INTEGRITY EQUINE THERAPY 403-418-5900 or 403-418-7215 Rocky Mountain House AB

INTERGRITY EQUINE THERAPY
Payton: 403-418-5900
Chris 403-418-7215
Rocky Mountain House AB
Pfmckenzie99@gmail.com

TWO CERTIFIDED EQUINE THERAPISTS offering chiropractic adjustments, acupressure, massage for most animals.

VERY PROFESSIONAL TEAM! Great with the horses and very knowledgeable. After just one treatment I could feel the difference in my horses. Looking forward to working together for happy, healthy horses.

OUR TECHNIQUE:
WHAT IS MASSAGE & ACUPRESSURE?
Massage therapy is done with acupressure and massaging the muscles. We work on 26 stress points on each side of the horse’s body. Stress points are where ligaments and tendons meet in that muscle group. These stress points tend to become tight and sore when the muscle group it corresponds to shuts down due to lack of blood flow and oxygen caused by the misalignment of the vertebrae and other structures. Nerve irritation, stress, fatigue and injury can also cause the muscles to shut down. Acupressure is used to release the stress point and reduce tension. After the stress point is released, we are able to start massaging the muscle group. Massage is used to effectively bring back blood flow and oxygen to the affected area which helps remove toxins and speeds up the healing process. Also, massage prevents and treats muscle injuries by softening the muscle and reducing strain. When chiropractic, massage and acupressure are used together your horse will have amazing results. Horses that are well maintained have superior muscle tone and athletic ability.

WHAT IS HORSE CHIROPRACTIC EXACTLY?
Horse chiropractic is the manual maneuvering of the vertebrae & other structures of the skeletal system. When misalignment occurs, it will cause irritation to the nerves in that area which in turn shuts down the muscle groups that the affected nerves supply. It does this because the muscle groups are cut off from the oxygen and blood flow that they need to function properly. Chiropractic adjustments are used to realign vertebrae and other joint structures therefore returning function to the nerves that are impinged upon. This will also allow the horse to use its full range of motion and return full flexibility to the spine.

COLD BACKED & MISALIGNED?
A common misconception is when a horse is labeled cold backed. The problem often times is misalignment. In most cases when a horse is cold backed or bucking/crow hopping randomly it is mainly caused by the lumbar or sacrum subluxation or both. Unless a habit persists this is most often times fixed. When the habit is present it can take some time to retrain/convince the mind and body that their is no longer discomfort. If this is a behavioural issue you are struggling with it is good to rule out misalignment before training continues. Always contact your vet if you think there is an underlying issue other then misalignment.
Disclaimer:
“Our treatments are not to be replaced with veterinary care/medicine or as professional training only to assist in professional care (not in replacement of) always contact your vet or trainer for any medical or behavioural advice when necessary”

CINCHY OR MISALIGNED?
When the withers are misaligned it impinges upon the phrenic nerve. The phrenic nerve supplies the diaphragm and pectoral muscles. When the nerves cannot function properly it shuts down the corresponding muscle groups and there for irritates the girth line then causes a “cinchy” behaviour. Often times we have a very high success rate in treating this if misalignment is the problem and it is not too much of a habit for the horse to react in such a way. When the habit is developed it is harder to convince the body it is no longer in discomfort or pain.

LET'S TALK ABOUT SEVERE PELVIC MISALIGNMENT AND THE ASYMMETRICAL MUSCLE DEVELOPMENT that can come with it. In this case for instance the pelvis has been severely rotated for sometime now causing the muscling on the right hip to be over developed. This is caused by compensation over a long period of time. When the body is using itself incorrectly you will see muscle atrophy or an increase in muscle development. In this photo to the left you’ll see that it shows the pelvis is severely rotated down to the left. In the second photo to the right is shown after the adjustment with over developed muscling of the right hip. Even though the pelvis is aligned in the picture to the right the hind end appears uneven from muscle development on the right side. Over time and through proper exercise and chiropractic treatment the muscling will become symmetrical.

IS YOUR HORSES BACK STARTING TO ROACH or has a roach?
This is caused when the lumbar spine is misaligned for a long period of time. The bodys natural healing ability then kicks in creating calcification. The lumbar can also raise sightly because their are no rib attachments. The spinous process of the lumbar can either rotate one way or the other or twist (a twist is rare). In this case the grey horse had all 6 lumbar misaligned and 3 twists and quite a bit of calcification. Once it is roached you cannot reverse it but only prevent it from getting worse through proper adjustments!

DOES YOUR HORSE HAVE RANDOM SWEAT MARKS?
If so, this could be a sign of cervical (neck) misalignment!
Misalignment throughout the entire body causes nerve irritation which can cause an array of issues depending on what nerves are affected.
In this specific instance the cervical misalignment has caused the subcutaneous nerves to be irritated affecting the sweat glands. This will cause random sweat spots even when the horse has not preformed any rigorous exercise. In fact, the sweat marks will be present in times where the horse has been sedentary.
You may also see other signs of cervical misalignment accompany these random sweat marks such as:
???? Small white patches of hair
???? Stiffness turning head to one or both sides
???? Reluctance to drop their head
???? Flight behavior not previously present
???? Headshy
???? Holding head to one side
???? Constantly pulling back when tied
???? Constantly tossing head
???? Uneven muscling in the neck area
???? Sore and tight throughout the neck
If you notice any of the aforementioned symptoms, your horse may need an adjustment!

YOU ARE WELCOME to call us to ask about more of the therapy treatments that we provide. Our goal is to treat the best solution to any & all of your therapy needs.