Massage/Body Work : Our practice enjoys great working relationships with practitioners of Equine Sports Massage Therapy and Equine Body Workers. We are firm believers in the wonderful benefits of massage and body work for all horses. Please do feel free to discuss massage and body work at your appointment to get more info and referrals!

Saddle Fit : We also are proponents of the benefits of correct saddle fit. Dr Bielawski commonly asseses saddle fit as a part of any lameness/performance exam/treatment. We also refer to a variety of saddle fitters to help achieve the best fit for your horse.  

An excellent reference guide to saddle fit are books and dvds authored by Dr Joyce Harmon. "Pain Free Back and Saddle Fit" . These are fabulous guides and both English Saddle editions and Western Saddle editions are available.

English Saddle Fit   

Western Saddle Fit 

What Is Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine or T.C.V.M?          

                                                                   TCVM consists of  5 complementary branches :                 

                                                                                     ~ Acupuncture                        

                                                                                     ~ Herbal Therapy                

                                                                                      ~Food Therapy

                                                                                      ~Tui-Na     

                                                                                      ~Qi-Gong

What Is Acupuncture ?

Acupuncture is the art of treating diseases and conditions of concern by placing fine, slender needles into specific areas of the body called acupoints. The acupoints are located in specific places along the  meridians in the body. Meridians are "channels" or "energy highways" that are involved with the free  flow of Qi. Depending on the condition being treated and the personality if the horse anywhere from  approximately 10 -30 or so needles are used. Acupuncture needles are solid and are made in different  lengths.  Acupuncture has been used by the Chinese for over 2000 years. In T.C.V.M., the body exists in a balanced state (homeostasis). By the time a disease presents itself ( the horse is demonstrating clinical signs)  an imbalance in the body exists. Disease conditions can exist in many forms such as conditions of  excess(e.g. fever), conditions of deficiency (e.g. lethargy), blockage of Qi (e.g. pain) T.C.V.M. works to restore the balance and thereby relieve/resolve the disease condition    About the History of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine: TCVM has been in use in China for over 2000 years. The first Chinese veterinary  textbook was written in 659 B.C. "Bole's Cannon of Veterinary Acupuncture".  Acupuncture was in use in Japan in 484 B.C and Korea in 507 B.C. ,it was introduced into France in the 1500's , Great Britain in 1676 and into North America in the 1800's.  T.C.V.M has many applications in equine medicine, It is often used as a sole therapy  as well as in conjunction with traditional western medicine (antibiotics, joint injections...).The goals of T.C.V.M. include balancing the body systems, optimizing athletic performance, treating existing disease conditions and relieving pain and  discomfort. Acupuncture is commonly used during the competition season to help keep show horses competing and training in top form!                  

 Types Of Acupuncture 

There are a few different types of acupuncture treatment modalities. 1. Dry Needles: when simply the acupuncture needle is inserted. Sometimes  the needle is manipulated, twisted etc., during the treatment. 2. Electro-acupuncture: when a mild buzz -type charge is applied to the needles through wires connected  to an electroacupunctoscope. Most horses LOVE this and get quite relaxed and sleepy during this type of treatment 3. Aquapuncture: when "regular" hollow needles are used to inject a liquid , such as vitamin B12, into the acupuncture point. 4.Hemoacupuncture: when a needle is placed for the specific purpose of allowing blood to flow out .5.Other types: include laser acupuncture , acupressure massage.                          

Who Uses Acupuncture?  

Acupuncture has so many applications that everybody is a candidate. Most people initially seek out  acupuncture to help resolve painful conditions. Most horse people also initially try acupuncture as an  adjunct therapy for pain, and quickly learn that many, many conditions benefit from T.C.V.M. therapy. Any horse, from the pasture pet to performance horses may benefit. The main goal is to balance the body systems that have become imbalanced, whether from disease, trauma, stress or training and competing. Examples of some very common conditions that respond exceptionally well to acupuncture include, among other conditions, Anhidrosis(non-sweater)  and back soreness. Additionally, tendon, ligament and musculoskeletal problems, chronic colic, weight loss, poor performance, inflammatory conditions/corneal ulcers/conjunctivitis, respiratory conditions, allergies  and dermatological conditions, behavior issues, unusual aggression or spooking and reproductive issues. Many competition and  show horses are treated monthly to help ease the rigors of training and competition. Acupuncture not  only helps keep them relaxed, happy and training in top form, but can help detect potential problems while they are still developing.              

What Is Herbal Therapy? 

In T.C.V.M., herbs have to be in use, and proof  of efficacy must exist, for hundreds of years before they are considered/approved as herbal therapy within T.C.V.M.. Since the first written history of Traditional  Chinese Veterinary Medicine is over 2000 years old, many herbs are approved to be in use today. Herbal  therapy can be used alone or in combination with other modalities. Herbs work by nourishing and healing the affected tissues and diseases involved.    

What Can I Expect During A Typical Appointment? 

Typically, the owner or caretaker is first asked for a thorough history of the main problem. Any other  concerns, unusual or interesting things  and the horses' personality traits are also discussed.  After all the discussion, the acupuncturist will look at the horses' tongue and palpate the pulses in the neck. Next is a light palpation of the meridians for sensitive or reactive points. Collectively, this information can pinpoint the source of the issues at hand, and thereby, put together an individualized treatment plan for the horse. Depending on the condition, and personality of the patient, the acupuncturist may perform dry needle, with or without electroacupuncture, aquapuncture and or hemoacupuncture. Calming and relaxing points are placed first and the treatment points are added next . Very often the patient will start to lick, chew and drop their head as the treatment progresses. Some horses will tolerate many needles, some only a few, this will be determined at the appointment. Herbs may or may not be recommended and will be determined at the appointment.    

What Are The Meridians?

The meridians are channels or "highways" of energy that run within very specific locations in the body. There are 12 major meridians in the body and are named for the major organs that they influence. Acupuncture points are places along these meridians where there has histologically been determined that there is an increased number of aggregates of nerve endings, cells and  blood vessels. When the energy, or Qi, is flowing the body functions within normal limits. When Qi is blocked discomfort or disease may result. Acupuncture points within the meridians are similar to reset buttons, and when stimulated, help to clear blockage and restore the free flow of Qi, thereby harmonizing and balancing the body systems. Each acupuncture point has multiple different uses and the points chosen depend on the primary condition and the personality of the horse.

What is Qi?

Qi is the essence of a living being, which also makes it a living thing. If you are alive, you have Qi, if you are not alive or are inanimate, you do not have Qi. Qi is important for many reasons. When Qi is free flowing with balanced body systems, there is health. When there is a blockage or deficiency of Qi, then there is pain, disease and abnormal behavior 

CONDITIONS

Anhidrosis  

Anhidrosis is a condition in which the horse stops sweating. There are many degrees of this condition. Some horses may initially simply develop abnormal sweating patterns while other cease sweating entirely. Clinical signs may include :Abnormal or absent sweat patterns/patches.Dry skin, poor hair coat, scaly skin, hair loss especially on neck,face and between hind legs.Decreased ability to recover from exercise, exercise intolerance.Labored breathing, flared nostrils, fever when in the barn or standing in the shade.Blowing unusually hard after a normal workout.Excessive thirst or playing in the water buckets,hovering over water buckets. Treatment Many of these hoses are treated successfully with acupuncture and herbal therapy.In addition, it is recommended that these horses are kept in the coolest environment possible such as in a stall with fans during the day. Frequent hosing to reduce overheating, place sprinklers or misters in the shade in the pasture . Avoid riding or  causing the horses body temperature to rise until the horse has begun sweating or  the temperature changes. Additionally, Omega 3 and 6 fatty acid supplement may help with a dry brittle hair coat. Supplement with ONE AC, and dark beer .Try to resolve any possible inciting causes. Cause Largely undetermined. Stress has been anecdotally reported to bring the condition on, whether it is the stress from a trailer ride/ anticipated event, stress of sickness or just overwork. Any horse may be affected. This condition is most common in hot humid climates similar to Florida and less likely to occur in climates such as New York.

Back Soreness

A very common condition in horses found in pleasure and trail riding horses to all types of performance horses. Clinical signs may include: When getting groomed or tacked the horse may: tail swish, grind teeth, bite, fidget,pin ears or kick; flinching or muscle spasms or pinning ears when palpating muscles along the spine, brushing that area or placing the saddle on the horses back.Under tack you may experience a reluctance to really remove forward, tail swishing, teeth grinding.Depending on the horses' job, you may encounter cross cantering, switching leads back and forth, stiff choppy stride, tense back, reluctance to engage hindquarters, reluctance to go onto the bit and soften, difficulty balancing in corners or turns, tripping, rushing fences, adding strides before fences, anxiety at the in gate, increased spookiness and shying. These are sometimes signs  that a horse is trying to get away from the  discomfort. Common Causes Back soreness can be a primary problem or secondary to something else. Some of the more common causes include hock  problems/arthritis, incorrect saddle fit, training methods and muscle soreness. Treatment Acupuncture and herbal therapy are very useful and successful for treating back pain. They can be used alone or as an adjunct to hock injections and muscle relaxants, depending on the inciting cause. Proper saddle fit is critical. Acupuncture often can help to extend to time between joint  injections. Massage will also help the healing process