What Equine Bowen Therapy Can Treat

 

Maybe your horse has a specific problem, or you feel that your horse is just “not quite right”? Maybe you are a rider with a bad back and you feel this may be influencing your horse’s way of going.

Equine Bowen Therapy can address all manner of health and temperament issues, and is suitable for foals all the way to veterans that may need some extra maintenance.

Bowen can release muscle spasm and tension, assist in recovery from injury, help to maintain soundness and improve suppleness. You may notice more elevation in your horse’s stride, by freeing the shoulder, and more power from his hindquarters. Of course, this increased flexibility can also have a positive effect on performance, increasing stride length and scope of your horse’s jump. It can provide a new lease of life for older horses, retired due to stiffness or other reasons. It can also be given purely as a deeply relaxing treatment to enhance your horses overall well-being.

;

Other specific conditions which Equine Bowen Therapy can help include:

 

  • Unlevelness, disunited gait or irregular action

  • Intermittent/unresolved lameness

  • Reluctance to stride out, disunited paces

  • Injury – tendon or ligament, joint stiffness

  • Muscle atrophy or uneven muscle development

  • Uneven wear of shoes

  • General stiffness, or stiffness on one rein

  • ‘Cold’ or sore back

  • Sluggish lymphatic system or weakened immune system

  • Uncharacteristic change of temperament

  • Deterioration of performance

  • Horse exhibiting a “bad” attitude/unexplained resistance

  • Difficult to shoe

  • Pain relief in support of laminitics

  • Heavy in the hands

  • High and low head carriage.

  • Head shaking

Conformation is a factor that can cause the horse to over time develop any form of dysfunction, but other factors can lead to problems such as back disorders or lameness. Here are a few typical incidents which may lead to injury:

 

  • Getting cast in their stables

  • Pulling back when tied up

  • Panic reactions

  • Slipping on tarmac roads, or wet surfaces

  • Uneven surfaces

  • Having an accident in the field

  • Accidents in the horse box, trailer or flying

  • Accidents in starting stalls

  • Having a fall when jumping

  • Catching a hip on a gate post or stable door/frame

  • Poorly fitting saddles or rugs

  • Becoming stiff due to old age, enforced box rest, or lack of turnout

  • A structurally unbalanced rider can also create a sore horse. Last time you or the horse had a fall – did you get yourselves rebalanced?

    These are just a few examples, the list is endless…

Equine Bowen Therapy may also aid

recovery from:

 

  • Lymphatic Blockages

  • Sprains & Strains

  • Wobbler Disease

  • Kidney & Bladder Dysfunction

  • Nerve Injuries

  • Tying up

  • Wind/Respiratory problems

  • Recovery from surgery

  • Anhydrosis (non-sweating)

  • Exercise Induced Pulmonary Haemorrhage

  • Pre & post operative surgery

Whilst musculoskeletal issues are a common presentation for EBT, the treatment can have significant impact on other systems. For instance, Bowen can be useful in lymphatic drainage (e.g. in the case of ‘filled’ legs) and have a detoxifying effect. It is also common to see veins enlarge as the circulatory system is stimulated. In response to this detoxifying process, horses often feel the urge to urinate and/or have a long drink of water either during or immediately after treatment.

 

The benefits of Equine Bowen Therapy

 

  • It works with the circulatory system, increasing blood circulation and so enhancing oxygen and nutrients around the horse’s body.
  • Assists the Lymphatic system, removing toxins and helping to reduce soft tissue swelling.
  • Relieves tension and eases stiffness
  • Increases muscle tone, flexibility and suppleness
  • Improves performance, increasing the range and efficiency of movement, stride length and elevation
  • Alleviates pain as Equine Bowen Therapy activates an endorphin release
  • Reduces the onset of muscle fatigue, it may reduce the chance of tying up with regular treatments
  • Reducing the effects of allergies, such as bedding, dust, pollen and other related allergens.
  • Reducing stress, either physical or mental, due to the calming effect on the body’s system

This list is by no means exhaustive. Bowen therapy is holistic in nature and works to restore the body to optimal health. It therefore has an effect on any area of ill health or dysfunction, and there are a huge range of procedures and infinite combinations of moves that can be tailored to the individual’s unique needs.

Share This