Chiropractic Care to Improve Proprioception

Amber Erickson, DC, MEEBW

Can you close your eyes and touch your nose?  Can you stand on one foot?  Balance is very important, but it is something that we often take for granted.  This is the ability to maintain an upright posture without leaning.  Proprioception is knowing where your body joints are in space, without looking.  Your body depends on proprioception for everything that you do, from work to play.  This is the reason that you know where your foot is when you step without actually watching it step.  Joint receptors both in the foot, leg and back will send input in the motion back up into the brain to be processed.  Both can be improved and strengthened, with purposeful exercises and with chiropractic care.

The proprioceptive system is composed of nerves which are found in joints and in the muscles and ligaments that surround all joints.  The function of these nerves is to maintain tone and to sense when stretch is applied to the joint capsule.  They then transmit this information up to the brain where it is then processed, so that the body can then be instructed on how to respond.  The brain will then send nerve signals down to the appropriate muscles to either contract or relax the relevant muscles and to produce the dictated movement.  This happens at a very rapid speed, without conscious thought on our part.  This is in part how a reflex works, often the motion is often completed before we are even aware that we are moving.

Good balance is a direct result of a properly functioning proprioceptive system, and a joint injury or restriction can lessen the effectiveness of the entire system.  This may be from an acute injury, or from chronic stress and a repetitive injury. As we age, our balance tends to deteriorate.  This can lead to an easier chance of injury, and can make us more prone to re-injury of healed locations.

It is possible to increase the proprioceptive feedback from your body to your brain, and this can help an athlete to recover more quickly.  It is also possible to improve posture, and to increase our balance so our day to day activities cause less discomfort as we age.  The proprioceptive system can be trained and strengthened, both through specific exercises and with chiropractic care.  Chiropractors use neurological testing to monitor and test the proprioceptive system, and then to improve on any deficits noted.

There are many exercises designed to improve balance and proprioception.  All balance exercises should be began on a flat, even surface.  Begin by standing on one leg, and holding your foot at the level of your ankle.  Hold this up for five to six seconds, and then repeat ten to twelve times.  Once you feel stable doing this exercise, proceed to doing calf raises and mini squats, as well as leg abduction (taking the leg away from the midline) and leg adduction.  Lunges are also a great way to strengthen the lower body.  Following this with use of a wobble board can then be very beneficial, but requires core strength and practice. All of these exercises can then be performed on the wobble board, as long as stability and balance can be maintained.  More advanced exercises include running a figure eight pattern, and walking while crossing over your feet.  Regular chiropractic care can also significantly help to improve both balance and proprioception to restoring joint motion and improving muscle tone.  Kinesiology taping can also be a great way to increase proprioception.

Bodywork at home, on your own horse

The horse is an athlete like none other and we strive to be a team with our horse.  Bodywork and chiropractic care can be very beneficial for both members of your endurance team; horse and rider need to be moving at their best to achieve top performance.  However, there are easy bodywork techniques that can be done daily at home to improve performance as well.   

Who hasn't felt the muscle ache from over-used, tight muscles after resuming a workout schedule?  Well our horses can feel this tightness too but they can’t help themselves through it like we can.  Many times the rider many not even realize the horse has back tightness, or a joint problem, until it has become advanced.   A simple way to prevent problems is to perform massage and stretching techniques on your own horse, in addition to getting regular chiropractic care.  Maintenance chiropractic care can help prevent many problems, and can bring out the very best performance in both horse and rider.   

Another reason to do simple massage techniques on your own horse is to learn what normal feels like.  If they become uncomfortable with a massage move that they had previously loved, this may indicate the beginnings of a problem.   A bodywork session can also be a nice way to reward your horse for a job well done.  Some words of caution before we begin.  Never tie your horse while doing bodywork, he may panic if you hit a sore muscle and pull back.   You want these sessions to be calming and safe so chose a quite location and watch reactions closely.  Always use light pressure, if you are in doubt watch your horse!  Finally never work on an acutely injured area, and always keep an eye out for hot and swollen areas. 

I will post easy moves that you can do at home later this week, so stay tuned!

Bodywork in Winter

For me, winter time means quickly throwing hay to cold horses with a quick pet and then back into the house!  I'm always surprised when people actually still ride in winter, as for me the risk of falling on the ice isn't worth the little bit of fitness gained.  However, those of you lucky enough to have an indoor arena probably ride all winter with ease.  Exercise is just as important in winter, but hard exercise should be approached with caution as this will lead to sweat.  A wet horse is a cold horse, and no one wants to spend three hours cooling out from an hour ride!

This brings me to blanketing.  It used, blankets MUST fit correctly, and be the correct fill weight for the weather conditions.  A too thin blanket does worse than not blanketing at all, and can cause severe frostbite. I choose to blanket for several reasons: a thin horse who can't seem to stop shivering, an elderly horse or a sick horse, and for a horse who is continuing in hard work.  I did blanket for a few weeks this winter so far, as I've been trying to stay ahead of any freezing rain.  My horses are without a blanket today, but we will see how everyone is tonight when I get home.  I feed a lot more hay with unblanketed horses, so it becomes more cost effective for me to throw blankets on.

I do see many bodywork muscle problems from blankets, so they must fit properly.  A heavyweight blanket will add a fair amount of physical weight, especially to the horse's upper back and neck.  Unless it fits really well, many horses will become very sore in these regions then.  Also, a blanket that is causing restriction and/or rubs anywhere will be causing the horse to change how he moves.  This can lead to soreness throughout their body, especially if this is compounded by walking through deep snow and across ice.

I am frequently asked about continuing with a horse's bodywork and chiropractic treatment plan in winter.  If the horse is blanketed and still in relatively normal work, they should continue with bodywork care. If they are being mostly rested and they seem comfortable, it often is fine to take several months off from care.  This depends on the horse, but many seem to do well with a nice winter rest.  Spring training is often the perfect time for a tune-up!

Weird Horses!

Today I had quite a scare.  It was cold when I woke up, in the single digits.  My horses had finished their round bale yesterday, I had dumped out all of the wet hay in the bottom last night.  ELEVEN days that bale lasted, pretty great!  Anyways, so I ran out to feed the horses a square bale.  They all four dug right in, just like normal.  About ten minutes later, once I finished getting ready for work, I came back outside to take off for the day.  I see three horses eating hay, and my old mare (Abbie) up on the hill.  She whinnies when she see's me, and comes booking down the hill.  She then wanders around by the shelter, and over to the level (rather sandy) place where the round bale was.  Then she lays down, and just lays there.  Freaked me out, but I was late for work so off I went.  Came home tonight, she's perfectly fine and ready for dinner.  Apparently she just wanted me to worry all day.  WEIRD horses...

Pictures are after eleven days of eating on the round bale.  Everyone seems to be in great weight lol!
    

Stretching, for the Rider Intro

Everyone knows how important stretching is for our horses, and why flexibility is essential to achieve balance and efficiency of movement.  I give every client whose horse I work on stretches to do for homework, and these are reviewed and are added to at each visit.  But what about the rider??

Everyone who has ridden a horse for any considerable length of time understands just how athletic of an endeavor it truly is to ride well.  Why then do so few of us have stretching routines for ourselves?  I can guarantee you that in most other sports a solid warm up and cool down includes some stretching.  Why don't riders stretch then you may be wondering??Stretching daily is the very best way to improve your flexibility overall, throughout your body. This increased flexibility makes you much less prone to injury, and can also improve your riding technique.  Many riders lean forward while riding, which will close your hip joint and stress your shoulders.  It should be no surprise then that I treat shoulder, upper back and hip pain in almost all of my trail riders.  Much of this stiffness and pain can be considerably decreased by a proper warm up and stretching routine.

You should never stretch without warming up your muscles.  Usually just walking out to catch your horse will do it.  If you have an especially easy to catch horse, giving him a thorough grooming and/or hand walking around for five or ten minutes will warm you up a sufficient amount.  Also never stretch an injured area, and be careful to avoid overstretching.  Stretching should never cause pain anywhere.  If you notice persistent pain after stretching, please discontinue and consult with your doctor.  Hold all stretches for five to six seconds to begin with, but with proper technique you can hold stretches for several minutes once flexibility is increased. 

We will get into actual stretching technique tomorrow. 














 

Freedom!

Today I am thinking about how horses move naturally.  A loose horse has a freedom to it's gait that is beautiful, and to watch him flow between speeds can be breathtaking.  I'm not sure about anyone else, but I would love to feel more of this from my horse under saddle!

Clients who receive regular Chiropractic and bodywork care many times will notice an improvement in the fluidity of gaits of a horse after a treatment.  This is due to the lessening of restrictions within the muscles, which makes it easier for the horse to do his or her job.  This directly leads to a longer career by decreasing the normal wear and tear on joints from competition and training.

BENEFITS OF CARE

Now that I have been practicing for "a few" years, I'm starting to really see the benefits of consistent chiropractic and bodywork care.  This is true for both the horse and the rider.  Chiropractic adjustments and bodywork usually improves a horse’s disposition.  These are the horses who always seem to be cranky, or are easily upset.  These are often the horses who are not pleased with me while I work on them, but who whinny and nicker when they see me for the next visit.  A horse with chronic pain will quite frankly not want to work.  This is a rare day for my endurance horses, and is definitely a sign that something is up with them!  

This is also true for riders, I often hear complaints from trail riders with constant pain.  They think that I'm "nuts" for riding 50 miles in a day.  While I can't testify to my mental soundness, as I do think that the pain from riding all day isn't even close to the fun benefit, I know that when I am well adjusted I come through a ride much easier.  Granted, it does help that my husband is a great chiropractor who can (and does) adjust me mid-ride :)  

The key here appears to be consistency.  Horses don't seem to need nearly as much care as people do, but of course they live much more naturally than most of us do.  I've been playing with my horses own treatment schedule but this appears to be a case of the shoemaker's kids not having any shoes....

Spring IS coming!

Another day that was colder than it was supposed to be, but at least the sun came out.  The sun shining does a lot to improve my mood, and hopefully it will start to really melt that ice out there.  This gets me thinking about conditioning myself to begin spring conditioning and riding.

Horse riding, especially long distances at moderate speed, requires excellent core strength.  This includes back and stomach strength, as well as lower body and upper body strength and balance.  A rider must have strong muscles, combined with a supple and flexible spine.  The best way to increase core strength is to stretch and exercise.  Balancing on an exercise ball while working is an easy way to begin to increase core strength, as long as the ball is stable.  An easy way to increase stability is to place a rolled up towel under/around the base of the ball to prevent excess rolling.

Another good exercise is laying on your stomach over an exercise ball, and then raise your torso off of it while preventing the ball from rolling.  Again make sure that you are strong enough to control the movements without falling off!  Then follow this exercise up with the mermaid stretch.  To do this stretch, stand with your feet shoulder width apart in a relaxed frame.  Then slowly lift your hands above your head and stretch.  Finish the stretch by leaning first left then right, and then slowly lowering your hands.

Spring may actually be coming, so it may be time for me to jump start my fitness program!!

After an injury

I had a little incident last night.  Alice, my three year old daughter, woke me up a little after midnight.  She had to go downstairs, to the bathroom.  I was carrying her down our very steep, wooden steps, when I slipped.  Down the stairs I bounced, holding Ali.  I landed a little bit on her leg, and it scared her a lot, but she's mostly unharmed.  However I am bruised all over, and very sore!  Let's just say that it is difficult to sit on a hard chair right now...

So this brings me to my topic today, fighting inflammation after an injury.  I have been icing steady all morning.  Ice applied for ten to fifteen minutes every hour can help to decrease swelling.  I also had my husband put some kinesiology tape on me in a fan formation.  This will help to fight inflammation by increasing oxygenation to the muscles and tissue in the area.  I then used a liberal dose of biofreeze to block some of the pain.  Picture is fromwww.healthandcare.co.uk

Avoiding over the counter NSAID's or pain relivers (aka aspirin) will also help to decrease healing time significantly.  There has been some very interesting research published recently that shows some new information.  Not taking NSAIDS for pain will help to increase healing speed by as much as six weeks, after a major injury. 

So I will spend the day sitting on an ice pack and drinking a lot of water so I can heal as fast as possible.  I am convinced that spring will come back, eventually, so I need to be ready for it!

 

Stretches for Riders

After another weekend with no riding, I sit here on this Monday morning and think about summer.  There is so much ice here in SE WI, I can barely walk through the pasture without slipping on ice.  SO, my thoughts turn to what I can do now to prepare for next ride season.

If you are like me, then you rarely stretch.  Especially not before or after a ride.  So I'm going to talk about a few easy stretches that will help to improve your riding.

Hamstrings: these are the muscles that run down the back of your legs.  (Picture from: www.davidrobertsphysio.co.uk)

 For riders, the most important job these muscles do is to extend the hip and to flex the knee.  This means that they help to straighten the hip joint, and to bend the knee joint.  This is pretty important while posting and using a jump seat!

To stretch these muscles, the most common method is to sit on the ground with your legs stretched out in front of you.  Fold one leg in and stretch the other leg out in front of you.  Then lean your upper body forward and slowly try to touch your toes with your fingertips. (Picture from: http://www.bicyclekingdom.com/healthy/Cycling_Stretches.htm)   Hold this pose for 3-4 seconds, then switch legs and repeat for 3-4 repetitions.


Another great stretch is to lay on your back, and pull one leg up at a time.  Keep the knee as straight as possible, and bring the leg up past 90 degrees slowly.  Again hold for 3-4 seconds, then switch legs and repeat for 3-4 repetitions.



Now before you stretch, or exercise, please remember that these recommendations assume that you are healthy with an average fitness base.  If you have past low back, knee, hip or other leg injuries, please consult with a doctor before you begin any stretching regime. 

More stretches to come, please let me know if there are any specific stretches that you are interested in!!

Out of Balance in the Saddle

            Chiropractic care is not just effective for horses; it is also great for treating people.   Most people assume that chiropractors can only treat back pain, but it can have numerous great benefits on the entire body.  Chiropractic care can greatly enhance a rider’s position and balance, which can lead to better performance overall.  The horse and the rider work as a team, so they both must be moving properly throughout their bodies.  Chiropractors are not just “back doctors”.  We often treat conditions that may be seemingly unrelated to the spine.  The body is all connected, and because of this, chiropractors view the body holistically.  The horse and the rider work as a team, and so both must have all of their joints moving properly.  By adjusting the spine chiropractors can influence the nervous system, and this affects the trillions of cells that make up the body.  This explains why it is common to have a patient who may have a positive result from a condition that would seem unrelated to the spine.  There are numerous studies showing favorable results with blood pressure, ADHD, asthma, MS, ear infections, Carpal tunnel, headaches, knee (and other joint pain), and many others.  Because of the interconnection of the spine and the nervous system both mechanically and physiologically the chiropractic adjustment can have vast effects on the entire body.

People often view chiropractors as spinal specialists, because of the profession’s focus on the spine.  It is true that chiropractic care is great when it comes to musculoskeletal complaints.  In fact, in recent consumer reports survey chiropractic was voted #1 in dealing with low back complaints.  The majority of chiropractic patients survey marked extreme satisfaction with the care that they received, compared to other healthcare professionals (including medical doctors).  Though chiropractors are good at dealing with complaints of this nature, it is a great disservice to the profession to say that is all they do.  Chiropractic is about removing interference from the nervous system, so that your body can heal itself.  After all true healing comes from within, for the horse and for the rider.   Chiropractors commonly use the term subluxation.  The definition of a subluxation as adopted by the Association of Chiropractic colleges is: a complex of functional and/or structural and/or pathological articular changes that compromise neural integrity and may influence organ systems and general health.  So what does this mean?  Well more simply stated, subluxation is when the bones of the spine, or other joints, are not moving properly and the resulting irritation can negatively affect the nerves.   

Chiropractic care and horse riding are connected, as chiropractic care can help improve your proprioception (or sense of balance) by removing or minimizing nerve interference (from subluxations).  Adjustments reduce the nerve interference, allowing the proprioceptors to function more efficiently.  This can lead to an increase in balance and coordination, which can translate to better riding.  Proprioception is the sense of where your joints are in space.  This is the idea that I know where my finger is, despite not being able to see it.  Adjusting the spine affects the reflex pathways, so this can allow for better nerve function and this can directly affect the mechano-receptors at a joint.

 

The horse and rider move as a structural unit, and this is very complex.  The horse is a quadruped, or four-legged creature.  Humans are biped (two-legged), sitting balanced over the horse’s sensitive spine.  All of the rider’s weight is found over their Ischial tuberosity’s when seated, so pelvic obliquity and balance are essential.  Chiropractic care can help ensure a balanced and even pelvis, prior to ever getting on a horse.  The horse is the base or foundation, while the rider and the tack is the load.  How the load functions determines how the base functions, and vice versa. We can not separate one from the other.  We often focus our attention on the horse’s care, when in fact it might be the rider causing the issue.  If we favor one side, and we don’t balance our weight, is it possible to cause the horse to have a curvature in the spine?  Definitely!   Also, we may see other problems with balance and evenness developing in our horses.  Focus on equal distribution of weight in the stirrups and see if you are favoring one side over another.  This is the idea behind using dual scales to determine evenness of pelvic loading.  If there is more weight in one leg than in the other when you think that you are standing evenly, you probably have an unbalanced pelvis.  

 

So I joined Twitter

I made a big leap today and joined Twitter.  Now I need to figure out if there is anyone who I know already on Twitter.  Is this going to be one of those things were the "tweets" are so numerous and pointless that it makes me crazy to check it?  Hopefully not, guess I can play with a filtering option...

There are a surprising number of horse people on twitter, so maybe this won't be a complete waste of time.  Come join me in tweeting!

This is what happens in winter time.  I devote my time to online projects that I would never have thought of if the weather were nice.  However it is not nice out, so here I sit inside.  We got a good 8 inches of snow here in SE WI with that last snow storm, so I am hopeful that I will get to ride my horses this weekend though...

Have a great Thursday everyone!

Kinesiology Taping for Riders

Kinesiology taping has been steadily gaining popularity with athletes in all types of competition.  Horse riders in particular are finding the effects of tape highly useful. 

Many of us horseback riders are "weekend warriers" with a 9-5 desk job during the week.  This means that our rider fitness level isn't the best it could be.  Therefore, we are more prone to injuries while riding, and many of us suffer from stiffness and muscle soreness after a long ride. 

Kinesiology taping can help to alleviate much of this soreness.  It also has many uses to prevent injury, and for decreasing healing time after an injury does happen.  Spring is coming, and many of us find ourselves hitting the ground more often than we would like riding excited horses who have had a long winter with little to no exercise. 

Kinesiology tape, if correctly applied, can help to decrease inflammation after an injury.  It can also help to support weak muscles while we begin our spring conditioning programs.  Bruising and swelling can be significantly decreased if tape is applied soon after an injury, but the tape can also be useful to prevent generalized stiffness.

 

For equestrians, I often find that patients complain of knee, hip and low back pain.  There are many specific taping patterns for each type of pain, and after the tape is applied the patient will wear it for three to five days. 

 

 

The type of tape applied, and the method of application used, will depend on actual symptoms. 

 

More to follow!

Core Strengthening for Your Horse, Part Three

Core Strengthening for Your Horse, Part Three

By: Amber Erickson, DC, MEBW

               We have been discussing core strengthening for your equine partner, and this month’s article will continue learning new stretches and exercises.   For a quick review, core strengthening can improve almost any horses performance, as well as lessening the chance of an injury happening.  Continue to have a safe place to work with your horse, and keep wearing protective footwear and gloves.  By now you and your horse should be getting pretty good at doing the five or six stretches we have already discussed, and you may already be noticing some differences in his topline muscling.  This month we will be focusing on true core strengthening.  Up until this point, we have done stretching and range of motion exercises created to strengthen and to stretch the horse’s upper back and abdominal muscles.  As with all core strengthening exercises, these are best done when the horse is warm (a five or ten minute walking session is usually sufficient to warm him up).  Do these exercises three to six times every day, four or five times per week. 

                The newest stretch is called a wither lift.  The handler should stand by the horse’s front leg, facing toward the horse.  Using both hands, as spread apart as you can make your fingers, apply gentle but firm upward pressure onto the horse’s sternum (or chest).  Your hands should be just in front of the location of the girth, near the pectoral muscles.    The horse will respond by lifting his withers toward the ceiling.  Continue working back on his belly into a belly lift, and transition this into a back lift.  The horse should smoothly raise his entire back, from his withers through his low back, in response to your gentle pressure. 

                It is possible to increase this stretch by asking a handler to lower the horse’s head a small amount while he’s stretching.  If your horse is less than sensitive, and he does not respond to your hands (if your hands lack the strength to hold his move), you can use a pen cap or hoof pick to gently ask your horse to lift his back.  It is common for many horses to resist doing a belly lift when this exercise is first introduced.  He should become accustomed to it as he gets stronger with daily exercises.  However, if his resistance continues past the first week, or becomes more aggressive, please desist doing those exercises.    Consult with your veterinarian or equine chiropractor before re-introducing them.  This holds true for all of the exercises we have discussed.  If the horse displays a marked change in range of motion or in acceptance of a stretch day by day, he may need to be checked out by an equine Bodyworker or chiropractor. 

These six or seven exercises can help you to re-shape your horses back in ways you never thought possible.  Once you have performed these daily for several months, the horse is ready to move onto cavalletti and more advanced under saddle work to continue building and stretching his topline and abdominal muscling. 

Dr. Amber Erickson is a Doctor of Chiropractic at Erickson Family Chiropractic in Richfield, WI. She is also a Master Equine Bodyworker, certified by Equinology.  More information can be found at www.elementalequineservices.webs.com.  

Core Strengthening for Your Horse, Part Two

Core Strengthening for Your Horse, Part Two

By: Amber Erickson, DC, MEBW

                Last month we began discussing core strengthening for your equine partner, and this month’s article will continue along that theme.   For a quick review, core strengthening can improve almost any horses performance, as well as lessening the chance of an injury happening.  Just like last month, ensure that you have a safe place to work with your horse and that you have protective footwear and gloves.  Continue doing the downward stretches that we began last month, but most horses will be ready to stretch a little more by now.  This month we will be focusing on laterally bending the horse, throughout his neck and back.

                To begin the next stretch, square the horse up along a wall and stand at his shoulder.  You will be facing out, with your back to your horses shoulder.  Gently guide the horses head around your body using his halter, towards his hip. 

You may need a treat to lure him around you the first few times.  Ask him to slowly bend around you, keep the head as vertical as possible.  When he has stretched has far as he is able, ask him gently to hold that stretch for a few seconds.  Your right hand can gently support his neck, but do not let him twist completely from the poll.  His entire neck should be stretching out fluidly, with no abrupt angles in the neck.   Once your horse is bending around you well, ask him to stretch his nose out a little further to get a treat a little further away.  Also ask him to hold the stretch a little longer, each day.

                The next stretch, continue to place the horse along a wall with his feet squared up.  Then stand near his hip, a few feet out from him, facing towards his head.   Proceed to offer your horse a treat or a carrot, but hold the treat back by his hip.  When he begins to follow the treat, slowly lower his head down towards his hind hoof.  Ask him to slowly and smoothly stretch his head as far back and down as he can comfortably go.

                The final stretch this month is full neck extension.  Use this stretch when you have finished all of the previously discussed exercises for the maximum benefit.  This stretch may be more easily performed over a stall door or guard at the height of his neck to avoid him stepping forward.  Without a stall, have a helper apply gentle pressure with a hand on the horse’s chest to avoid a step forward.  Use a treat or a carrot to ask the horse to stretch his neck forward as far as he can comfortably reach.  His head should always stay below his withers, long and low is the best way to do this stretch. 

                Always give the horse his or her treat when the head is in the neutral position.  This will help to avoid bitten fingers!  Some more food aggressive horses may need to learn to wait until the entire stretching program is concluded before they are fed their treats in a bucket.  Use your best judgment to keep your fingers safe. 

                Performing these exercises four or five days a week, doing three or four repetitions per side, per day, has been shown to increase a horse’s back joint range of motion.  These exercises can also help to level out uneven muscling or even to help begin to rebuild atrophied back muscling.  Keep up the good work stretching; there will be more to come next month.

                Dr. Amber Erickson is a Doctor of Chiropractic at Erickson Family Chiropractic in Richfield, WI. She is also a Master Equine Bodyworker, certified by Equinology.  More information can be found at www.elementalequineservices.webs.com. 

Core Strengthening for Your Horse, Part One

 

By: Amber Erickson, DC, MEBW

 

Core (or abdominal) strengthening is a popular topic with human fitness experts, but not many people think about how it can be applied to a horse. Core stabilization training simply refers to a series of exercises performed in a systematic way daily that are designed to strengthen and to stretch the upper back and abdominal muscles. These exercises are designed to increase motion in the horse’s intervertebral joints (the back and neck), as well as strengthening the many postural and work muscles along the horse’s neck, back, abdomen and pelvic region. These muscles provide the stability necessary for an athlete to use his or her body to the best of their ability, and strengthening the core muscles will often improve performance while also helping to prevent injuries from occurring. This is the first part of a three part series of articles on how to strength the core muscles in your horse.

To begin, please be sure that you have a safe place to work with your horse. This can be anywhere with good footing, from the barn aisle to the pasture. A halter and a lead rope is all that is required on your horse, but you should always wear protective footwear and gloves for your safety. Keep the stall open at all times to ensure a quick escape, or avoid the stall all together and work in an arena or barn aisle. You will need carrot slices, or smallish horse cookies to provide the “bait” while the horse is learning how to stretch and bend on command. Ensure that your posture is as well maintained as possible to avoid injuring your own back.

Core strengthening exercises should be avoided if your horse has trouble balancing on three legs, or extreme trouble bending. Please discuss any exercise program with your veterinarian if your horse has suffered from any neurological diseases, or from a severe injury. Also contact your veterinarian if you notice that your horse is having continued trouble balancing while you perform these exercises. The horse should be standing square and balanced on all four legs as often as possible. Position your horse near a wall to start, as this teaches him to maintain the stretch without moving.

The first stretch to teach your horse will be to touch his toes. Keep your horse’s head absolutely straight, and ask him to lower his head to the ground between his front feet. This can easily be done by offering him a piece of carrot or a treat, and slowly lowering the treat down. However, do not give him the treat while his head is down. This will only encourage the horse to nip and to grab the carrot out of your hands, which can be dangerous for fingers! Horses can be taught to calmly and quietly stretch their head down to their feet, and will even be able to reach far between their front feet with time and practice. This stretch is easily taught with the use of treats, and by gentle downward pressure on the lead rope to show him what is expected of him. Feel free to grab the noseband of the halter if he deviates his head at all, he should be 100% straight the entire exercise. Also, do not ask for a bend above the knees. The horse’s head should ALWAYS be below his knees, to avoid unnecessary pressure on the joints found at the base of the neck.
 

The horse should be verbally encouraged to maintain this stretch for a few seconds, then when he is released and back to neutral he may have his treat. This helps him to learn to slowly stretch and hold, and that his reward will be given once he is finished stretching. Do not allow the horse to move his feet unless he must to maintain his balance, as this will enable him to “cheat” the stretch.

The next stretch begins the same, but then has him laterally deviate to touch the sides of his feet. Most horses will follow the treat, and it helps to tap him on the outside of his cornet band to show him exactly where you want his nose to be. Perform both of these exercises daily three to five times, with three to five repetitions at each time. More stretches will be discussed next time.

An Introduction to Kinesiotape

In recent years, there seems to be many professional athletes sporting brightly colored tape on various parts of their body, in all configurations.  This method of using tape to treat almost any condition seems to be exploding in popularity.  However, does it have uses for those of us, shall we say, less athletic regular people?  Yes!!  Kinesio tape has been used to treat anything from low back pain to carpal tunnel syndrome to digestion upsets in patients of all ages and sizes.

As stated in the Kinesio Taping Association International KT1 Kinesio taping method book, “Kinesio Tex Tape was first developed and utilized by Dr. Kenzo Kase.”  The tape is a cotton and elastic tape that is designed to mimic the inherent properties of human skin.  The tape is applied to an area of the body in a very specific way, and then is left on the patient for three to six days for maximum therapeutic benefit.  Most people do not notice that the tape is even there anymore after a few minutes of wearing it, and can go about their regular activities (including bathing and swimming).  The tape is latex free, using natural plant dyes to color it.

Patients often complain of the chiropractic adjustment “not holding” as long as they would like, especially in the early stages of care or after an acute injury to the area.  Kinesio tape is a great way to continue stimulating the proprioceptors in that particular area between adjustments, as this method of care can provide effective neuromuscular retraining and overall support for the area.  There are also many advanced taping techniques for care of an acute injury, or to stimulate lymphatic’s, or for chronic conditions that need additional support.  The compressive forces of the tape also help to reduce inflammation, in some cases.

The tape comes in four colors.  The colors do not change the treatment in any way!  However, the pink tape is thought to draw energy, so it is mostly used to “turn on” or facilitate a muscles that needs to be strengthened.  The blue tape is meant to be cooling, so this is used for acute, inflamed tissues that need to be calmed down and relaxed.  The black tape is warming, so this is great for any chronic condition or for athletes using it to enhance their performance.  Finally the beige or neutral tape is best for those people who don’t want to have tape on their bodies in bright colors!  The neutral colored tape is especially great for anywhere very noticeable on the body, or for someone who works in an office with a strict dress code.  All four types of tape are identically made, with only the color of dye being a different factor.  They are all hypoallergenic as well.
Kinesiotape has been successfully used to treat many conditions, ranging from shoulder pain to headaches to low back pain and plantar fasciitis.  It has also been used very successfully on very small children and on animals.  If you are interested in how Kinesiotape can be added to your chiropractic care plan, please do not hesitate to ask us.

When I next have time, I will expand on using Kinesiotape on horses, as well as rider-specific uses.  Have a fantastic weekend everyone!

Equine Myofascial Release Technique

Horses have been amazing partners for thousands of years.  Wars were won or lost from their backs, and new worlds were discovered.  However, their role in today has evolved into something very different.  They are now used primarily as pets, and as a hobby, for thousands of people.  Horses today have jobs ranging from pasture pet/trail riding companion, to hard working cattle ranch horses to race horses to show horses. They usually can’t tell us that they’re in pain, and much of the “bad” behavior noticed is often the horse trying to tell us something isn’t right with them.

When your muscles become tight and sore, you simply take a day off from working out.  You might stretch, or take a hot bath.  Your horse can’t tell you where he’s sore, or if he’s hurting.  Often, by the time we realize that there is a problem with our horses, their behavior or performance has been changing for awhile.  A simple way to prevent problems is to perform simple massage and stretching techniques on your own horse, in addition to getting regular veterinary and chiropractic care.  A good idea also is to have a professional body worker or equine chiropractor out to work on your performance horses every four to eight weeks, just to “check” on your horses.  Maintenance care can help prevent bigger problems from developing, as well as keeping your horse working at his or her top potential. Most will be happy to show you stretches and/or massage moves you can easily perform at home, on your own horses.

Another reason to do simple massage techniques on your own horse each week is to learn what is normal for your own horse.  If they become uncomfortable with a massage move that they had previously loved, this may indicate the beginnings of a problem in that area.   A bodywork session can also be a very nice way to reward your horse for a job well done.

Myofascial Release Technique, or MFR, is a gentle massage technique that addresses the horse's muscles, joints AND fascia.  Myofascial Release is used to release (relax) the tight muscles around a joint that isn’t moving correctly.  This is a form of deep tissue massage that is held for many minutes, until the muscles around the joint relax.  Once the muscles relax, this will sometimes allow the joint to re-position itself naturally.   Fascia is a layer of tough, supportive tissue surrounding muscle that resembles a giant spider web.  Fascia is a very dense covering that is found over every part of the body, from muscles, bones and nerves to arteries to all the internal organs (brain, lungs, heart, etc.).  The entire amount of fascia found in the body is actually connected.  The fascia is a single structure that spreads from ears to toes as one continuous sheet of very strong connective tissue which provides a tremendous amount of support for the body. 

This is one of the reasons that MFR is so effective, as all of the fascia is connected in the body, so adhesions found anywhere in this web of fascia can affect the entire body.  The fascia is meant to be pliable and freely moving.  However, the body's myofascial tissue can be become tight and restricted after a trauma, an over-exertion injury, or simply from years of poor posture.  This can lead to a decrease in range of motion, a noticeable stiffening of joints and an obvious decrease in performance.
MFR is performed by essentially maintaining a very light contact over a sight of myofascial restriction.  This light contact allows the deeper muscle and fascial layers to actively release, without any interference from the bodyworker.  MFR done correctly CAN NOT injure the horse.  It is a completely non-invasive technique, as the bodyworker simply holds the tissues that are restricted.  This is done until the tissue "leads" the bodyworker to the next tight and restricted location, or until all of the adhesions are actively released.   People often find that they have an entirely different horse, once the horse is no longer uncomfortable in his own body!