18/ AUGUST 2011 THE RIDER Equine Guelph’s Integrative Therapies Workshop a Huge Success! By: Jackie Bellamy


Equine Guelph presented its first ever, Integrative Therapies workshop on May 19th to a full house at the Ontario Vet- erinary College. Minds were engaged right from the start with Dr. Brad Hanna’s thought-provoking introduction. Entrenched in evidenced-based approaches, first impressions may have been this OVC professor was going to debunk the notion of integrative therapies all together! This initial reaction quickly turned into unani- mous nods of agreement throughout the lecture hall, filled with horse owners eager to learn more about complimenting their horse health programs.


tance of a qualified saddle fitter as many muscular problems begin with incorrect sad- dle fit. Barnett instructed horse owners to “look for symmetry” and gave many tips on how to palpate and stretch horses to help combat what can become a vicious cycle of pain and muscle contraction.


Hanna took everyone on a whirlwind journey through time which left the audi- ence in no doubt of the need for best scien- tific practices and meticulously recorded statistics. Hanna explained, “The lesson of bloodletting is arguably the most important lesson in the history of medicine, yet it has been largely forgotten. This leaves us in the unenviable position of making the same mistakes, for the same reasons, and with the same unjustified sense of certainty in our beliefs, despite access to better infor- mation. Anyone who is genuinely interest- ed in the well-being of their patients must take this lesson seriously.” Hanna also reminded the participants that many mod- ern pharmaceuticals originated from natural sources, citing an example of aspirin’s ori- gin from the willow tree. By the end of his talk, listeners knew of many criteria to look for in valid studies. Hanna set the tone to keep an open mind but gave the audience some tools to assess credibility.


Bone cracking myths were dispelled as Dr. Scott Hie, D.C. Chiropractor, went on to educate the crowd about what an adjustment is, and when it is useful. Restriction and lack of motion were the symptoms Hie stated as reasons to see a Chiropractor? but not before seeing a vet. Hie laughs at some of the misunderstand- ings that often surround his practice and recommends, “If your horse has a bone out of place – call a surgeon!” Hie explained an adjustment as a high velocity, low amplitude thrust. The audience was encouraged to call their vets first and then seek out registered professionals from sites like www.veterinary chiropractic.ca. Hie reiterated the importance of teamwork between the vet, farrier, saddle fitter, mas- sage therapist, nutritionist and chiropractor in addition to seeking out evidence-based knowledge. Feedback was resounding that more of this knowledge would be useful as listeners learned many of the examples of what not to do! Hie let everyone know chi- ropractic is not an option when there is severe heat, swelling, lameness or open wounds. Participants interested in learning more about how the joints are connected were encouraged to check out Equine Guelph’s Anatomy course or seminars. An exciting high level scientific talk ensued when Dr. Wendy Pearson of the University of Guelph took the stage, outlin- ing the potential of a new breed of “super mint” to reduce inflammation and aid in the treatment of arthritis. The audience was shown the complexities of biochemistry through a vivid PowerPoint explaining how components within cells are interacting. The steps of Pearson’s intensive research using control groups and closely monitor- ing statistics were outlined in detail. Wendy’s enthusiasm and analogies helped everyone gain an appreciation of why best practices in scientific studies are so impor- tant in validating results. Equine Guelph director, Gayle Ecker, summed up this lec- ture stating, “If my chemistry professor was this passionate, I might be in a different field today.”


Lastly, and going into overtime, Jackie Vandenbrink, M.Sc. Equine Nutritionist, gave the audience food for thought. No one was concerned about staying late when Van- denbrink started serving up sound advice for feeding your herbivore a forage-based diet. Vandenbrink emphasized, “Good manage- ment should stimulate good digestion.” Over-supplementation was discussed and cautioned. Vandenbrink encourages horse owners to heed nutrient deficiencies and per- form ration analysis. Often an imbalance in


one nutrient is a sign of deficiencies else- where. Vandenbrink stressed the importance of looking at the whole picture and not reaching for one magical powder. If your vet/chiro/massage therapist finds a physical problem, talking to a nutritionist to improve your feed program can be an important part of the solution.


length. Vandenbrink went on to inform the audience that hay is not a balanced diet and does not mimic grazing in the wild. Four- month-old hay does not contain the higher levels of Vitamin E that can be ingested on a well-maintained pasture. She suggests turn- ing horses out on pasture as a great way to


Good quality hay was discussed at


buffer the gut, guarding against ulcers. “A Holly Barnett, REMT CSF, Massage Therapist explains the benefits of adding massage therapy to your horse health care team. Photo Credit: Jackie Bellamy


Continued on page 19


The search for symmetry followed with a hands-on talk by Holly Barnett, REMT CSF, massage therapist. With over 80 modalities of recognized massage, this speech left the audience wanting to learn more about trigger points and how to relieve those pesky knots. Everything from chronic tension to muscle spasms and reha- bilitation were covered as reasons to employ a registered massage therapist (info can be found on sites like www.ifremt.org). Barnett also encouraged participants to uti- lize their health care team by seeking out the vet first and expanded upon the impor-


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68