From: Lynette
Jessica:
Your newsletter is new to me as I am just learning how to "surf the net". I have a couple of problems that I hope that you can help me with.
I am a new horse owner. This past Spring I purchased a 14 yr old, professionally trained mare and a 3 yr old, green broke gelding. The gelding is doing fine, although I have never done any training before. At the barn where they are boarded, I am picking up many pointers and everyone helps everyone out. It has been very informative and helpful.
Part of the reason that I purchased the mare was because my 13 yr old son wanted a horse to show for 4-H. We were told that she would be good for this. I was told at the time of purchase that she was "cinchy". Though I have never owned horses before, I had done riding when I was younger and felt we could work through this problem. She is also unable to be tied. She fights the lead rope and I am afraid she is going to get hurt. If I don't tie her short enough, she will rare.
I was recently told by my blacksmith that her spine is out of alignment. He stated that she is in pain and with a saddle, she is in more pain. Therefore she will not stand to be saddled because she associates the saddle with more pain. He suggested chiropractic adjustments. I had never heard of such a thing but have located a vet in the area who does chiropractic adjustments.
Can you advise me, is equine chiropractic care common? Also, is it possible break her of the tying problem at her age? Any help that you could give would be greatly appreciated. As I stated before, I am new to all of this.
Lynette
Your farrier may be right about your horse's spine; I strongly suggest that you have your vet inspect the mare closely before you ride her again. A horse in pain, and a horse that has learned to rear in reaction to pain, is a dangerous horse. Quite apart from the issue of your horse's comfort, which is very important, there's the issue of your own safety, and that of your son.
Chiropractic adjustments for horses are becoming more and more common as more riders and veterinarians are taking a more holistic approach to horse care. But it's important to work with your vet on this -- and to find a competent, qualified chiropractor who can work with you and your vet to HELP your horse instead of making matters worse. You are very wise to look for a VET who can do the adjustments; you need someone who has knowledge, skill, and a thorough understanding of equine anatomy, physiology, and movement. You might ask your regular vet about chiropractic adjustments and about whom s/he would recommend; at the same time, it would be a good idea to ask about someone who can do (and help you learn how to do) some massage therapy. Chiropractic alone is often not enough. Bones don't move out of position by themselves; they are pulled out of position (or held IN position) by the horse's muscles. Sore, tight, inflamed, or injured muscles can cause misalignments to reappear after chiropractic adjustments. To sustain the benefits of an adjustment, you need to keep the horse's muscles supple and stretched -- and that means that even if your vet agrees that your horse needs an adjustment, it will need an adjustment AND massage and stretching if the good effects of that adjustment are to last.
Similarly, if the horse's problems are due to soreness somewhere else (mouth, from an ill-fitting bit? back, from an ill-fitting saddle?), the CAUSE of the problem will need to be found and eliminated if any lasting improvement is to be achieved.
The tying problem may have a lot to do with back or neck pain; it's even possible that your mare was injured whilst tied (in a trailer, perhaps, or in a barn aisle), and is terrified of getting hurt again. Here again, work with your vet to figure out what is hurting the horse, and how to help her. If you can get the pain out of the picture, then YES it's entirely possible to retrain your mare to tie. She's certainly not too old! Horses can learn all sorts of things at any age, if someone is willing to help them. ;-)
Good luck, and let me know what you and your vet decide to do.
Jessica
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