Osteopathy for horses is based on the principles of human osteopathy but translated to the anatomy and physiology of the horse.

Using specific manual techniques, through knowledge of anatomy and biomechanics, use of the horse’s own body weight and its reflexes, it is possible to mobilize and manipulate a horse in a gentle focused way without having to be strong to do so in order to give the horse’s body the optimal freedom of movement.

Osteopathy focuses on the mobility and balance of the entire body. It is a pursuit of optimal homeostasis of the body and the ideal mobility of muscles, joints, organs, fascia, … A horse can only perform optimally when we find that perfect mobility and balance.  However due to certain internal or external factors such as stress, disease, trauma, inflammation, surgery, unbalanced nutrition, il-fitting saddle, etc., the tissue can lose its mobility.

When a restriction or decrease in movement occurs, we speak of a blockage. These blockages impede the ideal flow of the body. The body fluids such as blood and lymph no longer carry sufficient nutrients, but the removal of waste materials also leaves something to be desired. Even the nervous system can be overstimulated and irritated by a blockage. It is therefore always very important to detect and remove blockages, however small, as soon as possible.

Blockages are often the basis for physical discomfort, pain, or other complaints. This causes the body to look for a way to deal with it, to compensate for this discomfort. The accumulation of various compensations and decompensations in the body will eventually cause multiple complaints. Therefore, it is very important to examine the basic complaint and resolve it as soon as possible.

Osteopathy for horses is relatively new. It is the French veterinarian Dominique Giniaux who is considered the founder of equine osteopathy. It is he who was one of the first persons around 1980 to translate the principles of human osteopathy to the anatomy and physiology of the horse.

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