Equine Alternative medicine

For improved equine care.

Equine Alternative medicine

For improved equine care.

What Is Laser Therapy?

Laser therapy (also called photobiomodulation) uses specific light wavelengths to gently stimulate your horse’s natural healing processes. It’s non-invasive, drug-free, and pain-free — making it a great option for horses of all ages and activity levels.

How It Works

The light energy from the laser penetrates deep into tissues where it:

  • Boosts cellular energy (ATP) for faster healing
  • Improves circulation and oxygen delivery
  • Reduces inflammation and swelling
  • Promotes collagen production for stronger tissue repair
  • Provides natural pain relief by reducing nerve sensitivity

Laser therapy can help with:
  • Tendon & ligament injuries (e.g., suspensory, SDFT)
  • Joint pain, arthritis, or inflammation
  • Sore backs or stiff necks
  • Muscle strains or spasms
  • Wound healing & post-surgical recovery
  • Everyday soreness in performance horses
 Common Uses

  • Reduces pain and inflammation
  • Speeds up healing and recovery time
  • Improves flexibility and range of motion
  • Minimizes scar tissue formation
  • Enhances comfort, mobility, and performance
 Benefits for Your Horse

What to Expect

  • Most sessions last 5–20 minutes depending on the area.
  • Horses usually relax during treatment.
  • A series of treatments provides the best results — your veterinarian will recommend a schedule based on your horse’s needs.

Safe & Gentle Care

Laser therapy is completely safe when performed by trained professionals. No sedation or downtime needed — your horse can return to normal activity right after treatment.

If your horse is recovering from an injury, dealing with chronic pain, or simply needs a little extra help staying comfortable — laser therapy may be the perfect solution. Ask Us About Laser Therapy!

What Is Equine Chiropractic Care?

Equine chiropractic care focuses on the spine, joints, and nervous system to help your horse move freely and comfortably. It’s a hands-on, drug-free therapy that restores proper motion to the joints, improving balance, flexibility, and overall performance.

How It Works

When a joint becomes restricted or “out of alignment,” it can interfere with surrounding nerves and muscles. A certified veterinary chiropractor uses gentle, precise adjustments to:

  • Restore normal joint movement
  • Reduce muscle tension and pain
  • Improve nerve communication
  • Enhance overall body balance and coordination

  • Shortened stride or uneven gait
  • Difficulty picking up or maintaining a lead
  • Resistance to bending, collecting, or turning
  • Stiffness through the neck or back
  • Poor performance or attitude changes
  • Soreness after work or saddle fitting issues
 Common Signs Your Horse May Benefit

Benefits of Chiropractic Care

  • Improves mobility and flexibility
  • Reduces pain and muscle soreness
  • Enhances performance and balance
  • Supports faster recovery from injuries
  • Helps prevent future musculoskeletal issues
  • Promotes overall comfort and wellbeing

What to Expect

  • A full evaluation of posture, movement, and spinal alignment
  • Gentle, targeted adjustments (no sedation needed)
  • Most horses relax and show immediate relief
  • Follow-up treatments as needed to maintain alignment and comfort

Sensory input (Myelinated type II nerve fibers) from the musculoskeletal system to the spinal cord such as vibration, pressure, temperature and touch all have an actual inhibitory interneuron in the spinal cord that blocks the pain input from that very same area of the body. For instance, if you smash your thumb with a hammer (pain), you shake your thumb (vibration) to down regulate the sensation of the pain fibers firing to spinal cord and brain. If shaking your thumb doesn’t do the trick, some with instinctively grab the thumb with the other hand to apply pressure, again firing the sensory input along the same tracts and down regulating pain. Senior Care Every Chiropractic adjustment, if given properly, should exponentially increase the sensory input (myelinated type II fibers) and thus decrease the pain input (a delta and c delta unmyelinated fibers) influence along that same tract. When joints and supporting soft tissues feel good, they self-rehabilitate by restoring that segments own range of motion, the athlete is more flexible and healthier. How does this relate to Chiropractic for Equine Athletes?

Most common conditions treated:
  • Discomfort when saddling
  • Discomfort when riding
  • Wringing tail
  • Pinning ears
  • Refusal or unwillingness to perform
  • Development of unusual behavior
  • Sensitivity to touch or brush
  • Undetermined lameness
  • Bad attitude: biting, unfriendliness
What if you could boost performance for your equine athlete by increasing range of motion and decreasing painful stimuli, without an invasive injection or surgery? How valuable would that be to you? Common conditions

When joints are not functioning well, the athlete starts to guard against the motion of the joint or become stiff. We evaluate the entire spinal column looking for vertebrae that are not moving well. When these areas are identified they can be adjusted with very specific high velocity, low amplitude thrust to improve the motion at the particular location. Since our integration of chiropractic into our traditional examinations, we have seen tremendous results of improvement. It is truly another advantage to using a progressive clinic like Alpena Veterinary Clinic. Dr. Jack is a Certified Veterinary Chiropractor. Common conditions

Chiropractic Adjustments

Chiropractic exams and adjustments, when performed by trained professionals, are safe, effective and vital to maintain the correct movement and soundness in horses. Chiropractic is concerned with the relationship between structure (primarily the spine) and function (the nervous system), as that relationship can affect health and athletic ability.

Chiropractic Adjustments

Chiropractic exams and adjustments, when performed by trained professionals, are safe, effective and vital to maintain the correct movement and soundness in horses. Chiropractic is concerned with the relationship between structure (primarily the spine) and function (the nervous system), as that relationship can affect health and athletic ability.