EQUINE BOWEN THERAPY

​

What is the minimum age a foal can have treatment?

There is no minimum age for Bowen & in fact it is a good idea to have regular treatment for foals & youngsters to prevent any patterns of fascial restriction from setting in.  A lot of foals can have soft tissue and even skeletal damage from the foaling process so it’s a good idea to check this.  Research has found up to 20% of foals have a rib fracture which isn’t picked up as their infant nervous systems thinks it is normal.  It is commonly desirable to have a nice deep bed in a ‘foaling stable’ for a mare to birth and then mum and baby stay confined for a while assuming it is safer for the new arrival.  In fact, confining the movement and that deep comfy bed can be detrimental for the new born’s neural development.  Having bodywork as soon as possible will help.

 

What’s the difference between having a Bowen treatment or a having massage/chiropractic/physio/osteopathic treatment?

Bowen is a holistic (whole body) treatment, having an influence on the body’s nervous system, encouraging tissue to return to a healthy state.  So, as well as addressing any particular area of obvious pain or tension, you know that Bowen is taking care of any other restricted areas too.  It could be argued that other modalities, in working areas of concern, are having an influence on the whole body too and that the nervous system may be affected but that is not their focus.  They are all great in their own speciality but the reason I chose & like Bowen so much is that it wraps everything up into one.  It can result in everything that the other modalities do on its own.  The beauty of addressing fascial adhesions and restrictions is that it will stay healthier for longer.  A joint subluxation being manipulated back into place won’t hold if the fascial restriction that pulled it out in the first place isn’t addressed.  Joint realignment doesn’t have to be forced (although it is a quick fix).  Sometimes the adhesions are on the really deep muscles which cannot be influenced manually but Bowen will.  It’s the ideal treatment for horses that negatively react to massage or having their joints manipulated.  I would say that the only exception to this is if your horse requires specialist movement rehabilitation, whereby a veterinary physiotherapist is best qualified to help.

With Bowen you know that the body will do what it needs to do itself so it’s virtually impossible to miss any areas of concern.

Bowen is an ideal alternative if you would like your horse to have acupuncture but will not tolerate the needles.

 

I have learnt to massage or treat my horse myself, would my horse still need a Bowen treatment?

Your horse may enjoy the massage or other modality that you have learnt to do & any form of connection with your horse, both physical and mental, providing you can define that it does not make him anxious, is great.  Generally, the form of bodywork that you learn on a horse owner’s course can certainly do no harm either.  My concern with owners that have invested in learning to do bodywork themselves is that something may be missed.  Keeping your horse’s body as unrestricted and free from tensions will ensure longevity of his body, in his joints and soft tissue.  Without a professional’s input, how do you know you aren’t missing something?  I don’t think it’s worth the risk and once bony changes have started to take place, there’s little if anything that can be done.  I also think it’s really hard to look at your own horse with objective eyes – our own horses are just perfect right!!

 

Are there any contraindications for my horse receiving the Bowen Technique?

None at all, although there may be some Moves that I won’t do, depending on any known condition or medication.  That doesn’t mean that it’s not worth having a treatment as I will be able to do the majority of Moves and your horse will greatly benefit from having those.

 

How many treatments will my horse need?

It depends!  Until I’ve seen and assessed your horse and they have had their first treatment it is difficult to say but for issues, generally its 3.  Generally, once an issue has been addressed, we usually identify that the horse will then need regular maintenance treatments, which can be anything from monthly to 6 monthly.  It all depends on their activity, musculoskeletal health and of course, their conformation.

 

How soon before a competition should my horse have a treatment?

If your horse hasn’t been receiving regular bodywork then I would recommend not starting within 3 months of a competition as their bodies can make some changes that may mean it isn’t as strong as it could be.  Re-alignment can be a process involving other factors such as dentistry and farriery.  If your horse has been receiving regular bodywork then I recommend a Bowen treatment within 2 days of your event to boost performance.

 

My horse isn’t in work or he’s retired so he doesn’t need bodywork, is that right?

No, everyone and every animal in a domestic environment needs bodywork in my opinion.  In an ideal world we would all have perfect conformations and not do anything that put a strain on our musculoskeletal systems but that isn’t the case.  It could be argued that horses that aren’t in work or are retired aren’t under any physical stress but the fact that they aren’t can be hugely detrimental to their bodies too.