A Collaborative Approach
The body worker gave Porcelana a therapeutic massage and performed stretches. Concerned about my mare's serious lack of muscle tone and her lethargic appearance, she advised me to consult with my veterinarian about immediately weaning Clementino (then almost 6 months old) to enhance Porcelana's nutrition. Further, she suggested I begin hand-walking Porcelana to build up her strength and muscles.
My veterinarian concurred, so I initiated the new regime. Slowly but surely, Porcelana began to improve. After three months, my vet checked Porcelana again. Her suspensory ligaments were healing nicely, and he gave me the okay to begin light riding.
The body worker also returned. I'm impressed with her knowledge of anatomy, physical therapy, and equine health care, which she's learned through a lifetime with horses, augmented by specialized training and her association with two holistic veterinarians. By the second session, Porcelana was moving more fluidly than before.
The body worker has also taught me simple exercises to perform on Porcelana daily to loosen the mare's stiff shoulders and tone her back muscles. She'll provide annual preventive maintenance to help Porcelana maintain her range of motion, structural balance, mobility, and flexibility.
Today, Porcelana's legs are rehabilitating nicely. She's muscling out, due to regular riding and ground work. She ran like the wind when I rode her down a sandy wash this afternoon. Her successful turnaround demonstrated to me the value of a collaborative approach among multiple equine-health providers.
One Owner's Viewpoint
Considering the beneficial care Porcelana has received from these providers, in addition to the veterinarian, I was surprised to recently learn that Arizona statutes (as well as other states') declare it unlawful to provide care to horses unless the person is a veterinarian or a licensed veterinary technician working under the direct supervision of a vet.
Of course, I want only well-trained, skilled people who come recommended to work on my horses. Although I'm sure Arizona's statutes were enacted to protect horses' health, they seem to ignore the role of the horse owner in choosing their horses' caregivers.
Organizations supporting animal owners now exist in many states, in part to modify these kinds of laws. For example, the Illinois Alliance for Animal Owners Rights (www.iaaor.org) persuaded the state legislature to approve an amendment to the Veterinary Medicine Practice Act, allowing animal owners to legally use "natural healers." I've just joined the Arizona Alliance for Animal Owners Rights (www.azaaor.org), which is working to duplicate Illinois' accomplishments.
I hope that as states change their existing laws to allow horse owners more options in terms of their horses' care, more horses like Porcelana will benefit.
