Massage and chiro are actually two separate modalities! Massage addresses the muscles and chiro addresses the skeleton of the horse. One must be a vet/human chiro with training to be a chiro.
My suggestion to those having a hard time holding the adjustment-2 massages prior and 1 after the adjustment, then work on building the muscles-riding biomechanically correct to build proper muscles. That is the only way you will be able to get it to eventually hold, because the muscles/tendons/ligaments hold the skeleton in place.
[QUOTE=MassageLady;7348318]
My suggestion to those having a hard time holding the adjustment-2 massages prior and 1 after the adjustment, then work on building the muscles-riding biomechanically correct to build proper muscles. [/QUOTE]
My massage therapist (only reliable one in the area) is able to come out once every 4-6 weeks :-/ she has shared some techniques for loosening my guy’s back and glutes. She has shown me cross fiber and a few other methods. If she can’t get out to him as many times as you recommended, could I do the extra massage and use cold laser therapy (my friend will let me borrow her hand held- it’s not one of the hugely expensive ones but it’s around the $4k range) to get similar effects?
I just had a random thought last night…
Is a back in track sheet beneficial or any other types of magnetic sheets or even those massage pads?
[QUOTE=Hey Mickey;7351134]
I just had a random thought last night…
Is a back in track sheet beneficial or any other types of magnetic sheets or even those massage pads?[/QUOTE]
I’ve heard good things - just don’t have the money to drop on one at the moment. I do use a massage pad which he loves. Really want to buy a BOT but not sure I have enough time at the barn for it to work on him - can’t leave it on him unattended…He might eat it.
Speaking of which…my lovely boy ate his 1 year old turnout last night. Moving him to a new barn next week so he can have more turnout. I think being inside so much is making him nuts. Maybe the extra time moving around will help his pelvis. Good bye warm indoor 
Hello riding outside on the road (trails if this blizzard snow ever melts…) all winter with a fit TB…
[QUOTE=TBAper;7350853]
My massage therapist (only reliable one in the area) is able to come out once every 4-6 weeks :-/ she has shared some techniques for loosening my guy’s back and glutes. She has shown me cross fiber and a few other methods. If she can’t get out to him as many times as you recommended, could I do the extra massage and use cold laser therapy (my friend will let me borrow her hand held- it’s not one of the hugely expensive ones but it’s around the $4k range) to get similar effects?[/QUOTE]
I don’t know about similar effects…but it’s like I tell all my clients, it’s more than what you’ve been doing! Any kind of massage, even with the big knobby hand held thing will do something for them. It won’t get in there deep like I do, but it will at least not allow it to return to how it was prior. Which will happen if it’s not done how I suggest. Once you have the first 3, then I put horsees on a maintenance plan for every 7-10 days just to be sure it’s not coming back, and also groundwork exercises to build the muscles properly, to keep them loose and to help if there’s a chiro adjustment done.
Update
Thought I’d give you all a quick update on my boy:
I moved him after New Years to a backyard barn down the street where his stall opens to a big paddock. He shares the paddock with another horse and gets about 9 hours every day (HUGE for barns around here). This is a huge improvement from the 1-3 hours he was getting at his old place. There are only 2 other horses there (a 6 horse barn) and he has become great friends with both of them. He is often outside the stall of the horse he shares his paddock with, nuzzling and eating the hay the other guy has dropped out of the dutch door.
I have known the BM for years and they get along great. My massage therapist and the chiro say he seems SO happy. None of the busy gnawing at his lead rope between his adjustments, not distracted and busy during his massage.
Chiro came out today for his appointment and said he looks great. He has held his adjustments very nicely this time and if we keep going the way we are (building muscle and such) she thinks he’ll be in a great place by spring. She also brought up the discussion she had a few weeks with my trainer and said that she thinks my trainer is just not the right person for this horse. She says that she likes my trainer, respects her and usually recommends her but for some reason my trainer has something against my guy. She explained that if my trainer owned this horse she would probably be different but that she seems hell bent to prove to herself, to me and to others that this horse is unfixable. I know it sounds strange but it was nice to hear. This chiro owes me nothing - yes I pay her, but she has known my trainer for years and she apt to speak her honest opinion.
She also noted that the atmosphere is much nicer at the new barn and reinforced the idea that horses, especially mine, really do respond to people who like them and that my horse was picking up on the negativity at my old barn. She really seems to care about the horses, even the ones she doesn’t work on and I am thankful that I found her. I think she is a great advocate for my horse. She is certainly quick to set me straight on anything I need to be set straight on!!
Hope I’m not speaking too soon but horse seems less psychotic here too - canters around occasionally but none of the crazy gallops and mainly moseys around checking the fence line. Also, no throwing his bucket around the stall. He actually EATS QUIETLY! This is huge. He used to stress out about feeding time, flip his bucket and throw it across the stall then pick it up and bang it against the wall through out the day. Hopefully he will stay this happy. It has been almost two weeks and he seems to get better every day.
[QUOTE=Hey Mickey;7351134]
I just had a random thought last night…
Is a back in track sheet beneficial or any other types of magnetic sheets or even those massage pads?[/QUOTE]
I had a terrible SI injury with my barrel horse. 18 months of rehab to get him running again and now he just re-injured himself by getting cast. The BOT sheet is worth every penny in my opinion. His muscles were always sooo tense and sore, but after a night with his sheet on he was very relaxed and it helped get rid of the inflammation. With this second injury I am trying to keep his sheet on as much as possible and see if it will help cut down the rehab time. He will begin Magna Wave treatments shortly, heard some amazing stories when it comes to soft tissue injuries. If I don’t see a difference then I will try shockwave.
Hope your boy continues to get better! Please keep us updated. 
