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What to Expect when your Horse is Treated with Acupuncture

by Dr Sarah Peters BVSc

Acupuncture falls under the very broad heading of "Traditional Chinese Medicine" or TCM. Another very large component of TCM or TCVM (Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine) is herbal medicine.

I have been acupuncturing horses for almost two years now and the reactions are varied and unpredictable. Let me give you a brief explanation of how I approach the horse first.

The first treatment is very important as I take time to get to know your horse, so be prepared to divulge personal information about him/her and the environment they operate in. The horse is then examined using parameters that allow me to arrive at an holistic diagnosis. Don't worry all will be explained in terms that can easily be understood by all.

The first treatment will generally consist of dry needling only, as I like to asses how your horse will respond to the needles. A variety of needle types, lengths and thicknesses are used, depending where on the body the chosen points are located. The first point I will always needle is situated on the rump area and is called Bai-hui, a form of asking consent from the animal by the ancient Chinese. Thereafter the point choice is condition specific. You can expect about 20 needles in your horse.

Most horses readily accept the needles and really enjoy the treatments which last about 25 minutes.

On the second treatment I might use different acupuncture techniques if it is called for. I may make use of electroacupuncture or aquapuncture. If indicated I will prescribe a suitable herbal product for your horse to complement the acupuncture treatment and enhance the effect. The horse is then monitored over the next few weeks.

Equine acupuncture and herbal medicine is aimed at harmonizing the body to achieve health, be it physical or mental. A holistic diagnosis is achieved by identifying excesses or deficiencies of yin and yang, the five elements theory, the fundamental substances and the eight principles. These theories are easily identifiable with "western" conditions and are really just another way of approaching common ailments. They serve the purpose of guiding me in my treatments.  

Most horses find the treatments very relaxing so I advise owners to give them the following day off. I do not like treating horses within 2 days of a show.

DR MEGAN KELLY interviewed on SAFM.

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