Page 16 midwest horse digest February 09
A SCIENTIFIC APPROACH TO
SELF-HEALING
by Karen shoulder? No amount of shoulder-ins or leg These practitioners study the same
Brown yields has made any improvement. Physical science taught in veterinary school; however,
examinations have elicited no cause for the they extend their education to include
horse to be limited. Months of training have intensive scrutiny of the ANS. The ANS is the
Many achieved little or no improvement in the internet of the body. Through its channels, the
tech- shoulder. Perhaps there is a restriction in the body communicates between body parts and
niques movement of the scapula, one or more ribs, or these parts react together when something is
initially in the withers. The restriction could actually be wrong. Osteopaths are taught to follow the trail
devel- coming from the back end of the horse. from surface symptoms to the source of the
oped for humans eventually find their way into Because of the neurological connections problem. That source can be a long way from
veterinary medicine. Among the modalities that coursing through the body, the probability of a the obvious symptom and without focusing on
have been adapted to the animal world is sacrum problem is very strong. the systemic-wide functions of the ANS the two
osteopathy. It was originally developed over would never be considered as part of the same
100 years ago as a means to detect and heal
What about the horse that can’t
problem.
disease in the human body. The premise of
keep his weight over his pivot leg in a spin or
osteopathy is that a living body is an inter-
cross-fires in the lope? This, too, could be from Veterinarians who currently practice
related entity with an inborn ability to maintain
blockages in the sacrum, pelvis, or stifles. osteopathy have found that it expands the
or return to optimum health provided that the
These types of imbalances are seldom knowledge gained in university and from there,
structure, or musculo-skeletal system, is func-
revealed in a standard lameness test and, they develop an integrated approach to their
tioning within the boundaries of its natural bal-
generally, the horse manages to do his job. practice combining osteopathic principles with
ance.
The osteopath can often remedy these types standard medical protocol. Osteopathy is a
of issues immediately and with lasting results. modality that, once learned, becomes an inte-
Olympic dressage riders and world gral part of the vet’s protocol. It’s NOT an alter-
champion cutters, ropers, and barrel racers
Do you know of a horse that spooks
native medicine; it becomes another tool of the
are only a small segment of horsepeople who
“for no reason”? It’s possible that his eyesight
trade on a par with drugs, surgery, and clinical
use osteopathy as a means to keep their
is unclear from vertebral blockages in the
diagnostics.
horses in top physical condition. Indeed, these
wither area. One of the nerves that runs
trainers and riders readily admit that regular
between these vertebrae is the oculomotor
It takes years of training to become
osteopathic treatment has kept their horses
nerve which provides information to the eyes.
competent in osteopathy. Excellent palpation
winning at the top competitions in their sports.
If that nerve is pinched, its impulses will be dis-
skills, specialist-level knowledge in anatomy,
These horses are also competing longer and
torted and the brain will not be able to proper-
biomechanics, and physiology, and training in
more frequently than their same-age
ly decode what the eye is seeing.
manipulation techniques are only part of a
counterparts.
Have you ever had a horse that
comprehensive education. The equine
osteopath should either be a licensed veteri-
When would a horse owner want to
wouldn’t let you touch his ears? Or tried to kick
narian or be working within the scope of each
obtain the services of an osteopath? In fact,
every time you brush his flanks? Many horses
state’s veterinary practice laws. Anyone with-
there are hundreds of symptoms that might
stick their tongues out of the mouth or move it
indicate the need for an osteopath. Lameness
over the top of the bit. These types of behav-
out proper schooling, certification, or insurance
of all kinds is only one category of symptoms
iors are always attributed to a bad attitude, yet
should not be allowed to work on your horse. If
that may be addressed. Given the intercon-
all of these kinds of symptoms point to neuro-
you would like to learn more about osteopathy
nection between the musculo-skeletal system
logical disturbances caused by imbalances in
or would like to locate an osteopath in your
and the rest of the body, it is quite common to
the musculo-skeletal system.
area call The Vluggen Institute of Equine
Osteopathy at 512-448-3152 or go to
have a lameness issue that is caused by a
Virtually any discrepancy from
www.vluggeninstitute.com.
problem somewhere else in the body. Any type
normal function can be assessed in an
of persistent resistance or unwillingness to flex
osteopathic examination.
or bend is a sign that the horse could have a
The first rule of observation
structural blockage.
is that “Everything means
For example, a horse with a heavy
something.” Practically every
parasite load will have a group of blocked
horse owner has noticed an
vertebra in the thoracic spine. Another horse
oddity about their horse’s
with an infection in any organ in the pelvic
body or behavior; yet no one seems to know
room will have a different group of blocked ver-
what or why the condition exists. This is where
tebra, this time in the lumbar spine. Horses
the expertise of an osteopath is essential.
Karen Brown is a freelance writer on all topics
equine as well as a horse trainer and boarding
with these kinds of visceral disorders will have
Specialized knowledge of the facility owner in Bandera, TX. Her articles have
difficulty moving freely, even when the disorder autonomic nervous system (ANS) provides the
been published in national and regional maga-
may not yet be detectable by clinical testing. physiological data he needs to connect those
zines over the past 11 years. Karen trains all
Visceral disorders first must be treated by a strange body symptoms or behaviors to the
breeds of horses, restarts problem horses, and
veterinarian; once they have been resolved
other body parts that are actually in distress
provides instruction in natural horsemanship
the osteopath would manipulate any remaining
and are the sources of those “symptoms”.
through lessons and group clinics. She may be
structural or visceral imbalances. The horse
When the body is viewed as an independent
reached at solitaireranch@indian-creek.net or
would then regain ultimate freedom of move-
collection of parts, however, these types of
830-796-4764.
ment.
symptoms are ignored and thus, valuable
How about the horse that has a stiff clues to the source of disease are overlooked.
Copyright, 2008. Karen L. Brown
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