There is no doubt that owners, trainers, grooms and drivers all want their charges to win races. Competition in the racing world is fierce, and those in tune with the industry are well aware that people will do many things to win. Although, many believe that one simple, overlooked method is an effective way to get horses feeling good
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A video report by Jerry McCrea for the Star-Ledger has shone the light on Brian Colquhoun, a veterinary acupuncturist in the state of New Jersey that sings the praises of acupuncture therapy for equine. "It's a natural method of medicine that enlists the animal's own health mechanisms to help their bodies fight disease and to maintain health throughout their lifetime," he said.
"Horses, in particular, seem to be great examples or patients in using veterinary acupuncture. Perhaps it's their size. Perhaps it's their nervous systems, but we seem to find that horses, in particular, respond very quickly and very dramatically to the treatments that we give them," Colquhoun explained.
"When we place the needle into a particular point on the body, we produce local reactions around where we place that needle," Colquhoun said. "We relieve spasm. We help bring healing factors into that area, but we also affect the body in an overall basis. We send reflexes to the spinal chord. We send messages to the brain, and it also results in hormones being released, as well as brain chemicals, so that we can, in fact, affect many systems in the body all together.
"Many of the reasons we treat horses with acupuncture are to keep them not only healthy, but comfortable when they are being ridden, or in athletic competition. It certainly helps in relieving pain and muscle spasms. It is also used for conditions such as reproductive disfunction --- it will help mares, for instance, get in foal. It can be used to treat chronic diseases. Horses have respiratory diseases it's helped for. They (horses) also have chronic metabolic disease, and it is often times used to help those diseases as well."
(With files from the Star-Ledger)