A horse requiring chiropractic treatment may present with a variety of signs and symptoms.  Some of these are due directly to pain or discomfort, and many more are as a result of the horse compensating in its posture and movement.  Listed below are some of the signs and symptoms:

• Change in the horses attitude towards work and its general temperament

• Swishing tail, ears back when being ridden

• Bucking and rearing

• Loss of overall performance

• ‘Cold backed’- to weight of saddle/rider, objecting to the girth being tightened

• Reluctance to take a certain lead in canter

• Stiffness (general, or on one rein)

• Shifting lameness

• Increase frequency of over-reaching, brushing type injuries

• Unable to work low and long and flex at the poll

• Shortened choppy stride

• Engagement issues- loss of power from the hindquarters

• ‘Heavy’ or pulling more on the one rein than the other

• Rider feeling generally ‘crooked’ in the saddle

• Postural asymmetry

• Muscle atrophy- (muscles appearing bulkier on one side compared to the other