Think about what happens to a horse when being ridden; suddenly, he has to balance not only his own weight, but that of the saddle and the rider. The horse has to work in a certain way to achieve "collection" and he may have to jump or move very fast, all the time balancing himself and his rider. The horse may already have poor conformation traits; the saddle may not be a perfect fit; maybe the shoes are not ideal; and maybe he lives in a loose box for 23 hours a day. . . Often, the rider is the first to feel subtle changes in the horse's flexibility. The horse may seem "off" without obvious lameness, or the imbalance may move from limb to limb.

As an owner you will be very sensitive to behavioural changes in your horse, but as with people, some horses are more resilient than others. Back and muscle problems can manifest themselves in many ways, and so you need to keep an eye on any behavioural or physical changes.

Some of the common indications are:

Physical:

• Tight or sore muscles
• Uneven wear of shoes
• Uneven development or atrophy of muscles
• Odd or irregular action
• Reluctance to put on muscle or top line
• Unlevel appearance especially behind
• Rehabilitation from previous injury

Behavioural

• Unexplained deterioration in usual performance
• Uncharacteristic changes in behaviour or temperament, such as resistance or napping
• Stiffness on one rein but not the other
• Feels heavier, or hangs to one side when being ridden
• Disunited canter, bucking or excessive tail flicking
• Cold backed
• Lack of impulsion, and difficulty engaging the hind quarters
• Head tilting or shaking

If you have noticed the above changes in your horse, speak to your vet about your animal seeing an Animal Therapist

Dogs can also suffer from back and muscle discomfort due to several reasons. Many dogs have strenuous competitive lives which test their physical abilities to the maximum. Then our domestic dogs often go through long periods of inactivity followed by bursts of vigorous exercise. Sometimes collars may be a poof fit, or inappropriate for the dog and/or the handler.

As an owner you need to be vigilant for any changes in behaviour, mood or physical abilities.

Some of the common symptoms are:

Physical signs:

• Muscle soreness and discomfort when being stroked
• Stiffness or pain after exercise
• An odd or irregular action such as pacing
• Abnormal posture or sitting position
• Rehabilitation from an old injury or accident

Behavioural signs:

• Quieter than normal
• Difficulty in climbing the stairs or jumping into the car
• Unable to perform tasks that were once easy
• Crying out when getting up

If you see any of these signs, please talk to your Vet about seeing an animal therapist.

To start with Fiona will take a detailed history of your animal, asking you questions about their lifestyle, exercise routine, problems, symptoms and any relevant veterinary information.

This is followed by an analysis of posture. Assessment of the animal may reveal asymmetries, such as unequal muscle size or tone between the left and right side which are not normal for that animal. Feeling over your animal's body will reveal any muscle spasm, swelling or hot/cold spots indicating possible injury sites.

The gait analysis will usually be done at walk and trot, in hand. In some cases additional work on the lunge or under saddle may be necessary. Fiona will also look for abnormal head or neck placement, foot placement or any sign that the posture being adopted is not normal. Uneven wear on hooves, shoes or claws gives an indication towards compensatory gait patterns. Gait analysis is used to assess whether there is any lameness, weakness, "hiking" of one hip, shortening of the stride, stumbling, incoordination or bizarre or restricted movement.

Once the record card has been completed, Fiona will proceed with the palpation. She will feel along the animal's skeleton from it head to its tail feeling for any joints that may be restricted in their position. The adjustment consists of a short, fast thrust to a specific area which releases muscle spasm allowing the joint to return to its normal range of motion. This alleviates pain, removes muscle spasm and allows the body to build strengthening muscle in the normal way.

The treatment will not hurt the animal; in fact most animals thoroughly enjoy it! It is quite common for an animal to become increasingly relaxed as the treatment progresses even to the point of becoming drowsy.

The type treatment is individually tailored to each animal making use of the all different techniques - McTimoney Manipulation, Sports Massage, Integrated Bodywork and Laser.

Please remember its is a legal requirement that veterinary permission must be gained before your animal can be treated. In some cases it may be necessary to refer back to the Vet after the treatment.

The number of treatments needed is evaluated on an individual basis.

If your animal has never been seen by a McTimoney therapist before, it may be necessary to have several treatments initially a few weeks apart. Then, once any problems have been rectified maintenance treatments would be recommended at about 6 monthly intervals. Prevention is always better than cure.

Following treatment it is recommended that your animal is given at least one easy day. Although the treatment itself is quite quick, it can take a couple of days for your animal to adjust and rebalance. The treatment itself is only a small part of the healing process.

During this period it is quite normal for your animal to appear a little stiff or sore, especially if it is their first treatment but this should resolve quickly. For horses it is important to keep them within their normal routine, of being turned out or stabled. Their first ride following treatment should be a nice relaxed hack on a long loose rein, gradually building to full work after 3 to 4 days. Dogs should be prevented from any unnecessary jumping (ie they should be helped into the car) for the first couple of days, and they should be taken on short walks on the lead to start with.

Based on the treatment given, Fiona will outline an aftercare program in order for you to gain the most from your treatment involving a gradual increase back to a full exercise routine. Passive stretching exercises may be recommended, as well as some active exercises to help build up musculature and maintain posture.

In the week following treatment you may notice that your animal wants to drink more. This is a normal reaction as the body rebalances, and you should make sure that they access to fresh water at all times.

If you have any questions at any time regarding the treatment or the aftercare, please don't hesitate to call.