1/28/2008 8:43:00 PM Touch therapy eases horses' pain without surgery
The Daily Courier/Matt Hinshaw
Certified Equine Touch Practitioner Michelle McGinnis works on her horse Bey Rum, a 25-year-old Arabian gelding while her other horses Luke, left, and Bradley disrupt her Wednesday at her home in Dewey. McGinnis started equine touch workshops in 2002 and started her equine touch business in 2004.
DEWEY - Michelle McGinnis casually approaches Bey Rum and moves her hand subtly along the Arabian horse's spine.
The gelding is receptive to McGinnis' touch and quietly stands as she works her magic.
"The relaxation effect is instantaneous," she said.
That is a common response for people like McGinnis, who provide non-invasive equine relief.
"It's a system of bodywork that is non-diagnostic, it treats the entire horse as a whole, she said. "I treat the whole horse and it innately responds."
McGinnis' touch focuses on the connective soft tissue, fascia and muscles, dealing with the entire horse without paying attention to a specific problem.
The bodywork McGinnis uses on horses is comparable to a person receiving a deep tissue massage.
Poorly fitting saddles, horseshoes and dental problems are some of the troubles McGinnis can help alleviate through her training.
She said it also reduces pain, helps atrophied muscles and encourages relaxation.
McGinnis uses a series of "vibrational" moves done over specific points in a predetermined pattern that gives horses relief from the chores their owners put them through.
"I get to give back to horses who so willingly give to us," she said. "We ask a lot of them."
Veterinarian Dr. W.C. Wood has his certification from the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association to do chiropractic adjustments for horses.
Wood works on horses with fixations of the spine and/or pelvis.
He explained that a fixation is when a segment of the spine is "stuck" at the joint or at the level of the joint thereby reducing the range of motion.
That leads to pinched nerves and muscle spasms at that level.
He said it restores range of motion and alleviates muscle spasm and tenderness.
Spills, slips, falls and tack or rider trouble can cause problems for horses, according to Wood.
"More often than not, when these horses have these issues, it is due to more than one of those causes," he said. "It's not always a one-time occurrence.
"Typically when I see them, enough time has expired where they have multiple fixations from a variety of causes over a period of time."
McGinnis said her treatment is a compliment to regular veterinarian visits.
Wood said a growing number of people are considering chiropractic adjustments for their horses.
"I think more and more people on the whole are becoming more aware of this modality of treatment than have over the last 15 years," he said. "It's much, much more common and accepted now than it was 20 years ago."
