Equine Case Study - Thoroughbred Racehorse

Posted 27th November, 2009

The horse used in this study is "Along Came Rosie" (aka "Flora"), a 5 year old, 16.2hh Thoroughbred mare in training with Andy Crook Racing at Middleham.

I was called out to see Flora when she became lame behind after doing fast work. The vet suspected a sacroiliac injury and had prescribed box rest and three days of "bute". I saw Flora four days after the original injury, and although she had improved she was still lame on trot-up. I also noted a pelvis misalignment on her left side when she trotted up.

When I examined Flora, I noticed a roached posture in the lumbar portion of her back, and she flinched when touched on the left side of her back and on her hamstrings. She was tucked up and had asymmetric muscle development in her hindquarters - there was more muscle development on the right hand side. As this was combined with a ventral pelvis rotation and caudal tilt (lower and further back) on the left, I suspected that the problem had been ongoing for some time as she had been compensating for weakness in the affected left hindlimb. A small injury such as a slip could have irritated this, to the point that a lameness resulted.

I also found numerous misalignments in the late thoracic and lumbar portions of her spine, particularly around the roached area and more prominently on the left. After treating the affected areas with gentle adjustments, I gave Flora a full massage session and found she was especially tight in her triceps (forelimb) and hamstrings (hindlimb) on both sides. I left her trainer with some stretches to carry out daily, and arranged to see Flora again a week later.

When I saw Flora for the second time, her trainer told me the vet had been out the day before and was pleased to declare her sound. She was still off work but was not on any medication. When I examined her, I found she was not as sensitive as she had been previously when touched on her back and hamstrings, and only had a few minor areas of muscle tension. She required far fewer adjustments than previously and had lost the roached, tucked up posture.

Subsequent to this short course of treatment, Flora went on to come second in her next race, and fourth in her first time out over hurdles in a Grade 1 track at Wetherby. Her trainer has high hopes for her future.