PROCESS

We begin by gathering a thorough medical and life history of your horse, to better understand their personality and what they may be going through mentally and physically at that time. We continue by running our hands along their topline on both sides to feel for areas of heat, as well as cooler regions along their body. This gives us a better idea of what areas may be ailing them if they are drastically hot or drastically cold. We then examine their tongue. The color, presence of edema, presence of coating, and overall moisture will give me information about their energy, circulation, hydration, and systemic health. Then we move on to palpating their jugular pulses. The strength and character of each pulse gives me information about their energy, systemic circulation, and overall health. Their jugular pulses can be described as strong, weak, bilaterally even or stronger on one side, superficial or deep, wiry, thread, or rolling.

 

We move to scanning along their meridians using a blunt object like a needle cap, and look for responses and reactions from your horse as we scan. The responses can be as subtle as a flick of their ear or a change in their eye, to a muscle fasciculation or contraction. These responses can be diagnostic, as well as used for treatment. We use the pattern and severity of their responses to then formulate a treatment plan for needle type, size, length, and placement.

 

Then we can move forward with placing our needles.

 

We let the needles stay in for at least 10 minutes, but the goal is at least 20 minutes and sometimes longer. Your horse will tell us when they are done with their treatment. We can perform electroacupuncture as well at this time. We can connect two needles along a meridian and span a portion of that meridian, clip our line to the two needles, and send an electric current through that portion of the meridian affecting all of those points. This can often times elongate our beneficial effects of acupuncture.