When is a treatment useful?

An energetic-osteopathic treatment is good for any horse, no matter if it has an acute or chronical problem. This can be the case even if the horse doesn’t show us any symptoms at all. As a flight animal, it’s in the horse’s nature to hide a weakness as long as possible.Just trust your gut feeling in this.

Energetic osteopathy is applied in cases of functional disturbances of the locomotor system and organic systems. Usually, I am called to look at horses that have current physical problems, but as I stated above it is very important to give your horse regular check-ups as it doesn’t necessarily show symptoms of discomfort even if something is wrong. The energetic osteopathy helps the horse to activate its inner healing powers; it initiates or supports them. More and more, I am also called preemptively.

I like this new development, because it shows me that people have realized how well horses react to my treatment and that serious illnesses or functional blockages can be prevented by regular treatments of this sort.

Alternative treatments are forging ahead. Increasingly, they are capable of helping horses that have been said to be incurable – at least according to the standards of western medicine.

Indications

Acute physical problems

Muscle tensions and signs of pain
Sudden drop in performance
Lame or unsound horse (Any form of lameness should always be checked by a vet in advance)
One-sided posture of head or tail
Sensitivity when grooming or saddeling
Problems picking out hooves (balance problem)
Frequent stumbling
Dragging of hind legs
Swellings
Sudden appearance of warm body parts
Problems with tendons
Allergies and allergic reactions
After a fall
After a medical intervention or surgery/operation
After an import from another country
After a long transportation
Saddle soreness
…

Various chronical problems

Arthrosis
Chronical laminitis
COPD, broken wind, heaves (chronical obstruction of airway)
Reoccuring problems with the locomotor system
Reoccuring psychological anomalies
Behavioral problems or vices (cribbing, weaving, scraping with the hooves or teeth)
Scarred skin or long-term muscle injuries (after injuries or operations)
Fertility problems
…

Problems when riding

Difficulties with “Stellung”/flexion and bending
Difficulties with cantering (incorrect lead, flying changes, …)
Problems with collection
Problems with the contact
bad drive from the hindquarters
Lameness or rhytmic problems
Sudden occurence of reluctance or obstructiveness when being ridden

Vices & other behavioral problems

wind sucking, crib biting
Weaving
Pawing
…

Prevention

Often times, horses start to show physical symptoms only after a sickness or another form of dysfunction has prevailed for a long time already. This behavior is natural to a horse. As a prey animal this behavior has ensured its survival, because predators usually go for the weakest or sickest animal. If physical problems are detected early on and treated accordingly, they cannot manifest themselves or develop into real problems. A regular check-up of your horse every six to twelve months is recommended. This way, serious psychological and physiological problems can be prevented. Therefore, preventative treatments should be of interest for any horse owner.

For many diseases, physical and mental conditions, especially chronical ones, an energetic-osteopathic treatment is very useful. In any case, it’s very supporting. Nonetheless, these serious diseases must be treated by professional veterinarians.

Limits of energetic horse osteopathy

Most of the times, an energetic-osteopathic treatment is very useful. Even if it can’t heal all diseases, it will always improve the well-being of the horse in general. However, as with any form of treatment, also the energetic osteopathy has its limits. The limits of energetic osteopathy have been reached when the self-healing powers of the body are not sufficient anymore to heal the organism. Osteopathy is no emergency medicine. An overview of the types of sicknesses that energetic osteopathy cannot treat – contraindications – can be found here:

Gestation
Suspected cancer, melanomas, sarcoids, skin tumors,
Heart attacks
Serious (acute) illnesses
Serious neurological illnesses
Fever
Acute bone fractures

Many illnesses however, especially chronical ones can be treated very well with energetic osteopathy. Nonetheless, these illnesses should always be treated by other specialists as well.