Horses of any age, breed, size or discipline, alongside rehabilitation cases can benefit from McTimoney as part of their maintenance care, to enhance performance, increase comfort levels and aid movement.
McTimoney aims to aid pain and dysfunction of the musculoskeletal system by alleviating misalignments (a restriction in an area which limits normal range of motion). By removing these misalignments, the body is able to return to normal function once again. Misalignments can be either chronic or acute and caused by a number of factors such as falls, injuries or conformation or lifestyle issues such as rider, tack or discipline. The treatment works on identifying the cause, not just by treating the symptoms.
What do I offer?
I am a McTimoney Animal Chiropractor and Equine Bodyworker. I hold a BSc Equine Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation, an MSc McTimoney Animal Chiropractic and an Equine Body Worker certification. In order to complete the Masters degree, I had to have already completed a soft tissue course, enabling an all-round treatment for the horse, focusing on the entire musculoskeletal-skeletal system – soft tissue and chiropractic work hand in hand for a thorough treatment.
McTimoney treatment uses high velocity, low amplitude movements to areas of misalignment using just my hands. These quick movements will reduce muscle spasm, allowing the joints to return to their normal range of motion. By use of soft tissue therapy alongside, I am able to reach optimum muscle relaxation.
How can this help your horse?
- Decreased performance
- Change in behaviour
- Difficultly in bending one way
- Reluctance to go forward, track up or engage the hindquarters
- Change in gait or loss of impulsion
- Unlevelness behind
- Difficulty with certain movements under saddle or in hand
- Difference in strength between reins
- Asymmetrical muscle development or loss of muscle tone
- Holding the tail over to one side
- Knocking down poles or reluctance to jump
- Resistances such as rearing, bucking, napping, bolting
- Change in temperament
- Inability to stand square/ shifting weight
- Discomfort when groomed or girthed
- Disunited in canter, difficulty getting correct canter lead, stiffness on one rein, reluctance to bend, tilting the head
- Inability to perform lateral work
- Uneven shoe wear
- Lameness after a fall or accident, where the vet cannot find reason
Without addressing these issues, it could lead to compensations within the horse such as uneven muscle development or changes in movement.
With a tremendous thank you to my lovely friends Polly Godsafe and Sophie Plummer-Jones for all their help, support, wisdom and palpation practice whilst I was studying, And to all their lovely clients for letting me palpate their animals before my exams, I am now fully qualified and taking bookings!
I am a fully insured McTimoney Animal Chiropractor and Equine Bodyworker. Get in touch to book an appointment. January is already looking busy!
