Chiropractic treatment helps to both restore and maintain health, soundness and performance and works holistically to eliminate the cause of a problem, not just to treat the symptoms There are several schools of chiropractic which train students to treat people, but the McTimoney Chiropractic College also teaches a postgraduate course in Animal Manipulation. The chiropractor may also want to see the horse being lunged or ridden under saddle before checking over chiropractically. The horse is then assessed while standing square in an area of level concrete or flooring - this is very important in assessment of the position of the pelvis, which makes up the hindquarters of the horse. The chiropractor uses their fingertips to 'palpate' or feel the incorrectly aligned joints of the spine and pelvis, which contribute to areas of muscle spasm and cause compensatory actions in movement. These problem areas are treated using the hands of the chiropractor to produce precise and rapid manipulations which will correct these misalignments and reduce muscle spasm.
Treatment is done in the horse's stable on a bed of shavings or straw.
Several treatments may be required and yearly or six monthly check ups are advised to help achieve optimum work performance. McTimoney Chiropractic is a technique used to manipulate misaligned joints throughout the whole body but particularly in the spine and pelvis, which produces an effect at that joint and to any muscles, which are attached to that area. It is used in the treatment of 'back problems' and associated injuries such as sacroiliac strain and some lameness in horses. Both physio for horses and equine massage are treatments which are used to treat muscle and tendon injuries as well as back problems in horses. Physios will use a variety of machines, ranging from ultrasound, magnetopulse and laser treatment, to aid in the recovery of torn muscles or strained ligaments, and to prevent muscle atrophy following an injury.