From ‘No Hope’ to Winning!

Kirsty has had Norman since he was born. They’ve worked together and competed together. She was successfully bringing him on but one day, when he was 15, he was suddenly lame. “We used to joke he has only had one careful owner” said Kirsty “so when this happened I was very worried. I didn’t know if it was a sporting injury during a competition or bucking during a big thunder storm a week later – or both – but I knew it was serious”.

She went to her vets: the first vet took Xrays and said he didn’t know why Norman was lame. His colleague then took ultrasound pictures and said the deep digital flexor tendon was damaged. He said this would mean he be very unlikely to compete again and certainly wouldn’t jump again. “I feared the worst and considered retiring him. There didn’t seem much the vets could do, so if had insurance I would have been looking at Loss of Use. The vets didn’t actually advise me to shoot him, but I knew that’s what they were thinking.”

Very upset, Kirsty phoned Vav and asked if there was anything she could do. Vav gave Norman a chiropractic treatment, finding a certain amount wrong and suggested he had his foot balance corrected. She went on to recommend Roger Meacock the visiting specialist vet who brings innovative high-tech equipment at the Natural Therapy Centre for Animals.

When Kirsty brought him to the Centre, Norman could hardly put any weight on his near foreleg, and he walked out with his weight normally distributed between all four legs. “It was much more than I’d hoped for.” said Kirsty.

Roger used his SCENAR machine, which found something wrong where the vets had thought the problem was. He too suggested a change of farriery. But he also found a bigger problem in that shoulder, where Norman had been holding himself off that foot. The SCENAR works through tiny electrical pulses that are often hardly noticeable. Hand-held, it beeps until it has done its job on that spot, so Roger moves it on around that area. To accompany this, Roger also recommended a remedy for muscle and tissue damage, which he ‘personalised’ with his e-Lybra homeopathic computer.

His opinion was that Norman might well recover fully, if they took it slowly and surely. He pointed out that there were two problems – firstly the sore shoulder and secondly the loss of muscle and fitness after three months box-rest while the previous vets tried to diagnose the problem. Together they designed a rehabilitation programme to bring him back to fitness slowly but surely. Over the next six months, he saw Norman twice and gave a boost with the SCENAR, and encouraged Kirsty with her rehabilitation work.

Kirsty worked in very small steps to bring Norman back to full fitness. The first month was roadwork in hand, slowly increasing the length of the walk. Next she pushed him with uphill roadwork which was followed by gentle hacking, and then gentle trotting. After some large circles ridden in the sand school, they progressed to straight-line cantering on long forest paths. Then Kirsty started smaller school circles, small jumps and some dressage.

This lead to a successful riding school dressage test, and then a hunter trial. Kirsty felt that this was roughly his level of fitness a year ago, before the lameness. She brought Norman back for a ‘check-up’ with Roger, to remove any last doubts about his health. While they agreed that he may always have a weakness in that shoulder, he could continue to compete, though they knew his age would go against him soon. But the good news Kirsty brought with her was that ‘Stormin Norman’ (his professional name) had qualified for the National Final of the BHS Cross-Country Championship.

So as Kirsty said “He’s gone from nearly being shot to winning everything I enter him for. Chiropractic, SCENAR, homeopathy and farriery – all doing their bit to bring about a total change. Brilliant!”

Star of the Month

To let everyone share in our excitement in their improvement, we thought we would highlight some animals’ great progress.

Heidi is an Alpaca

The Old Gentleman

Toby ‘Torpedo Knickers’ Winn

From Rescue to National Competition

Muffin is Walking Again!

He’s Getting Younger!

My Buffalo's Back!

Back In The Show Ring

Over the Moon

Afraid of Water No More!

Back in Perfect Balance

Sadie's Transformation

No Need to Operate Now!

From ‘No Hope’ to Winning!

Missi’s got her Life Back Again!

Life's a Canter for Trampus

A Brazilian Tapir's Bathroom Accident

Football-Mad Fred

But he’s not lame!

see also:

Uston: An Adjustment in Time… 

Oliver's Twist in the Tale