My New Hero

To make a long story short...Moon was sore in his back again on Sunday after running 2 days in a row, so I called my barrel racing buddy and got the number to the other chiro she has used in the past. This guy is a manual manipulator. L had used him before but due to costs preferred the previous guy she recommended. At this point, I didn't give a flip what this guy cost. Something was up with my horse's back and it needed to be remedied. I was just praying that this guy was a valid manipulator because my experiences over the last 10 years has been that a lot of them 'claim' to be equine chiros and few ever manage to even get a single pop.

Lord have mercy and hallaluya!!! I have just found the best equine chiropractor I've been able to locate since I first stumbled on this phenomena back in 1999. I was spoiled you see. The very first equine chiro I ever used was one of the best in the country. Probably still is...I could ever find him. Last I heard he was somewhere in Texas. (Texas is a big damn state ya know. ;-)

Anyway...This guy located Moon's locked vertebrae in nothing flat. A couple of pushes and...pop! Has it back in.

He got a nice big pop in his right hip as well. He continues to go over Moon and gets a good pop out of his right shoulder. As he is working his neck, the chiro asks me if have trouble with our right turns. Uummmm..kinda...but I don't think it's so much Moon as it is me being late to the rate. He thought about that for a second and asked me if he traveled straight. Huh...now that has been something that has bothered me about Moon for a couple of years now...the darned horse constantly fades to the right when he is walking out in the open. I had him checked over by a vet/chiro last year and she didn't find much. The chiro braces himself and says, 'This should help.' and Whop! He gets a massive pop out of Moon's neck just in front of his shoulder. He says, 'I think he'll turn better for you now too.'

O.
M.
G....

This is the kind of chiro I have been looking for since my other guy disappeared!!! This guy can fix things...not dink around, pushing here and there and end up telling me that it will take several more treatments to get the horse right. Uuggghhhh...I am so sick of the 'wannabe's'.

Sooo...Moon's week will consist of being ponied for the next two days. If things are back to normal, I can ride on Thursday and haul to my only rodeo on Friday. If Moon still seems sore, the chiro will come out and re-adjust him on Thursday and I will have to ice (which has become part of my routine anyway because I think it works better than cold-hosing). He said either way, running one run on him isn't going to hurt anything. Next week, we will see how things are and go from there.

I know Moon did this on that Tuesday run 2 weeks ago. The damn ground was shallow and he stabbed those hind toes into the ground and gave himself a jolt. That's why I already had him scheduled to be shod...we figured out his hind fetlock tenderness was because he was stabbing his hind toes and not getting full flexion when he set to turn a barrel.

Well...all that is fixed now. Shoes on and adjustment accomplished. Moon was so relaxed after his adjustment, he just stood where I dropped his lead rope and went to sleep. Now that's the miracle of a good chiro!!

Sooo...as the chiro was writing up my bill...Amazingly it was only $70. I have paid twice that for some of those faux fixer-uppers (Uuggghhhhh)...I asked him if he was in a hurry or if he had time to take a look at another horse. He said sure, so I run and got Turk out of his pen. Turk is scheduled to have his front shoes reset tomorrow and of course, this morning, I notice that his G-shoe is loose. So he didn't get to go out to pasture with the big boys today, he got lawn-mower duty...
The chiro took one look at Turk and said, 'You have some issues going on with this horse.' That assessment just from watching the horse's demeanor. Awesome!!

I showed him Turk's foot and his shoe and a bit of the history of what we have done in the last year to get where we are. The chiro nodded, walked straight over to Turk's shoulders, lifted his right front leg (the injured hoof leg), got his hands on the horse's withers and gave a tug. Turk's shoulder gave a massive pop and he about bugged out. The chiro apologized to Turk for hurting him and told him to give it a minute and it would feel better. Not more than a minute or two later, Turk dropped his head and started licking his lips.

People like this fascinate me. They are sooooo good at what they do, so quick and efficient and so sure of the outcome. They truly have a gift.

The chiro got a big pop out of Turk's right hip, turned around and told me I shouldn't have as much trouble with him picking up his right lead anymore. My jaw just about dropped. I NEVER said a word about having to work at getting Turk to pick up his right lead.

The horse was too rigid in his poll to get the adjustment that he needed up there, so the chiro recommended that I have the other gal I use do acupuncture on him to see if those muscles can be relaxed enough for an adjustment. He said then he won't be as heavy on his front-end...Again with the jaw dropping. I never said anything about Turk being heavy on his front-end.

That's it...I have a full book of everyone I need...Veterinarian, Farrier, Dentist, Acupuncturist, Chiro. I am set. All I gotta do is feed 'em and ride 'em. I'm in freaking heaven!!!