Vicki Boyes- McTimoney Chiropractic for Animals

21/05/24 baby Delilah completed our little girl gang at a healthy weight of 7lb 6oz 💕
2 weeks of the baby bubble has flown by!

I hope all of my four legged clients are behaving themselves in my absence 😬xx

It is very rare these days that you will see me leave the comfort of my garden cabin with my treatment bag!

I’m feeling smug that I chose yesterday for a one off yard visit, it was gorgeous!! ☺️☀️🐶🙌🏻

Limping is a significant gait change that means something is wrong. The cause of the limp might be up for debate, but it will be linked to pain or discomfort.

It's safer and more beneficial for your dog to assume the presence of pain rather than the absence of pain.

**Class Full**

🌟🐶 BEGINNERS AGILITY 🐶🌟

Come and join us and have some fun with your doggies on our beginners agility course 😁
Secure field, full set of KC registered equipment.

Date: Wednesday 17th April

Time: 18.15 - 19.00

Duration: 6 weeks

Cost: £72

Location: Markyate/Redbourn

PM for more details or click link below to book.

https://bookwhen.com/clubcanine

I can’t help but get a bit emotional when I receive messages like this 🥲🥇 Huge Congratulations guys!

“ Biggest deerhound class of the day and she won it on her movement…. Thank you so much. “

Sue and Margo # # #

Lovely day at Crufts so far! So great to see so many of my lovely dogs enjoying the ring and doing so well ❤️🥇

The ever so majestic Margo enjoying a glimpse of sunshine after her treatment today! Best of luck at Crufts gorgeous girl 💕

👋🏻 Don’t forget the benefits of a chiropractic treatment for your dog!

The McTimoney treatment is a gentle and effective way to reduce stiffness and maintain overall mobility and joint health. Promoting a neutral posture can be achieved by improving skeletal alignment.

👆🏻 All important factors in both the show and agility ring to name a just a couple..!

Crufts is now just a few weeks away, if you still need to book a pre show check please do so ASAP as I’ve only a couple of appts left 😬

We often get asked; "But how do I know if it's still helping?".
Living with an animal full time is a bit like living in the same house for years. Just as your eye becomes indifferent to the marks that gradually appear on the wall or you get so used to the small hole in the wall that over time you don't even realise it's still there, you will become so used to looking at your dog every day that your eye becomes unable to see the subtle changes of their gait over time, the ease with which they go from lying to standing, or how they no longer excessively lick their paws. You may question how much the joint supplement is helping and so you run out, and whilst you have every intention of re ordering you don't feel any urgency because "they don't look too bad."
3 days in, and Riafex is washing out of the system. You suddenly realise your beloved dog is taking longer to get up and down, is slowing down in movement, and not looking as happy with life.
No joint supplement can halt arthritic changes, but it's so important to remember that what Riaflex does do, is slow the degenerative process down and helps with symptomatic relief.
So when you started your Riaflex journey, what our product did was bought you time. And whilst the inevitability of life is slowly setting in over time, Riaflex acts as your pendulum, actively re balancing the damage & repair cycles in the system and giving you a happier, more mobile dog for longer.
It's often not till you stop completely (which we don't advise) that you realise how much worse symptoms have become because Riaflex has done the job it's exactly formulated to do!

Realigning Your Dog: The McTimoney Animal Chiropractic Method In the realm of animal healthcare, McTimoney animal chiropractic has emerged as a gentle and effective approach to restoring balance and mobility to all our

Put your best hoof, paw and claw forward for 2024 by having your animals checked by one of our practitioners. Click here to find one close to you:

https://mctimoneyanimal.co.uk/find-a-member/ #!directory/map

Superstars 🌟
With hard work and patience your time will always come 🦄🦄

🥰🥰Being stronger than the thoughts😍😍

Last night many of us would have watched the amazing 5 star competition in 🇺🇸 Marylands. What a result 🇮🇪🇮🇪 Austin and his Mount Salty moved up from 4th after XC to WIN……..an overdue fantastic result ❤️❤️

Something that touched our hearts watching this competition was an interview that Austin did on TV straight after he won. He stated that results like these don’t happen to people like him……….he is one of the best event riders in the world and has the best relationship with his horse but he still thinks he’ll never beat the people who he thinks are ‘better’ than him! Then he went on to say he had been privately thinking of putting someone on the horse who would get the results the horse deserved………….again he had been doubting himself, one of the BEST eventers in the world had been doubting himself that Salty needs someone better!!!!!!! So from watching from the outside this result for Austin has come at a perfect time and so well deserved but also………..

It just goes to show what your own mind can sometimes tell you, you start doubting yourself, you start to think you can’t do what people think you should be doing, you start thinking what others might be thinking over and over again………….but all the time you are doing amazing and in the bigger picture achieving things all the time! Sometimes whatever gets in your mind needs a reality check and you need to realise, ‘wow I’m actually doing GREAT ❤️’

Austin well done and thank you for being honest. There was not many dry eyes last night watching you ……. Roll on your next results 🥰🥰

(Austin is also supported by the amazing Childeric UK and Orange Horse Consultants 🍊🍊)

Riders Minds

Hard topic but so so needs to be addressed often enough for it to sink in!

*** RIDER WEIGHT AND HORSE WELFARE; WITH WHOM DOES THE RESPONSIBILITY LIE? ***

It is a PRIVILEGE to ride a horse, NOT a right.

I first posted about this last year, but following some discussion on my post from the local show last weekend, and the fact I seem to be seeing more riders that are clearly too heavy for their horses/ponies, not less, I’m bringing it up again.

A tough topic to broach. But, I’m sorry to say, one that really, really needs broaching. Back in March 2019, the exceptional Dr Sue Dyson, published her pilot study on the influence of rider:horse body weight ratio. The conclusions weren’t really that surprising; large riders can induce temporary lameness and behaviours consistent with musculoskeletal pain. The hugely disappointing outcome of this study, is that I still regularly see riders that are far, FAR too heavy for their horses. No b******t about how heavy riders can “ride light”. Rubbish. The fact remains that if you are 5 stone too heavy for your horse, you are far too heavy for your horse, even if you can ride along with your toe resting on your elbow.

But who is going to be “brave” enough to walk up to a rider, and tell them that their weight on that poor horse’s back, is in fact a welfare issue? And with whom does this responsibility lie? I’ve been chatting to a few people involved in trying to help the poor horses seen out and about with riders very much too heavy for their backs, and some of the videos doing the rounds are shocking. These horses are almost buckling behind, trying to carry their riders, and several can’t even manage to canter.

Does it lie with the dressage or jumping judge, to ring their bell and eliminate a rider for being alarmingly too heavy for their horse? Maybe? But that rider then bursts into tears, and shares a photo of their 20 stone self, perched on their little Connemara cross, and 600 “be kinds” on social media, immediately tell said rider that the judge is a bully and they look great. 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️ What about being kind to their poor little horse/pony?

I’m sure this is offending at least 25% of you so far, but I actually don’t care. Riding is classified as a “sport”. Therefore, whatever our level, should we not be classing ourselves as “athletes”?? If you are obviously too heavy for your horse (and I’m sure most people will be aware if they are, or they aren’t) then losing a few kilograms will not only benefit your horse, but also your own health. This isn’t “fat shaming”, this is science. If you are huffing and puffing in the saddle after six strides of canter, then you aren’t fit enough to ride. Improving fitness and losing weight can only be a good thing, surely?

No amount of physio/chiro sessions for Nobby, will compensate for the fact he has to brace his whole back as you land in the saddle. No amount of matchy matchy fleecy leg bandages will support his tiny little limbs as he struggles to maintain canter for more than three seconds.

In Dr Dyson’s trial, ALL SEVEN of the very heavy rider tests were abandoned due to the weight of the rider resulting in obvious lameness, in horses that were sound minutes before, and sound again straight after. A very heavy rider was one whose rider:horse body weight percentage was greater than 20%. An average horse is around 500kg, so these riders were over 100kg/15-16 stone. Every single one of these riders induced lameness in the trial horse they were on. Just ponder that thought. These were not subtle lamenesses, either. We are talking 4-5/10 lame in trot, during the first trot with that rider. That is lame. To be fair, these riders may have been 20 stone, as there was no upper limit.

So we look at the “heavy” group, who had a rider: horse body weight percentage of 15-18%. So, on a 550kg horse, that would be a rider weighing 82-100kg, or 13 stone- 15.5 stone. FIVE of the heavy rider tests were abandoned due to lameness, and one due to the horse showing pain in canter.

So, back to the point of the article. Who should be the person responsible for telling these riders that they are far too heavy (I’m not taking a stone too heavy, even)? Have I been tempted? Absolutely. But would I then get a roasting on social media? Most definitely. Have I told clients that they are too heavy? Yes. Not as often as I probably should have, but yes, I have. It’s a very, very tricky subject to broach with riders, who often genuinely love their horses, and don’t realise the damage they are doing, and the pain they may be causing.

I honestly don’t know the answer to my question. If I was judging, I may never be asked to judge again. As a vet, I’m probably better placed to go and have a quiet word, but then I can guarantee I’d be met with, “well, my vet doesn’t think I’m too heavy”, followed by a “she’s so unprofessional” social media rant. But something needs doing, and saying.

Finally, other shows are now starting to implement measures following the wonderful GYS. Let’s hope ALL shows and ALL disciplines follow suit.

20% IS generous! It’s actually very generous. But we need a cut off point, so that is it. I’d be happier with it being 15%. So if you weigh more than 20% of your horse’s ideal weight, including boots/saddle/girth, then you are too heavy to ride your horse.

Finally, the “mental health” issues that are frequently brought up in these discussions. It is simply not acceptable to allow horses to suffer because it helps someone’s mental health. Sorry, but it’s not. Horses can’t say, “please get off, I am struggling to carry you and my back is hurting.” Actually, they say it very obviously, but people either can’t see it, or don’t want to see it. So we need to address this animal welfare issue.

Watch this space!

Please share!

Photo of Johnnie and I going clear at Houghton 4* last year, because you haven’t had a Johnnie photo for a while!

Cooling myths are harming our dogs and we HAVE to counter them

In a recent Vet Compass study less than a quarter of dogs with heat stroke were given any sort of cooling treatment before they were taken to the vet and only 24% of those were cooled with the recommended methods of cold water immersion or soaking and a fan.

And of them only 10% needed any further cooling by the vet by the time they got there, which shows just how effective it is.

But for more than half of the dogs whose owners did try to cool them, outdated methods like water soaked towels were used.

And there has been NO increase in the use of the recommended methods in the last three years, despite this advice being in the public domain since at least 2016.

The insidious messaging that cold or ice water is dangerous and cooling must be slow and steady is seriously harming dogs

The advice is very clear;

🥵 Cool before transport - getting your dog to the vet is important but starting the cooling process before you travel will bring their temperature down as soon and as fast as possible, which is what will make the biggest difference to their survival.

🥵 Cold water immersion is safe for young healthy dogs and the recommended method for cooling them down. For older or ill dogs, use evaporative cooling (get them wet and in a breeze).

🥵 Ice and cold water are safe. Any water is better than non but don't be afraid of using really cold temperatures

🥵 And thick coats do NOT keep them cool!

Read the summary of these findings from the Hot Dogs - canine heatstroke education for dog owners team here;
https://heatstroke.dog/2023/07/20/myth-busting-cooling-hot-dogs/

The summary from the Vet Compass team;
https://www.rvc.ac.uk/vetcompass/news/the-rvc-urges-owners-of-hot-dogs-to-cool-first-transport-second

The published study;
https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/10/7/465

In need of 10-15 small straw bales to borrow for seating for a summer fete on the 15th..
I’ll give your horse one last treatment if you can help..?!😆

This feels really hard to write but ultimately it’s not…

I am spreading myself too thin at the moment and the feeling of overwhelm is mounting 😞

So I have decided to concentrate on treating the small animals which means I am going to stop treating horse’s for the foreseeable.

All treatments already booked will be honoured but my books are now closed for horses unless yours is as small as this little guy and you can bring them to me.. 😃🤣

On the flip side I am so so grateful for all my wonderful clients who have trusted me with their horses and ponies over the years and I am excited to have the opportunity now to help more dogs from my treatment room at the bottom of my garden 😍

The door is not closed on the GG’s, just ajar for now!

Xx

Couldn’t agree more with Petros here 👌🏻

Keeping horses well is a huge responsibility which we need to take seriously. Allowing horses to be horses while also protecting them from injury can be a tricky balancing act. My view is generally to try and keep the management to as close to a ‘natural’ environment as possible. As much turn out as possible, grass/hay as the main part of the diet, regular and appropriate exercise, access to clean water, opportunities to socialise. This is important for physical and psychological health of the horse.

Training in small chunks, rather than protracted ‘drilling’ sessions, schooling while out hacking and in open fields rather than always confined in arenas.

Spend time together with your horse, grooming keeps the horse healthy and provides an opportunity to get to know each other, forming a bond. Relationships take effort to build and maintain, it takes ‘two to tango’! 🏇🏽😉🕺

🌿 🚩 LAMINITIS 🚩🌿

🚩 Please be advised that our practice is seeing an unusually high number of laminitis cases this year 🚩

Laminitis is a condition affecting tissues within the horses foot. It is extremely painful and in some cases it can require horses to be euthanised on welfare grounds.

Laminitis can affect any equine and at this time of year the risk is often greater due to horses and ponies having longer periods of access to an increased volume of more nutrient dense grazing resulting from the good weather. Excess weight also significantly increases the risk of laminitis developing.

Whilst laminitis cannot always be prevented, managing your horses weight will significantly help to reduce the risk. Fat scoring is a useful tool to help assess your horse or pony needs to lose weight. Information on fat scoring can be found using the link below.

Horses or ponies with a conditions score of 4 or 5 are at increased risk of laminitis and steps should be taken to reduce their intake of grass and lessen their weight. And remember - be honest with yourself about your horses condition!

Tips and Tricks for Weight Loss

🌿 Reducing time out at grass by stabling for periods of the day
🌿 Reducing the volume of grass your horse has access to through pens, strip grazing, track systems or grazing muzzles when they are out at grass
🌿 Feeding small amounts of soaked hay only when not at grass
🌿 Not feeding in addition to grass and soaked hay - for the majority of horses and ponies the grass will contain all the vitamins and minerals they require.
🌿 Avoid rugging overweight/healthy weight horses and ponies - most unclipped healthy adult horses do not require rugging unless in minus temperatures
🌿 Exercising your horse or pony regularly, ideally 5 times a week. Exercise should get them breathing deeply and breaking a sweat

In addition, please remember that if your horse is on routine steroid treatment for conditions such respiratory or allergic issues they may be at a further increased risk of laminitis.

If you have any concerns about laminitis or your horse develops any of the clinical signs (being foot sore, reluctance or inability to move, weight shifting, odd stance, digital pulses) please contact us on 01763 287744. Prompt veterinary intervention will greatly increase the likelihood of a successful outcome .

https://www.bhs.org.uk/horse-care-and-welfare/health-care-management/horse-health/fat-scoring/

This is just so so true. I often have owners at their wits end, not knowing which way to turn. My answer is always strip back to the fundamentals, if the the basic needs of the horse are met, then the rest will follow. Rehabilitation takes patience, consistency and teamwork.

Movement, turnout and a healthy herd structure are so crucial to a horses well-being that rehab simply doesn’t work without it.
You can’t fix a problem without providing for the deepest, most essential need of a being- horses are social creatures and movers at their core. Any training without providing for the horses basic needs is shallow at best.

What a refreshing and heart warming post from my lovely small animal vets. My girls will always be in the best hands with this amazing team 🫶🏻

Exciting news from Stu 🥳:

‘On Friday after months of planning, I sold Hitchin Veterinary Surgery to my wonderful employees and we have become an Employee Ownership Trust (much like John Lewis).
I have made this decision because I wanted to reward my very special team who have helped me build an amazing practice which I am enormously proud of. I wanted to make sure Hitchin Vets is not taken over by a corporate entity and become just another business, as I value my employees and the clients that make this practice so special.
On a day to day basis you, as clients, will see no difference and I have no intention of retiring however with my first grandson due today may not be so ever present!!’
🐾⭐️

Absolutely this 🙌🏻🙌🏻👇🏻👇🏻❤️

We cannot make a horse more supple…

A huge majority of new clients want me to assist them in improving the suppleness of their horses. Conversely, most of them actually need help with stability and alignment, but the perception is that their horse lacks suppleness.

The thing is though, I can’t make your horse more supple. Neither can you.

What we can do is foster trust.

The horse must trust that the rider’s hand will not surprise him; that the leg is stable and consistent in how it communicates with the horse and that the rider’s mind is clear and focussed.

Most importantly, the horse must trust that the rider is listening every stride, so that the horse can communicate, “This is a little too difficult, can you make it easier?”, if needed.

You see, no matter what discipline you ride, your horse will always be a horse. A prey animal.

Dressage horse = flashy prey animal
ShowJumper = prey animal that jumps
Reining horse = compact and agile prey animal
All-rounder horse = prey animal with many jobs!

The first question that a prey animal asks itself in any given situation is, “Am I safe?”

If he feels the answer is no, then we have already got a roadblock on our path to ‘suppleness’.

Suppleness starts in the mind. When we stretch our bodies, the first sensation is of mild discomfort which quickly melts into relief, so long as we breathe and relax into it. We do not start to affect change on the soft tissue structures until a short while after.

I believe the same is true of horses. The first barrier we meet will be the horse’s nervous system. Only once we have passed through this ‘barrier’ do we start to affect the body of the horse.
Be aware that the ‘barrier’ can come back down and block you at any given moment. For example, following a change to the environment in the stable or arena.

An exercise cannot make a horse more supple.

A training method cannot make a horse more supple.

Only the horse, flowing through subtle transitions between postures, tempo’s and gaits with a relaxed mind, can make himself more supple.

My advice: start by only doing what you can do well. Gently. With relaxation. Next, build on it. Make subtle changes to it. When you make changes, try not to lose too many of the things you liked about the work. It’s OK to lose a little for a short time, but if you lose too much, go back to doing something that you could do well. Gather all of the components which you liked about your work and start from there.

Work within the comfort zone of the horse, with only moments of working at the edge of the comfort zone.

The nervous system is the first gateway to suppleness. Relaxation and quiet dialogue are the keys.