Is your animal sore or lame? We can help.

Any animal can benefit from treatment, however horses, dogs, and cats are the most common patients.

For a more detailed guide on how to recognise soreness in your animal, see this article:

How to recognise when your animal is sore

How does chiropractic and acupuncture work?

Spinal, musculoskeletal and ageing conditions are very common in both horses and dogs, especially when Western medicine options may not be fully satisfactory or may have side effects that cannot be tolerated. Often, medications may help relieve the clinical signs but do not actually address the cause of the problem. Chiropractic and acupuncture treatments aim at treating the cause rather than just the clinical signs, allowing for more successful and longer lasting results with fewer side effects.

Veterinary Chiropractic:

Chiropractic treatment aims at keeping the nervous system functioning normally and thus keeping the body in top health. The nervous system can be affected by, and effect, the movement of joints of the body - especially the spine. If a spinal joint is not moving properly the associated nerves are not functioning properly. Muscles, joints, skin and even viscera are affected. A chiropractic adjustment gets that joint moving in its normal range of motion, thus resetting the nerves to be transmitting correct messages and returning all the affected tissues back to normal healthy status.

Veterinary Acupuncture:

The Chinese have practiced acupuncture for thousands of years. Acupuncture aims at achieving and then maintaining a healthy body by using fine needles placed in strategic points. The Chinese believe that when an animal is healthy there is circulation of an energy-like ‘chi’ along defined channels called meridians. These meridians are connected with internal organs, muscles, joints and the nervous system. Acupuncture points lie along these meridians and if a needle is inserted in these points, the flow of chi is influenced.

During the consultation Heidi may discuss any veterinary issues. She does not carry any veterinary drugs or do any veterinary procedures as it is generally better to refer the patient back to their local vet for further assessment and treatment.

Saddle Fit

Saddle fit is an extremely important factor that influences a horse's performance, behaviour and willingness to work. An ill fitting saddle can be extremely painful for the horse, and many owners simply aren't aware their saddle is causing problems. As part of a treatment, Heidi may assess the saddle for appropriate fit and suggest changes to improve the comfort and performance of the horse.

Speeches and Presentations

Heidi has given many talks at Pony Clubs and other horse clubs about identifying pain in the horse. She also discusses the effects of ill fitting saddles, management techniques to help prevent injuries, and what chiropractic and osteopathic treatments actually do to the horse, dispelling the misnomer of the horse being ‘out’.

Heidi also gives presentations about the horse sport of packing, demonstrating on the horse she rode around Australia, Gumby. She shows how to fit the saddle and how to load it correctly, so the horse remains comfortable and fit for long journeys.

One Day Clinics

Heidi also runs one day clinics, on demand, to groups who are keen to learn any of these topics in greater depth. Clinics are tailored to the participants' requirements, and involve plenty of hands-on time as well as information booklets and in-depth discussions and demonstrations.