It is believed to offer several potential benefits, including improved range of motion, reduced pain, enhanced performance, and a positive impact on the horse’s overall well-being.
While anecdotal evidence suggests positive outcomes, scientific research on the efficacy of chiropractic care in horses is limited. Some studies have shown potential benefits, but more research is needed to establish its effectiveness conclusively.
A study by Olivia Lorello and colleagues investigated the effect of chiropractic manipulation on stride characteristics and heart rate, and on rider-perceived quality of ridden work.
Thirty-eight hunter-jumper (show jumper) horses were recruited for a blinded randomised controlled trial. All horses participating in the study had no reported performance or medical issues.
Exercise tests were conducted the day before and two days after either chiropractic treatment or a sham procedure. Each horse was ridden by its regular rider in their typical riding setting. Riders were unaware of the treatment administered to their horse.
During the tests, horses wore fitness trackers and parameters such as stride length, rate, and symmetry, as well as heart rate were monitored. Each horse-rider combination underwent the test protocol four times.
Complete sets of before and after data were available for analysis from 27 horses.
More riders reported an improvement in the quality of the ridden work after chiropractic treatment than after sham treatment.
However, the research team found no difference in measurements of stride length, stride rate, stride symmetry, or heart rate between the two treatment groups.
They suggest that the quantitative variables chosen may not have enough sensitivity in a group of sound horses that were in routine ridden work when entering the study.
Additionally, differences in terrain, weather conditions, and rider characteristics among horses may make small changes difficult to identify.
They suggest more sophisticated and in-depth motion measurements may be valuable for this purpose.
For more details, see:
Chiropractic effects on stride parameters and heart rate during exercise in sport horses
Lorello, Olivia; Rule, Emily; Haughan, Joanne; Wang, Kai; Niu, Mutian; Brown, Kara; Navas de Solis, Cristobal
Equine Veterinary Journal (2024)
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