glee, her already lovely stride was even longer and more fluid. She clearly felt better. When I texted my friend the next day, she felt pretty sure that Glee was once again sound. Body soreness is definitely better than hock issues.

Unless anything changes, CC will be back in April for Izzy's next quarterly adjustment. Glee might get to see him again as well.

2 Comments

Chiropractor Visit

10/25/2017

0 Comments

Izzy is proving to be pretty high maintenance. Annual hock injections, regular chiropractic visits, sarcoid removals ... Speedy's the one doing all the winning, but Izzy gets all the feel goods. Whatever it takes, right?!

The first few years I had Speedy, he needed adjustments all the time, but not any more. It's been a year and a half since his last visit with the chiropractor; he just doesn't seem to need it. When I had Izzy adjusted in May, he was moderately sore; it had been ten months since his last adjustment. Three months later, he was so sore that CC couldn't work him out of all of it. I had his hocks injected (again).

It's been three months since that last adjustment, so I decided to call CC before Izzy could start complaining. He had a few sore spots, but nothing that CC couldn't work out in a few minutes. He had his regular poll thing, and his rib heads were definitely starting to get sore, but other than a few tweaks here and there, the visit was mostly about prevention.

I am hoping that with quarterly chiropractor visits, I can keep Izzy from needing annual hock injections. It stands to reason that if I can keep him from being body sore, he might use himself more correctly which will be easier on his hocks.

CC doesn't think that regular adjustments will prevent Izzy's hocks from getting sore, but it certainly can't make them worse. My vet thinks that the big brown horse is just hard on himself. Until Izzy toughens up, CC and I will be seeing a lot more of each other.

0 Comments

Izzy Was Out of Whack

8/23/2017

1 Comment

Since mid-July, I've been thinking that Izzy needed to see the chiropractor. But you know how things go. At the end of July we went to San Diego for a week, and when I got back he was better. Then when I still thought he should see the chiropractor, Speedy and I went to RAAC, but the chiropractor was also gone showing. As we left for the show, Izzy came up lame, but it turned out to be an abscess that blew on Monday, the same day that school started.

It was only about 100 bazillion degrees.

I finally called the chiropractor on Saturday and was lucky to get a same day visit. There were no surprises. Even though the chiropractor had been out this past May, Izzy was sore from hocks to poll.

Even though Izzy's same old spots were irritated, the chiropractor had to work on him a long time to help him find relief. Izzy's poll was locked up tight as were his neck and loins.

In the end, the chiropractor felt that Izzy's hocks were the cause of all of his discomfort. When I got home and reviewed Izzy's medical records, I was not surprised to see that Izzy's hocks were injected mid-July of 2016. Mid-July of this year was when I first felt that he needed an adjustment. It looks like annual hock injections might be our new normal.

As luck would have it, my vet just left for a two week vacation, but I was able to talk to him before he left. He agreed that Izzy should have them done again, so we have an appointment scheduled for the doctor's first day back, a week from Friday.

I hate having to wait so long, but the time will go quickly. Speedy and I have a show this Sunday, so my brain is kind of focused on him anyway. It's also hot, and since I now have to ride in the afternoons, I am a little less motivated. Izzy has already had a few days off. For the next week, he'll get ridden lightly.

Thank goodness I have one easy horse. Izzy, it isn't you!

1 Comment

Chiropractor to the Rescue

5/16/2017

10 Comments

For several months, I have been raving about Izzy's progress. In fact, a few weeks ago, I had to drag the whip back out to get a little more forward from the big brown horse. Izzy had become quite the packer. And then we had a windy day.

He was spooky, and very tense in his work. It seemed like a reasonable reaction, but then the windy day was followed by weeks of windy weather. The wheels fell off our bus. Out of nowhere Izzy started to rush, fall on his forehand, and refused to soften. On Thursday, the canter finally disintegrated, and I realized I had a problem. It wasn't from the wind.

While Izzy can resist the bend, he's never before been so stiff that I couldn't get his poll to move. He also locked his jaw, which I've never felt him do either. When I couldn't even get a left bend, I finally clued in to the fact that I needed to call the chiropractor.

I checked Izzy's health folder and realized that he hadn't seen the chiropractor in fourteen month, more than a year! After his last adjustment, CC had encouraged me to get Izzy's hocks injected, which I did. He has felt great ever since.

When I realized that our problem wasn't a training issue, I knew it had to be chiropractic. I was certain he had to be out in his poll, but I also assumed his hocks might need another round of injections. I called CC, and he agreed to come out the next day.

CC is an amazing chiropractor, and I've used more than a few over the years. Since he is also a trainer and competitor, CC brings a unique skill set when he is adjusting horses. He understands how they think and is quick to differentiate between a training issue and a pain issue.

When I explained what was going on, he told me that in all likelihood, Izzy's comfort level had been diminishing over time and that it wasn't a sudden onset like I felt. He explained that Izzy is just getting so much broker that he kept it together for me until he couldn't. That was music to my ears! Weird, I know, but it made me proud of the big brown dude.

As I had suspected, Izzy was definitely out in his poll and his entire neck. He also had a rib head on each side that needed an adjustment, but his hocks were in great shape with absolutely no fluid that CC could find.

CC worked on Izzy's poll and neck for a solid 45 minutes. If you've had your horse adjusted, you know what relief looks like. When CC would get the right adjustment, Izzy's mouth would gape open as he licked and chewed and stretched his tongue. When the adjustment wasn't quite right, Izzy would practically glare at CC, but he always came back for more.

One thing I've never noticed during the adjustments is that the better the horse starts to feel, especially when working so intensely on the poll, the drippier their noses get. CC explained that the work he was doing was also helping to open Izzy's nasal passages. By the end, Izzy's nose was a faucet.

When CC finished with his adjustments, he walked Izzy out in a straight line. I literally gasped. His stride in front was at least six inches longer. His walk was so much freer and swingier that I almost didn't recognize him as my horse.

While CC never tries to drum up business, he told me that this horse won't go backwards in his training. If I feel him start to get sticky, it won't be a training issue. Instead, it means he needs another adjustment.

I am learning, albeit slowly, that when Izzy is resistant, he's probably uncomfortable. I won't be forgetting that particular lesson!

10 Comments

The Bone Cracker

7/14/2016

10 Comments

Because I like to cover all of my bases (more to come on why, but you'll have to wait a day or two), Izzy has had a very busy week. First, he (and Speedy) saw the saddle fitter who declared my saddle a good fit for Izzy and an even better fit for the gray pony. The next day, the farrier was out so both boys got manis and pedis.

I am rarely there when the farrier does his work, but I do make it out when he comes during my summer vacation. Let me just say, I was stunned at how completely business-like Izzy was while the farrier worked. He stood quietly without fidgeting - just like a big boy. My farrier even remarked at how much more mature Izzy has become over the past few months. Can I get a woot woot for 8 year olds?!

This is how the big kids do it.

Izzy's back has been sore, so on Tuesday, I had my chiropractor out. I've been watching it, and while it hasn't gotten too bad, I wanted CC to have a look. Since I knew it wasn't a saddle fit issue, I wanted some possible explanations. Like ... is his back sore because he's so tense in his work, or is he tense in his work because his back is sore?

Poll and neck were in good shape.

As with the farrier, my chiropractor was very pleased with Izzy's new-found maturity. When he started working on Izzy's poll, he was actually startled when Izzy dropped his head to the ground with the slightest bit of pressure. I giggled. I couldn't help it; I taught him that. It made CC's job a little easier for sure.

He held the lead rope for most of the session.

Most of the time, I call CC because Izzy has fallen, whacked something, or otherwise tried to maim himself. Since he was simply back sore, CC poked and prodded Izzy's entire body looking for the root of the problem. We knew it wasn't a saddle fit issue, so CC knew something else was causing the back pain. Horses don't typically get back pain like people do; it's usually because they hurt somewhere else.

His poll was good - for the first time, and his neck only had one or two little things that needed some work. He was also good through his withers. CC finally found a sticky spot in his ribs, and his hamstrings were definitely sore. Unfortunately, a sore back and tight hamstrings usually mean hock trouble.

He clearly hates this!

CC tackled the ribs and then worked on the hamstrings. Adjustment wise, there wasn't much to be done. Muscle wise, Izzy was quite sore. CC did what he could, but his diagnosis was definitely sore hocks. That was not what I was expecting to hear, but it did help connect some dots especially when he said that sore-hocked horses find it harder to push off. You mean like in the canter? Yep.

This is not a stand off. Izzy really likes CC, and while CC won't admit it, he really likes Izzy, too!

CC's final advice was that I look into either some Legend or Adequan for Izzy's hocks. He loved that I had finally put him on Platinum Performance - he's a firm believer in proper mineral supplementation, but he thought I needed something specific for the hocks.

I gave Chemaine Hurtado, Symphony Dressage Stables' owner and trainer, a call and asked what she thought. She actually agreed with the chiropractor's assessment - sore backs often indicate sore hocks.

Next up ... the vet puts in his two cents.

10 Comments

Speedy DOESN'T Try to Kill Himself

2/18/2016

7 Comments

Not that this will come as a shock to any of you, but I am (sadly) not rich, wealthy, or moneyed. That means that I do the very best I can for my horses, but things are usually done on an as needed basis rather than just 'cause I feel like it. And having two horses to care for means that's especially true.

Chiropractic body work tends to fall in the as needed category even though I would love to make it a quarterly thing. It had been at least a year since Speedy had had any work done even though Izzy has been worked on three times this year.

Not any of my doing, but Speedy is REALLY photogenic!

When Speedy was Izzy's age, he also went through a needs adjusting constantly phase. When he was five, he needed three adjustments within 6 months. For the next several years, he generally needed at least one adjustment a year and usually two. As he's gotten older, he hurts himself a lot less, and he's just stronger in his back and loins thanks to the good dressage work we're doing.

Everybody needs some work now and then though, no matter how healthy your muscular-skeletal system may be. So, after the chiropractor got Izzy's parts working better, I asked him to have a look at the gray pony. Speedy tends to get hung up in his poll, so I wasn't surprised to find that he needed a little work in that area.

You can see the relief in his eyes. Both horses love this stretch.

Unlike Izzy, Speedy was fine throughout the rest of his body. His neck and ribs were in great shape as were his withers and back. He did need a little work in his pelvic region, but the chiropractor did the adjustment so easily that I missed it.

It would be great if this adjustment holds for another year, but if not, I am happy to have the chiropractor back out. As long as Izzy doesn't continue trying to kill himself, yearly visits would make my bank account quite happy.

7 Comments

Wherein Izzy Tries to Kill Himself

2/17/2016

21 Comments

Again.

This is at least the sixth time. While he might not always be going for death, I think dismemberment might be one of his goals as well.
Let me recap:

He tried to debone his own leg last January.
He tried to hang himself from a swinging Jolly Ball (barn owner saved him).
He tried to dislocate a leg by getting hung up in a rubber feed bucket (another barn owner save).
The farrier rescued him from a Freedom Feeder hay net when his first two attempts at ripping off his leg failed.
I found him with his shoe (still attached to his foot) hung up on the neighbor's fence.

And then last week he tried to break all four legs at once by getting cast in the wash rack. To tell you the complete truth, I do not know what happened other than it was pretty terrifying.

Essentially, I hosed him off, walked away for minute, and heard grunting and scrambling. I turned around and ran back to the wash rack (20 feet) where I saw Izzy lying on his side with one of his front legs on one side of the wash rack's front leg and the rest of his legs on the other side. The cross ties had snapped free like they are supposed to do, thankfully.

Photo from January

I realized that with the leg of the wash rack between his two front legs, he couldn't get up. I tried to pull his other leg forward, but he was too close to the post. He tried once or twice to get up, but I patted his neck and told him to wait. Izzy is brilliant in a jam as he never struggles but waits for help. He laid there patiently as I puzzled out how to get him up. If he wasn't as level headed as he is, things would not have turned out well.

I tried sliding him over, but I quickly realized there was no way I could move him myself. Believe it or not, I didn't panic ... I never do, but I was deeply concerned. I realized that this had the makings for a real disaster.

I finally dragged the rear mat out from under his butt and wedged it under his hind feet. He let me lift his hind legs without offering to struggle. When his toes had something to push on, I went back to his head and asked him to sit up. He gave a few big swings, but he couldn't quite get free of the bar between his front legs.

I shimmied his hind legs and then his fronts, and with one final effort, he managed to free his front leg enough to use it to stand. Once he was on all four legs, he staggered out into the grass and hung his head. I quickly reattached his lead rope and looked for damage.

Miraculously, all he had were a few minor scrapes on his legs and one nasty divot next to his eye. I hand walked him for the better part of a half an hour until his breathing was quiet and he was munching on the grass happily. I called the chiropractor before I left for home.

Izzy loves the chiropractor.

Izzy got cast on Friday night, the evening before I left for Horse Expo. I gave him some Bute that evening and was pleased that he looked no worse for wear the next morning when I arrived to load up Speedy. Even so, I knew he was going to be sore.

The chiropractor came on Monday, and I was right, Izzy was sore from nose to tail. It took more than hour to get him feeling better, but after some body work, Izzy was good to go.

This one took a lot longer than usual.

To my relief, the chiropractor didn't find anything other than some muscle soreness. There was no heat or filling anywhere, and he trotted off sound. I rode him on Thursday and then again this past weekend. Other than being a jerk, he's as sound as can be. Not bad for a horse who keeps trying to break his own legs.

21 Comments

About the
Writer & Rider

I am a lifetime rider.
I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010.
Welcome to my dressage journey.

Photo by Lori Ovanessian

Email Karen

About Speedy G

Speedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse and occasional trail horse. He is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.

May 2018

About Izzy

Izzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are schooling the dressage basics. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand Zweibrücker gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.

Second Show - July 2016

Bakersfield Dressage approved!

National Awards

USDF Second Level Rider Performance Award - 2018
USDF First Level Rider Performance Award - 2015
USDF Training Level Rider Performance Award - 2013

Stuff I'm Working On ...

Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC) Qualifying Scores
Second Level Scores:
Score 1: 63.485%
Score 2: 61.282%
Score 3: 62.879%

CDS Championship Qualifying
Second Level Scores:
Score 1: 63.485%
Score 2: 61.282%
Score 3: 62.879%
Score 4: 61.970%
Score 5: 62.973%

CDS Ruby Rider Award
Training Level Scores:
Score 1: 70.179%
Score 2: 72.600%

First Level Scores:
Score 1: 66.093%
Score 2: 68.750%

Second Level Scores:
Score 1: 63.485%
Score 2: 62.879%

USDF Second Level Rider Performance Award
Score 1 - 62.879%
Score 2 - 61.970%
Score 3 - 64.242%
Score 4 - 64.268%

USDF Bronze Medal
First Level - 70.179%
First Level - 72.600%
Second Level - 62.879%
Second Level - 61.970%
Third Level -
Third Level -

2018 Show Season

Show Rating
(***) CDS/USDF/USE
(*) CDS
(s) Schooling
(c) Clinic
(t) Ride-a-Test Clinic
(Q) Must Qualify

2018 Pending …
Season over

2018 Completed …
1/14/18 Hurtado Clinic (c)
2/10/18 Hurtado Clinic (c)
2/24/18 Hurtado Clinic (c)
3/17/18 Hurtado Clinic (t)
3/18/18 GEAHS (*)
3/31/18 Hurtado Clinic (c)
4/14-15/18 El Sueno (***)
5/27/18 Tehachapi (*)
6/16-17/18 El Sueno (***)
6/24/18 Tehachapi (*)
7/22/18 Tehachapi (*)
7/28-29/18 El Sueno (***)
8/11-12/18 RAAC (Q ***)
8/26/18 Tehachapi (*)

Body Work for Izzy

What Do You Do When Nothing Hurts?

Quarterly Chiropractic Visit

Chiropractor Visit

Izzy Was Out of Whack

Chiropractor to the Rescue

The Bone Cracker

Speedy DOESN'T Try to Kill Himself

Wherein Izzy Tries to Kill Himself

About the
Writer & Rider

About Speedy G

About Izzy

National Awards

Stuff I Read

By Topic

Archives

About the Writer & Rider

About Speedy G

About Izzy

National Awards

Stuff I Read

By Topic

Archives

About the
Writer & Rider