"Look for the disorder, find it, correct it, and let nature act"
(Andrew Taylor Still)
Finding the cause in equine osteopathy includes visual and palpatory findings, movement testing of joints, and assessment of gait in the horse.
For treatment, the equine osteotherapist has manual techniques for the joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons and organs.
To analyze the dysfunction of the horse's movement, it is necessary to also assess the movement of the rider.
Here is an example:
If a sacroiliac joint of the rider is blocked - the pelvis as the body's center of gravity - these restrictions are transferred to the horse. The horse then reacts with gait difficulties or, in the worst case, develops a dysfunction itself.
A sacroiliac joint blockage in the rider prevents correct weight transfer in the desired direction. The horse, assuming it has no restriction of its own, then walks "inaccurate" on the corresponding side. For this reason, it is advisable to examine the rider as well when starting treatment for the horse.
