
Get you and your horse aligned & balanced. Be a unified ensemble to obtain Peak Performance.
Training Stress Performance Anxiety Post Accident Fear
Gait Abnormality Intermittently Unsound Recurrent Lameness
Back-Neck Pain PMS & Mare Witchy-ness
Muscle Tendon & Pain
Body Stiffness
Headache
After a decade of horse therapy practice, Van is now working with both horse and rider to bring them into balance for heighten performance, injury recovery and prevention. As an Acupuncturist he is a Primary Healthcare Provider and that is a powerful resource for both horse and rider. Read about the his range of services.
Getting Psychology Right!
It is not uncommon for horse and rider to feed each other’s anxiety causing miscommunications and poor performances during competition. As we all know the key is to overcome the anxiety, but what if consistent training and competition is not reducing the anxiety? It could be that there is an underlying deficiency or imbalance of the acusystem or biochemistry as the root cause and until it is addressed the anxiety is easily triggered.
Do you experience performance anxiety?
Were either you or your horse injured in a scary accident?
Are you experiencing excess stress during training, at work or home?
Are you ladies or your mares experiencing PMS, Painful Menses or Irregular Cycles?
If you or your horse are experiencing the above contact me for an assessment. My practice is fully equipped to assess your condition through lab testing, physical exam, our unique energy assessment (AcuGraph), detailed brain function assessment and provide treatment. Note: Lab work for your horse will be specified for your veterinarian to perform services.
Getting Biomechanics Right!
Van refers to his combination of therapeutic modalities as Integrated Structural Alignment which includes Acupuncture, Myofascial Release, CranioSacral, massage and Qi Gong to reset and re-train the body to proper alignment. Therapy also includes diet, nutrition, nutraceuticals, herbs, and essential oils.
These modalities open the acu-system to relieve blockages that cause stiffness, limit the range of motion and impede performance. Those blockages are caused by the daily activities that we spend a lot of our time doing such as being seated while at the office desk, staring at computers, driving and if we are lucky enough the many hours in the saddle while training or pleasure rides.
The horses have the same blockages caused by their daily activities too such as standing in their stall or pipe corral looking one direction all day or night, holding their frame while in training, compensating their position to accommodate their saddle or bit. The result is our body, rider and horse, conforms to these postures and when not in correct alignment we experience poor athletic performance and are vulnerable to injuries.
Also, these are the major factors contributing to the long-term deterioration of our posture which are the basis to many forms of disease from chronic structural pain (back, neck, hock & sacroiliac joints) to malfunctioning organ systems. Releasing the tension in the spine and fascia permits successful communication between muscles, nerves, organs and bone which allows the body to heal itself, frees it from repetitive motion injuries and allows for peak performance.
Training inherently induces stress and after several days of work-outs when we dismount and pull the tack off it’s not enough to give the full emotional relief. Tight tissues, brain neuro-networks hold memory and emotional stress. It is necessary to soften the tissues, balance brain chemistry and open the acu-system. This in turn will unwind the mind and induce deep relaxation for both rider and horse. A peaceful mind has clarity, is responsive, works with ease and that facilitates learning and performance.
Contact me to schedule an appointments for you and your horse.
Read about AcuGraph
Acupuncture vs Topical Acupoint Stimulation for your horse : Topical Acupoint stimulation is applied to the horses in substitution for acupuncture because most horses prefer acupressure, magnets, vibration, essential oils and moxa due to the gentle and slower effect it has on the body and mind. Acupuncture is potent and fast acting, hence one can liken these modalities to thunder verses lighting: the topical Acupoint stimulation “rolls and rumbles like thunder in the distance” and the acupuncture “flashes brightly like a lightning strike”.
If you think your horse needs acupuncture contact your DVM and discuss with them your interest in acupuncture and preference for our services. I am most please to provide your DVM with my credentials and insurance. It is necessary to get the prescription from your DVM because in all 50 states the law states that the insertion of a needle into the horse is the practice of veterinary medicine. Our services must be done under the prescription of a DVM or under their supervision.