DJD degenerative joint disease and arthritis in horses

DJD Dejenerative joint disease

arthritis, spavins and sidebone

The Older Horse and Degenerative Joint Conditions

  • initial extreme discomfort in first session which cleared by second session
  • itching, yawning, stamping and lots of releasing
  • a new found freedom in the joints and a spring in her step
  • 18 yr old feeling like a 4 yr old!

This 18 year old homebred mare was diagnosed as having degenerative joint conditions. Arthritis and spavins in both hind legs. Recovered broken splint bone (NH) Sidebone (OF) Bone chips on canon bones - fronts. Although a seeming list of bony changes the mare was in full work - actively ridden 2 hrs daily and 4 hrs at the weekends. The year before she had suffered impact damage from taking two separate falls at a fast canter. She had treatment by the Vet on each occasion and subsequently suffered from ongoing stiffness.

The Buqi Session: (Three sessions)

1st session:

This mare has been the only horse that disliked the treatment intensely, although only during the first session. She kept moving away, kicked out, kicked her belly, pawed the ground and made her feelings known. There were copious quantities of binqi felt over the whole surface of the body Binqi felt in hocks, knees and lumber area on both sides. This was certainly a strong reaction although things felt clearer at the end of the session.

2nd session

A very different reaction; the mare settled very quickly Binqi could be felt in more local areas eg in areas of the thoracic spine, in the tensor fascia latae muscle, in the lumber area and in both hocks. The mare swapped the weight bearing hind legs regularly throughout the session. Some discomfort was apparent through the session but these were minor reactions. She became very relaxed and was licking and chewing. She made lots of facial expressions, yawned at the end and scratched her head on the doorposts.

3rd session

Yawning, stamping, relaxed, licking and chewing, swishing tail, some itching of head. I went straight to the left hind leg without knowing that the mare had recently received a kick there and felt binqi coming out from the stifle and hock. The sacro-iliac and sacrum felt as though ‘sharp’ binqi was emitting from the area. I was also aware of an area at the back of the saddle (lumber)that felt weak. Most of the binqi could be felt on right side of the body and the mare again adjusted her weight continuously from foot to foot when working on the hindlegs (presumably due to the spavins and arthritis).

Feedback from owner:

During the session: The mare found the session very uncomfortable and got very agitated. When I made contact with her I could feel a prickly sensation in my hand. She was kicking her belly at one stage as if to get rid of a fly. She looked a little bit panicky at times. I believe it was because she could feel something on her but not see it. When I stood back it looked like invisible lines between her and Jo.

That day: She was very unsettled for a good half hour after the session. She then quietened down and I took her out for a hack with a friend. She seemed springier. During the ride she seemed to be finding a new freedom in her joints and at one point went into a perfect extended trot (which she has not done since she was 5 years old). My friend remarked that she looked like she was on a high.

Following day: She looked like her old self but ‘brighter’. She ‘marched’ out of the yard when we went for a hack and, much the same as yesterday, her movement was freer and more bouncy. She was able to work from the back end, felt like 4 yrs rather than 18 yrs. She was very perky and her movements were very free and easy. At the same time she felt very relaxed.

The following week: She continued feeling very much the same. She stayed relaxed and very free and easy in her work. She started to stiffen up again the following weekend but not as badly as before the session. Given her age and the length of time that she has had her injuries I think she would benefit from more than one session. I am very grateful that you practised on my mare. I am not sure what I expected but there was a definite improvement in her.

Treatment 2

That day: She was a lot quieter this time and more relaxed, she was almost happy with what was happening. The reactions to the more painful bit was face pulling. She almost seemed to go to sleep at times but jerked herself awake. I think that she had worked out that after she would feel so much better. She did not have quite the same degree of noticeable freedom as after the last session but was definitely moving better. She was sleepy when first tacked up but definitely got into the swing of things when we got to the park. Again she seemed to test her joints out when we went down the drive.

Following day: Still very relaxed and showing a marked improvement in the way she was moving, looser and freer, able to bend her hocks better. She seemed to be trying out her newfound flexibility.

Following week: Still very relaxed and more settled. Her work has improved because she is more flexible in her joints and is rounding more easily.

Assessment of treatments:

This mare is well aged and presented with many joint and physical problems. The first session was obviously very uncomfortable for her. I felt the large quantities of binqi that were present over her whole body. At the time I decided that I was only prepared to continue with the sessions if she settled into them; the reactions in the initial session were evidence of severe discomfort and I felt that it was possible that, for some reason, this form of therapy might be intolerable and therefore unsuitable. However the next two treatments were very different. I found more localised areas of binqi that could be related to the symptoms and issues that she presents. The progression of the sessions indicates how binqi can move, that initially it could be felt throughout the entire system and then, when cleared to a degree, could be felt in more localised areas. There was a subsequent change in the horse’s demeanour as the discomfort of large quantities of binqi moved and cleared and was reflected clearly by her changing tolerance and ultimately her enjoyment of Buqi. It is interesting to note that areas of weakness were felt as hollowness or emptiness and I found myself yawning strongly when connecting in with these areas.