WHEN SHOULD I CALL THE OSTEOPATH?
If you suspect your horse is unwell the first point of call is your veterinary surgeon. Once your veterinary surgeon has ruled out a serious condition, he or she may wish to refer you to a qualified animal osteopath.  Your horse may be under par because of stresses or strains on the musculoskeletal system.  Osteopaths are experts in recognising and treating problems of this nature.  Whereas human athletes have an array of therapists to help them reach their potential, horses generally are asked to perform on a daily basis with no such support.  Simply carrying a rider is quite a feat of balance and athleticism!

There are many subtle ways in which your horse will try to communicate discomfort to you.  If your horse is exhibiting any of the following, osteopathic treatment may be the way forward and the sooner appropriate treatment is given, the sooner the problem may be resolved:

• difficult behaviours
  objection to being saddled or girthed, unable to stand still or relax, hypersensitivity to brushing, being difficult to shoe, excessive bucking/ rearing/ rolling, repetitive behaviours...
• performance problems
  slow to warm up, resists work (may increase resistance as riding session progresses), reluctance to stride out, poor impulsion/ collection, rushes downhill/ pulls uphill, lacks concentration, shying, inability to track up, going better on one rein, refusing to jump, resisting/ faltering at transitions...
• physical signs
  hind/ front leg lameness, pinning the ears back, swishing the tail, holding the tail to one side, turning the head to one side more than the other, inability to bend, loss of or uneven muscle bulk, obvious sores, white hairs, friction rubs, temporary swellings or hard spots in the muscle or skin...