| An increasing number of horse owners are | | | | tip top condition. |
| becoming interested in alternative equine therapy. | | | | Another alternative therapy that is becoming |
| There are lots of people who prefer the benefits | | | | widely used on domestic animals is acupuncture. |
| of alternative medicine for themselves rather than | | | | Acupuncture is an analgesic (pain killer) and is also |
| the use of conventional style medicine. More and | | | | used for many conditions in horses. A form of |
| more people are becoming concerned about the | | | | Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture is used |
| chemicals that we are encouraged to put in to | | | | to allow the Chi to flow freely around the body |
| our bodies in order to relieve the symptoms of a | | | | and when performed by a professional can help |
| health problem. Today there are a lot of other | | | | to ease pain and relieve many uncomfortable |
| alternative options open to humans and most of | | | | conditions in the horse. |
| these are now open to our domestic animals, | | | | Other forms of equine therapy available are |
| horses included. | | | | equine chiropractors, who specialize in a form of |
| Hydrotherapy is a great equine therapy for a limb | | | | joint and bone manipulation. This is used to help |
| injury; it allows the muscles, heart and lungs to be | | | | horses with back, neck and other types of |
| exercised whilst keeping any pressure off the | | | | skeletal problems. |
| affected limb. There are lots of equine swimming | | | | You can also consult an equine masseur who will |
| pools that are available to you. You could either | | | | come to your yard and give your horse a |
| take your horse once a week if you live within a | | | | massage. |
| reasonable traveling distance or you could pay for | | | | Then there are the equine aromatherapists that |
| your horse to be stabled at the equine | | | | will blend essential oils for you to use on your |
| hydrotherapy centre for the duration of his | | | | horse. |
| hydrotherapy treatment. If you watch the horses | | | | Horses could also benefit from homeopathy and |
| swimming in these specially designed pools, you | | | | when you consult someone who specializes in |
| would be amazed at how easily they can adapt to | | | | equine homeopathy, they can help to devise a |
| the water. My own Arab racehorse splashed | | | | program for you to treat your horse for a |
| about for the first 30 seconds and then swam | | | | myriad of conditions. |
| serenely around the circular pool with ease. When | | | | The are DVD's available that will teach you the |
| they get out of the pool, they are dried off using | | | | basics of some of the equine therapy that we |
| a sweat scraper followed by a quick towelling rub | | | | have discussed. A good place to start when |
| down; then they are stood under heat lamps to | | | | looking for these is Equestrian Apparel. |
| complete the drying process. The whole session | | | | So, as you can see, where ever there is an |
| takes less than 30 minutes and it allows you to | | | | alternative human therapist, someone will have |
| exercise your horse whilst he recovers from an | | | | made that treatment available for the domestic |
| injury. Lots of the successful racehorse trainers | | | | animal. |
| have an equine swimming pool installed at their | | | | Whether you actually believe it can help your |
| stable yards in order to keep the race horses in | | | | horse is another matter altogether! |