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Wednesday 12 July 2017

McTimoney Seminar 12/7/17

Last night I was lucky enough to attend a McTimoney seminar hosted by a local equestrian supplier.
The seminar was delivered by a local McTimoney practitioner and it was only a small group attending so plenty of opportunity to get involved, ask questions etc.
It was a hugely informative evening which covered several topics including what McTimoney is, basic anatomy, muscle development, what can influence it and how to recognise problems, how McTimoney can help, saddle fit and rehabilitation.




I found it particularly interesting as the lady delivering the seminar had a Kissing spine horse of her own so had not only professional experience but also a personal experience with Kissing Spine which I think really helps them understand what you and your horse are going through.

I was encouraged by her approach to rehab which involved the use of aqua treadmills, lunging in a pessoa and lots of pole work which is exactly what I do/have done with Jack so I felt we were on the same wave length.



At the end of the session she sat with me and we discussed Jack and his history, where we currently are with his rehab and how Mctimoney might help in addition to his usual Physio treatments.

I've not really looked into Mctimoney before as a therapy so I asked how this differed to a physio treatment and how the 2 forms of therapy might work together to help Jack.  From what I learnt the main difference is that Mctimoney works on the skeleton and joints as well as muscles and soft tissue where as physiotherapy is all soft tissue.  The 2 therapies can work really well together to treat the whole horse.  If their skeleton has misalignments they will always struggle to develop even muscles, and if the muscles are weaker one side they can pull the skeleton out of alignment so a combination of the 2 types of treatment should really make a difference. 

The following is taken from her website:

McTimoney manipulation for animals is a non-invasive holistic treatment which works to realign and balance the animal's musculoskeletal system, restoring health and movement, soundness and performance (McTimoney Animal Association 2012). Due to its nature, the treatment is readily accepted by most animals.

Treatment focuses on the spinal column, pelvis and forelimbs, although other areas are treated. These areas are palpated by the practitioner with the aim of locating any misalignments within the body.

A misalignment is when a joint within the body is not in its correct anatomical position. For example: a vertebrae in the horses back may be slightly tilted or rotated to the left or right of the central midline.

A misalignment can induce nerve impairment. This impairment may affect the animals ability to perform. It is not a specific ‘trapped nerve’ as such, but a block in the signal between the affected area, and the horses brain. It could be an irritation, or pressure point caused by inflammation.

It is important to attempt to rectify this situation, as it can cause issues within the animals body, and its interactions with the environment.

I have to be honest I am always a little sceptical of this type of treatment as have paid out a lot of money in the past for other forms of treatment which had little or no effect and didn't pick up on Jacks Kissing spine.  However having spent a fair amount of time discussing Jack and all his various aliments and talking about her experiences both professional and personal I am certainly now willing to give it a go.
So following on from this I am now looking forward to having Jack assessed and treated to see how it helps him.
I think it is the ideal time to have a treatment as he is now starting to work a little harder and I want to make sure everything is okay and Jack is as comfortable as possible before we progress too much further.

4 comments:

  1. I had THE BEST McTimoney practitioner for Vallu when we were in UK and she made him so much better whilst he was doing rehab! I honestly love her for helping him so much

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    1. That is very reassuring to know Rosa thank you!

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  2. Interesting. I've never heard of McTimony before and will have to research this further. As an equine massage therapist I work a lot with chiropractors and acupuncturists to holistically treat the horses. I think it's most effective when multiple modalities are used.

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    1. I found it very interesting Heather I think it is becoming more commonly used as a therapy. Looking forward to reporting the results on Jack :)

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