How long do you give your horses off, after back treatment?

kerilli

kerilli

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e.g. McTimoney, Osteo, Physio, Bowen...
My McTimoney Chiro (who is excellent) usually says a day or two, but this time he came last Friday and said to give them all, and myself, until Wednesday. Argh, I'd just got them all going and done a week of work, another week or two and I'd have started a bit of trotting, but will have to start again.
To be fair, he did find quite a few things with every horse (hadn't been for a month or two, as I'd tried a different therapy in between).
But the Bowen Therapist I had (who was also excellent imho) said to work them the next day... *confused*
Advice please. Thankyou.
 
We just stick with whatever they say tbh! Our lady does mctim and bowen and usually suggests that day and the next off with straight lines for a couple of days after that. A little more of a slow start with some exercises out of the school if there was a prob found that needed a bit more working on. We just make sure to take it into acount when booking her so that we don't have a comp booked for that weekend or something else coming up.
 
Using McTimoney, the practitioner (sp) always said 3 days off then a couple of days straight lines. Physio, usually ok to ride the next day :) he sometimes likes me to do some light schooling after treatment, so the muscles are used in their "new" position
 
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My McTimoney lady varies the time off depending on what she has done, sometimes no days off sometimes three. I tend to do as she says as don't want to waste my money and ignore the advise I am paying for :)
 
I don't give them any time off unless there has been a problem, I mean by that not just usual types of stiffness etc. My theory being that they will be out in the field rolling/doing tight circles/generally farting about.

My Mctimoney lady would always like mine to have 24-48 hours off after treatment, but I have mine done very regularly, and I don't personally feel there is any benefit to them not being worked.

However I am someone who believes that it is the ridden work that supples the horse, not the manipulation or physio :)
 
I go with whatever they say and it does depend on what they've had done. Chiro has advised a week off before when old boy knocked his pelvis out.. But then usually it's a day or two.
 
I use a Bowen Therapist, she has always said i can ride the next day no problems. Bloss always feels super aswell.

Whereas i've had ''physios'' (i use the term lightly) treat my old horse (now sold) and i was advised to walk him for 2 weeks, with a week off first, then start slowly building up trot. Got fed up of this and then found someone else who treated him and solved the problem straight away and i rode him the next day. Unfortunately she is now retired but my Bowen lady i have every faith in and does wonders with my two.
 
I usually go on the advice given, which generally seems to be one or two days off followed by a couple of days going in straight lines/gentle hacking out, sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on what she's found!
 
After sports massage the horse should be walked out in hand in straight lines (as much as possible) for 15mins. If you ask a client to walk out for 15mins it means you generally get 7-10mins which is ok.

The next day should be a relatively easy day with no jumping and not working above horses normal capability. Lateral work and long and low for stretching; even if it's just some baby steps of leg yield it all helps.

Unless there are underlying issues that are being worked on normal work can be resumed from the 2nd day.

McT-C course advised more or less the same; don't ride same and work on straight lines day after.

That's just the general rule of thumb; every horse is an individual as are the practioners who may have found different things give better/altered results. I guess as a client the best bet is to understand what is happening and why and apply common (horse) sense.
 
My horses physio sometimes gets me to work them normally the next day, and sometimes she doesn't i.e a couple of days gentle walking and then back to normal- but it depends on the horses problem (I only get her out if theres a prob) and what she has had to do to them, when one of the horses was abnormally tight in his atlas vertebrae ( about 4 yrs ago), she worked on it and told me to carry on the next day as normal and really get him moving, whereas my other horse had a bit of a "pummelling" in her words, and needed a couple of days off after.
 
Depends on what "issues" have been dealt with and how the horse looks, feels and responds to the treatment. I follow the advice given by the therapist as the one i use i trust. Horses can mess about in the field but they dont have the weight of the rider to contend with and are not being asked to "work" like they would on the lunge. IMO it never hurts to give them a quiet period after a treatment just incase they undo the work given.
 
We use a McTimoney practioner on both our horses, plus mine and Mini TX's back - I have a back problem caused by a nasty fall and she has a problem with her shoulder after she broke her collar bone two years ago at a show. With the horses it does depend on the work done. With my daughter's old pony he quite often had to have a week off after treatment as he had lets just say 'issues', which prevented his eventing career going any further, bless him the poor little chap. With my horse as his problems tend to be caused by me and my uneven pelvis, I tend to get him done just before me and I am told not to ride for 48 hours after treatment, so he gets the same time off. With Mini TX's mare, we dont have much of an issue, as she is a nicely balanced rider, despite her shoulder injury. Again, usually 48 hours off. All of the horses on our yard use the same person and again, it depends on the extent of the work done.

One thing I have noticed with McTimoney is that is gets much worse the day after treatment, in fact I have been hobbling 24 hours after treatment, but the day after, it feels great. I guess our horses must feel the same, or something similar as I know their physiques are different to ours.
 
My lady uses magnetic pulse therapy, she says they don't need any time off - I have been known to do 20 mins easy schooling whilst she is there to see how they move. Another lady I know uses her went to a SJ comp the same day as the horses back was done (and won!).
 
As others have said it depends on what the physio/chiro etc says. In the past I have used people that have recommended 2-3 days off or just hacking but never more than that. At the moment I have an excellent physio who is very realistic about horses needing to keep working and for any routine treatment where there is no big problem, just normal stiffness from working she is happy for them to carry on as normal the next day provided they don't do anything really strenuous. I work in racing so it's all straight lines anyway, and as long as they don't race/go schooling the next day she is happy. Occasionally if we have a horse that is very stiff, or she uncovers a particular problem that requires more treatment than normal she might suggest a couple of days of hacking. I can understand your frustration after getting a weeks work in and having to start from scratch again!
 
We go on advice given, she often liek to keep the working but they normally have the next day off then often they need to do work on one rein or the other or in a straight line to keep it all in place.

It totally depends on the horse though I have had ones that have needed a week off and others been fine to jump within 2 days :)
 
I had handy's back done by an osteopath, after which he was very sore. I gave him the day off after and rode him the day after that! He was fine. Only sat on him for 20 minutes walking round the fields but was ok.
He's going to have his back done in march again :D
 
We listen to advice for each horse on each occasion. Generally its a quiet day or day off.

We once had a 4yr old who was awful and would fall constantly to right even on road would just drift. She had three treatments over 14days undersedation and then turned away for 3months. Brought her back in had a treatment and then walked her for 3 weeks building back up. Was seen every 6weeks and then eventually extended to 6mnthly. Super horse now!!

Never tried McT
 
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