OMT- Orthopedic Mobilization Technique

            OMT is a very quick and accurate way of diagnosing and treating neuromuscular conditions.  The nerves, muscles and bones of the horse are involved in neuromuscular abnormalities, which usually show up as pain, stiffness, or behavior changes.

            Mechanoreceptors and proprioceptors receive and send continual information from your body to your brain (and your horses brain) via your spinal cord.  The firing of the nerves will alter with movement and postural changes.  These impulses are magnified by another type of neurons to produce the appropriate adaptive responses to both the postural muscles and normal vascular tone.

            If this sequence did not happen, your horse would be unable to respond to your commands, such as pressure in the mouth or leg pressure for a lead change. If there are any glitches in this system, the perfomance of the horse will suffer.  Sometimes this failure in the internal communication presents as reluctance, resistance, loss of coordination or behavioral changes.  Other symptoms may show as a resistance in collection, easier movement to one side or picking up one lead easier than the other.

            The horse communicates in a non-verbal form, so if we ignore this non-verbal communication long enough, it becomes painful and training can become more difficult and more expensive.  If a horse’s range of motion is compromised, it will take much more to get a response.  Sometimes this problem is met with sharper spurs, heavier bits, and more aggressive tack.

            Perhaps the biggest hurdle horse owners face is a mental perception of the horse’s size.  Most feel that given the horse’s size and strength, the idea of making a spinal manipulation without using a great amount of force seems impossible.  Have you seen the horse’s skin reflex when a fly lands on him?  That is a panniculus-like reflex in it’s normal, non-pathological response with only a very light touch.

            When using OMT to treat a horse, the Law of Physics comes into play.  MASS(weight) X ACCELERATION (speed) = FORCE (energy).  OMT decreases the MASS and increases the ACCELERATION to generate the FORCE.  For example, if you were to be hit by a motor vehicle moving at 6 mph, would you want it to be a Volkswagen or a freight train?  Everyone would pick the Volkswagen because the mass is less and that is what will cause most of the damage (not the acceleration).

            The horse can move at 20milliseconds, while the human moves at the speed of 80 msec.  This means that the horse is four times faster than the chiropractor!  The proper adjusting equipment to treat the horse is able to generate anywhere from 20-100lbs of thrust in .5 msec.  This is a very quick treatment, too quick for his nervous system to stop it.

            OMT treats the animal in the neutral posture, so there is no twisting or turning the horse to gain a mechanical advantage.  There is very little MASS (weight) for the horse to absorb, and the cervical vascualr system (neck) is not compromised.  There is no guess work with OMT.  The trainer or horse owner can see the problem at the same time as the Chiropracticioner.  You can also see immediate results in your horse’s disposition and pain reflex after the treatment is done.

            OMT is expected to stimulate or release your horse’s natural body function, leading to dramatic improvement in performance and behavior.  This treatment is not intended to be a substitute for veterinary care or to treat specific diseases and will only be applied with veterinary approval.