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Horse chiropractor can put horses back in place |
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By LYNN MONTGOMERY | East Texas Edition |
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November 21, 2002 -- How many people have had to go to a chiropractor for a little adjustment? How many people have thought about taking their horses to a chiropractor? Mark Johnson of Quitman has been "adjusting" horses for three years. Johnson, who trained under Bob Wann of Big Sandy and two other equine chiropractors, is taking these lessons and combining the three for his own technique and style. "They are mostly the same principles. I am just doing it my way," Johnson said. Adjusting a horse may seem far-fetched, but Johnson and his wife, Leah, know that it works. "I had a horse when I lived in Illinois that I had ridden several years. I noticed Floyd seem to favor his left front. I took him to the vet, the saddle maker, trying to find out what was wrong. They all told me that there was nothing wrong with the horse. But I could tell when I was riding him that something wasn't right. One day after riding him about 25 laps around the round pen, Floyd pitched a fit. Over his head I went. It took me going over his head to realize then something was definitely wrong with the horse," Leah said. Leah hauled the horse to an equine chiropractor in Indianapolis, who, after evaluating the horse, said the horse's right sacral was out. After adjusting the horse, the horse never gave Leah problems again. Four months later, they went on to win sixth at the American Paint Horse Association's World Show in team penning. "There are some signs of a horse being out of align," Johnson said. "If you are seeing white spots on the horse's withers, that shows improper alignment. If you are continuously readjusting your saddle, the horse is trying to tell you something," he added. In a normal adjustment, Johnson looks for hot spots and muscle tension. "I do massage the horse to relax the horse. I feel each vertebra, checking for proper alignment," Johnson cited. Once a vertebra is discovered out of line, Johnson will proceed to adjust the bone back to its place; just like a chiropractor would with a human. Johnson said it takes strong hands, and if a horse is tall, a hay bale or two to stand on. "Sometimes with taller horses, we bring in hay bales where I can get above the horse. If you ever stand above a horse, you can see the spine and you will notice if anything doesn't look right," Johnson continued. A horse only has three main pivotal points in its body: the lumbar, the base of the shoulder (the sixth vertebra), and the atlas ( the first vertebra). "You will find that I will usually be working these three areas when I do an adjustment," Johnson said. Johnson works closely with Dr. Gilbreath at Winnsboro Veterinary Medical Center. "There are times that I can evaluate a horse and find there is nothing wrong as far as chiropractically. I will send them to a vet if I find an extreme amount of soreness, or extreme amount of sensitivity in the hock diagnostic point. I work closely with Dr. Gilbreath, who is an acupuncturist. I can get the best adjustment after acupuncture," the equine chiropractor stated. While adjusting a horse, Johnson said the horse will let you know what feels good and where it hurts. "The horse will lick its lips, breathing changes, and sometimes will drop its head as if to say, 'Oh, that feels good,'" Johnson explained. After alignment Johnson gives clients homework such as stretching exercises which will strength the horses muscles. Stomach crunches are one of the exercises. Stomach crunches are performed by taking a needle cap and running it along the horse's stomach line. Watching the horse, a horse owner should be able to see the horse flex its stomach which will cause the horse's back raise; very similar to a human crunch. "I've noticed a huge improvement in some horses," Johnson said. An equine adjustment cost $50 per visit. Johnson also is a certified journeyman farrier, which according to the couple's website, "(Mark) is now able, not only to keep his client's horse's hooves in top condition, but to help their equine athletes stay in top physical shape." Johnson can be reached by calling (903)967-2607; email, LMequine@peoplescom.net; or online at www.lmequineservices.com. |
