PEGGY SOFLEY
QUALIFICATIONS
PG Dip AM, EBW:
Peggy Sofley has been practising McTimoney Treatment for Animals since 2000, having acquired two year post graduate diplomas at the McTimoney College for Chiropractic in Abington, Oxfordshire.
BACKGROUND
A few words from Peggy:
"Even though my main workload constitutes work on horses and dogs, rumour has it that I have been seen treating chickens, sheep and some firstly enormous but very pretty bulls ! In my little but precious free time I try to convince my 5 year old Arab Gelding that endurances rides are fun. In the mean time Alison, in return tries to convince me that dressage is fun !".
The body as a unit
Imagine the body as a unit - designed to function as a balanced entity for maximum efficiency. Then it is hardly surprising that impairment of one part, even ever so small, can expose the rest of the system to stress. You have probably been in the situation yourself, where you had a minor injury, say a sore shoulder, but in the end your entire back becomes sore from you mis-positioning yourself, in the endeavour to compensate. Animals, do this even more so, as they have to appear 100% functioning to both peers and enemies, to not lose their position in their social group or even their lives to predators !
Development of a condition
All joints allow for a certain range of movement, but some activities can take the joint to its extreme. This will then cause the muscles surrounding the joint to tighten, in an attempt to correct or prevent further joint movement. This is very effective protection most of the time but if this tension remains it will lead to muscle spasm. The joint will get fixed in this incorrect position, which will lead to inflammation and pain.
At its worst the corresponding nerves can be irritated and disturbed in their proper function. This problem can develop over time and may not be obviously connected to the initial injury. Hence preventative treatment can be particularly useful, as it can detect a mis-alignment before it becomes too influential (as soon as the animal is in pain it will start compensating and begin the process of transferring stress onto other structures).
McTimoney Manipulation
HISTORY: The oldest record of Spinal Manipulation dates back to an ancient Chinese document from 2700 BC. The late John McTimoney, 1950, established that this kind of therapy can also be beneficial to animals. Peggy first came in contact with spinal manipulation when her Arab mare was lame when ridden. Thorough veterinary examination lead to no improvement, but manipulation and a correctly fitted saddle did. Fascinated by the result and seeing that there was so much more to horsemanship Peggy had 'caught the bug'. From then on she has striven to make animals comfortable, more flexible and happier in their great desire to please us.
HOW IT WORKS: McTimoney Treatment counteracts the stressors that primary conditions put upon bodily structures, through evaluating gait and body posture. By assessing balance and movement of the whole body, subluxations and muscle discomfort can be identified. Once corrected, the animal’s 'organism' is then in a more correct place and position, to heal the injured area.
The McTimoney technique, which involves subtle manipulation of joints, can be used on any vertebrate animal. However, back manipulation on horses appears to be the most established. That may be due to the fact that horses are more exposed to problems, as their muscular skeletal well-being is influenced by many factors such as: As this will manifest itself in poor performance and changes in behaviour, such as bucking or rearing, it becomes apparent to the owner/trainer in a very compelling way !!
SOME IMPORTANT POINTS: Chiropractic is a protected title, and used in conjunction with human treatment only. So, Peggy is not a Chiropractor. Also treatment on animals in the UK by non-veterinary therapists requires veterinary permission.
For further details contact Peggy: