McTimoney looks at the whole of the animal’s body, veterinary permission is received.

A history allows me to understand and build a picture

So what can I expect?

History:

History is taken of the animal. This consists of looking at the animals work, exercise, management and lifestyle. Previous conditions and reported signs are considered.

A history allows me to understand build a picture of the patient. Any contraindications prior to treatment can be noticed. This allows me to advise if the animal needs to be referred to a Veterinary Surgeon or would benefit from treatment.

Gait Analysis:

A vast amount of information can be detected by watching the animal move. It can identify gait abnormalities or asymmetries seen in the animals walk and trot.

Palpation:

Palpation assessment allows me to assess the animal’s bones, muscles and joints. This assessment will indicate misalignments, muscle spasms and areas of unevenness or asymmetries.

Treatment:

The treatment involves the use of my hands, a high speed low force adjustment is performed on the bony landmark to realign misalignments. The importance of the technique releases the muscular tension and spasm connected to the misalignment. Soft tissue massage is applied to the surrounding supportive muscles allowing pain, discomfort to be relieved.

Aftercare:

The treatment begins the healing process and the rehabilitation program needs to be followed to achieve the best results from the treatment. During the treatment your horse may lick, chew, yawn or relax. Your dog may become tired and relaxed these are all normal treatment signs.

I will always provide you with an individual aftercare plan involving rest, management, exercise to enhance the treatment.

As horse owners the physical demands we place on our equine athletes can predispose musculoskeletal problems.

Misalignments are either acute or chronic issue. Acute issues being short term eg: falling, slipping etc. More chronic issues may include conformational stresses. McTimoney treatment is an excellent alternative therapy to realign, reinstate to optimise performance.

Many of my clients incorporate a visit from a McTimoney practitioner as part of their maintenance regime.   Whether your horse is in light or competition work a McTimoney treatment is beneficial.  

What to look for:

• Asymmetry
• Stiffness on one rein
• Unwillingness to go forward
• Deterioration in performance
• Not working through from behind
• Tripping
• Refusing, knocking poles, not basculing over fences
• Incorrect canter lead, struggling to maintain canter, disunited
• Resistance – napping, bucking, rearing
• Uneven shoe wear, muscles development or atrophy

Treatment Benefits:

• Increased stride length
• Increased joint movement/flexibility
• Relief discomfort and pain
• A decrease in exercise soreness
• Prevention of muscular strain
• Increased muscle elasticity

Many horses are assessed as part of routine maintenance. Depending on the work demand placed on your horse treatments maybe more frequent.

Gait Analysis:

At the end – Gait assessment may include lunge exercise or ridden.

Aftercare:

I will always provide you with an individual aftercare plan involving rest, management, exercise to enhance the treatment. Occasionally a follow up treatment is required but will be discussed.

• Specific breeds, agility, obedience, flyball, pets and working dogs have problems due to their nature of work or lifestyle.
• Conformational deviations can cause increased susceptibility for misalignments, constant pulling on the lead, slippy flooring, playing rough, accident or repetitive training

Signs which may be detected:

• Stiffness
• Limping
• Deterioration in performance
• Struggling to get into car, climb up stairs
• General discomfort
• Crying when getting up
• Reluctance or lethargy
• Change in movement e.g.: carrying tail to one side, crabbing
• Sitting unevenly
• Uneven claw wear

Benefits of McTimoney

Pet

• Reduces behavioural issues
• Improves uneven weight distribution
• Reduces stiffness
• Helps arthritis
• Alleviates muscle spasms
• Improves difficulty jumping in car and going up the stairs

Agility

• Prevents muscular imbalance
• Improve performance – reducing knocking poles, smoother weaves, and better contacts
• Removal of muscular knots or spasms, alleviate areas of repetitive strain or over exertion
• Promotes flexibility, mobility

Obedience

• Reduces repetitive strain, neck spasm
• Alleviates muscle soreness, back issues, stiffness and improve flexibility

Working Dogs

• Alleviate lumbar strains, repetitive strains, tension, stiffness, lethargy

Show Dogs

• Reduces roaching of the back
• Improves balance and reduces muscle atrophy
• Reduces goose stepping, crabbing, hackneying

Rescue Dogs

• Reduces stiffness / mobility, irritation,
• Helps unsociable behaviour,
• Eases tension, muscular strains, over exertion and repetitive strain