Equine Acupuncture - Acupuncture for Horses

Acupuncture is part of one of the oldest systems of medicine in the world - Traditional Chinese Medicine. It was developed in China over 4000 years ago and is still one of most commonly used medical systems in the world.

Around 5000 years ago, the Chinese developed theories about the pulse, circulation and heart, 4000 years before Western medicine. The Chinese theories were later proved to be correct. The first record of acupuncture is found in the Nei Jing, a 4700 year old book written by the Chinese Yellow Emperor, and thought to be the oldest medical textbook in the world.

The ancient Chinese developed acupuncture techniques for animals as well as for people. The earliest veterinary acupuncture book was written between 659 and 621BC. The Chinese were interested in the treatment of horses for use in war and for transport. They discovered acupuncture points unique to horses (known as classical points) as well as those found in corresponding locations to those on the human body (known as transpositional points).

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Acupuncture is done on horses using sterilized, single-use needles that are only 0.18-0.25mm wide. Since these needles are so thin (much thinner than an ordinary hypodermic needle), it is rarely painful and over 95% of patients are comfortable with acupuncture. Humans receiving acupuncture generally report that they feel a sensation of warming, tingling, numbness or heaviness, but not pain.

There has been much research on acupuncture in people, and its pain-relieving effects for conditions such as arthritis are now widely accepted. There is increasing research on acupuncture on animals. Much data comes from clinical studies of cases where acupuncture was used on horses and its results. Examples include:

Clinical condition:
Lameness due to acute injury
Result of acupuncture treatment:
96% improved
Over 50% became sound
(Researcher - Xie - a highly respected practitioner and professor at the University of Florida)

Clinical condition:
Acute and chronic laminitis
Result of acupuncture treatment:
90% success
(Researchers - Kilde and Kung)

Clinical condition:
Chronic back pain preventing work in competition horses
Result of acupuncture treatment:
87% had relief such that they could resume work
(Researchers - Kilde and Martin)

A huge variety of conditions in horses benefit from acupuncture. Most common musculoskeletal, respiratory, neurological, urogenital and cardiovascular conditions can benefit, and also some behavioral conditions. For more information, ask your veterinarian to put you in contact with a certified veterinary acupuncturist to discuss your horse's specific condition with.

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Acupuncture is increasingly used for performance horses, both to treat clinical conditions and maximize sub-optimal performance in the absence of clinical disease. Many racing yards in the US use veterinary acupuncture as part of their general health programs, and veterinary acupuncturists have accompanied several European Olympic Teams.

A major benefit of the use of acupuncture in competition horses is that no drugs are used. If a horse is treated with drugs, it can be banned from competitions.

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Would you like to learn more about acupuncture for horses? My 53-page ebook 'Acupuncture for Horses: a Guide for all Horse Owners' covers all the basic facts about acupuncture that you need to know in order to get the best care for your horse. This ebook covers acupuncture's history, how it works and scientific evidence for its effectiveness in horses, as well as detail about what conditions in horses can benefit and how to find a qualified veterinary acupuncturist. The book concludes with case studies about actual horses that have been successfully treated with acupuncture.

For more information, click here.

Interested in other species? Check out my ebooks on canine acupuncture and feline acupuncture!