Bowen For Life
Post Trauma
BEFORE TREATMENT AFTER INITIAL TREATMENT
This 12yo novice eventer was purchased around Nov’03. He had been back in work 6wks following a lengthy layoff, the explanation being that the previous owner had no time. His problems manifested during the Summer 2004. Watching him being lunged in the school he appeared out of control. Bucking and corkscrewing, almost falling at times. He was not being fresh, nappy or nasty, this behaviour occurred even when cantering loose in the paddock. Under saddle he was tense with a tendency to jog.
His owner spent the next 2yrs trying to get to the root of his problem. Over and above the usual channels i.e. saddle, teeth, he had extensive chiropractic treatment including manipulation under sedation.
This horse has responded well to Bowen. He is able to work comfortably on the lunge and in canter. However I should point out that there appears to be some underlying problem/weakness. He seems to maintain a better level of comfort if schooling in an outline is kept to a minimum. His owner has decided against further investigation. Her attitude being that Bowen has given her a tool which enables her to work within the horse’s comfort zone. She is happy that he can now enjoy a “good jolly” and is not interested in using him as a dressage horse. Since the last photo he has had 3 top up treatments in a 9mth period.
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2mths later (NB. I would like to point out that there was no change in his diet after treatment).
3 MONTHS LATER
2mths later (NB. I would like to point out that there was no change in his diet after treatment).
2wks after feet trimmed
Loss of Jumping Form
BEFORE TREATMENT AFTER TREATMENT
BEFORE TREATMENT AFTER TREATMENT
This 12yo Jnr Show Jumper was impaled on a gatepost 6mths previously. His jumping had deteriorated. Working in a hollow outline, he kept propping and sliding into the bottom of the fences when asked for a long stride.
After 3 treatments his posture improved. His confidence has returned jumping and
he started to work in a soft, relaxed outline.
I spoke to his owner at the beginning
of Nov’06. He has maintained his form and has required no further treatment.
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Diagnosed Ring Bone
This is photo was taken after treatment, unfortunately none were taken of him moving before he had Bowen. The following is a synopsis of his owner’s testimonial:
“... When Benson was diagnosed with ringbone I went home and wept. Remedial shoeing and joint supplements helped and we were careful with his exercise, no jumping or trotting on the roads. However there were days when he was uncomfortable and unlevel. I felt this was the best we could expect. Pauline was a student at the time and looking for case studies. I asked if there was anything she could do. She was realistic, saying she could not cure arthritis. But improving the blood flow might make him more comfortable. There were no promises. He had a standard 3 sessions. After the second treatment I began to sense there was a change in Benson’s way of going. He had a twinkle in his eye that had not been there for some time. After the final session he was ready to take on the world. Bowen has helped restore Benson’s quality of life in a way I dared not dream. I know ringbone is progressive. I know eventually it will be too advanced to treat. I’m still very careful where we ride and conscious of hard ground. There are many people involved with Benson’s well being, but I genuinely believe Bowen has given us back our horse. For as long as we can, we will enjoy him”.
Abnormal Foot Growth
This 11yo advanced dressage horse was learning 1 X changes and piaffe. Approx 1mth later he began having problems with L half pass, L/canter pirouette and was unwilling to do L to R changes. He became unbalanced and seemed unable to push off his N hind during transitions. However once in motion appeared sound. During this time he started to show unusual and uneven growth to his feet, more noticeable on his N fore.
He had a standard course of 3 treatments after which he was able to push off behind. There was no deterioration as the intensity of his work increased. Keen to maintain the increase in his form, his owner has asked for the occasional top up treatment.
He was placed in the PSG at Oldencraig in September and at Towerlands in November. His feet have continued to grow in a balanced way.
EQUINE CASE HISTORIES
(NB all the horses in these photos were brought out of their stables and allowed to stand in what ever position they found comfortable. None were made to stand square).
Undiagnosed Hind limb Lameness
BEFORE TREATMENT AFTER TREATMENT, 3 Weeks Later
This 15yo allrounder has had the same home for 10yrs. His owner vaguely remembers him banging his hip on a gate post sometime in 2001. He was sore for a few days, had some bute and seemed fine after a week.
During Spring’02 he started going intermittently lame. This coincided with her changing yards and as she now had access to a sandschool was schooling regularly. His owner called her vet for the first time in 3/03. He found him to be sound in a straight line and also after flexion tests. However on the lunge he was seen to be lame on his N/H.
Nerve blocks revealed the site of his pain to be around the stifle area, however
the x-rays showed nothing obvious and were sent away for a 2 nd opinion. The specialist
could find nothing out of the ordinary and suggested a course of 7 injections of
Adequan. The treatment brought about no relief from his symptoms and chiropractic
work was also unsuccessful. By June’02 everyone had run out of ideas and his owner
decided to keep him as a light hack.
When I first saw him trotted up in a straight line he wasn’t quite tracking up but appeared no more than a bit idle. On the lunge he seemed unable to put his O/H beneath him. He had difficulty keeping his balance on both reins and seemed to be twisting and rotating his pelvis in an attempt to stop himself falling over whilst circling, this was most noticeable in canter.
He had 3 treatments after which his owner tried riding him in the school. He was sound in walk and trot going large and on a 20m circle. He was flexing easily and seeking a contact. Three months later his owner was pleased to report that he had put on muscle and had just started some canter work in the school without any problem. He has not required any further treatment.
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Sacroiliac Ligament Damage
Diagnosed in 3/03 as having sustained sacroiliac ligament damage N/S and nerve damage to gluts N/O, cause unknown.
Veterinary treatment - shock wave; steroid injections into ligament; acupuncture
with needles in gluts, electrically stimulated performed by Dietrich Von Schwitz,
fortnightly to monthly to quarterly.
Physio - treated fortnightly to monthly to quarterly. Electrical stimulation with
EMS machine several times a week.
Over the next 3yrs his owner kept trying to gradually increase his work but each time she got to the stage of introducing lateral work the horse would “shut down” and stop going forward. Then she would have to go back to Guilford for acupuncture and the cycle would begin again.
When I first saw him in 2/06 this medium dressage horse had insufficient flexibility to leg yield. On a L circle his N/H repeatedly locked momentarily. He appeared sluggish and reluctant to go forward especially in canter. His tail was clamped down.
There was improvement after 3 treatments with no reoccurrence of the locking hind limb and more impulsion generally. Three months later and after a further 3 treatments his owner felt that he really started to release through his spine and swing from behind. He started doing canter half pass, renvers and travers in 5/06
The horse has had a monthly top up treatment June to August then bi-monthly in October.
In November he went to Towerlands competed in the Medium qualifier scoring 8s for
his half passes. His owner feels he is getting stronger all the time and more supple.
[See Testimonial]
BEFORE AFTER
This 12yr old part bred lusitano presented very much favouring the right rein. On the left rein she had the tendency to “motorbike” around the corners, grabbing the bit & leaning on her riders’ left hand. Her owner was aware that she had a lot of uneven muscle development behind her right shoulder & along her spine. However as the mare had a history of azoturia she was reluctant to try any form of manipulative therapy or techniques using deep or prolonged pressure.
Both horse and rider received treatment at the same time and Bowen has had a profound effect on both of them. The horse went on to finish 4th at Royal Windsor & the rider has given her own account of the merits of Bowen [See Testimonials]
© Bowen for Life (www.bowenforlife.co.uk). All rights reserved 2007
This horse is a shiverer and has a club foot. There were no big problems as such with his performance, but he was quite spooky and tended to become tense easily, especially when asked for lateral work. His owner felt that this was possibly due to some low level discomfort and he was using spooking as an evasion when placed under pressure.
His work has improved significantly since having Bowen. He recently won a Medium at Patchetts. See Owner’s Testimonial for more details.
BEFORE
AFTER
6 MONTHS LATER