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Submitted by Tim O'Shea
PATIENT
CROUPIER - 24 year old Warmblood gelding, a magnificent
animal, in otherwise perfect condition
Date
Oct 2005
Location
Diamond W Ranch, Milpitas CA
Diagnosis
Acute lameness L. hoof, probable navicular disease/ ringbone
arthritis, had been lame for 3 months
Treatment
I treated the horse 3 times per week for 4 weeks using the
Microlight Laser. Other veterinary remedies had been tried
without success; prognosis was not good. His condition was
worsening.
I treated Croupy by surrounding the coronet band (top of
hoof) with about 10 33-second cycles per treatment session
Results
After 4 weeks, the horse was vet checked and run in the
arena and pronounced 100% sound. The owner was very surprised
but thrilled. The cure was unexpected.
Most people who know horses realize that a diagnosis of
navicular disease is commonly used by vets when they have
no idea, no experience, or are too busy to actually examine
the horse. Much the way MDs use terms like rheumatism, carpal
tunnel, and just getting old. These phrases are commonly
meaningless.
In Croupy's case it was simply chronic inflammation, which
just needed to be reduced. Interestingly enough, unshod
horses in pasture are virtually never given this diagnosis.
It is reserved almost exclusively for confined horses with
shoes on.
PATIENT
ALI, a 20 year old Arab stallion
Date
Oct 2005
Location
Indian Hills Ranch, Milpitas CA
Diagnosis
Ali is a beautiful white Arab stallion, very high-blooded,
who had been unable to bend his front R leg to 90 degrees
for several months. It was very difficult to clean his hoof.
When he got new shoes they had to lean his one side against
the wall because he couldn't hold his leg in the normal
position the shoer needs in order to do the job. Flexion
of the lower R front leg was limited to about 10%. It seemed
as though the horse was developing a progressive arthritis,
although he could still be ridden and didn't really limp.
The owner was considering X-ray and MRI.
Treatment
I began treating the R front knee joint at a frequency of
3 times per week using the Microlight laser. I used the
surround-the-dragon approach from classical acupuncture,
going around the joint at about 10 different points, holding
the laser at each point until it beeped, after 33 seconds.
Always aimed the laser at the center of the meniscus as
I went around the joint. I only treated the one joint.
Results
After about 3 and a half weeks Ali could bend his knee to
the full 90 degrees with no restriction. The owner told
me to stop treating because the horse seemed fine now. 3
months later Ali still had full range of motion. No other
treatment was tried during that laser period.
PATIENT
COWBOY, a 4 year old Appaloosa gelding
Date
Oct 2005
Location
Indian Hills Ranch, Milpitas CA
Diagnosis
Cowboy was only 20% sound at the start. He was diagnosed
with navicular disease and pedal osteitis of the coffin
bones, although these diagnoses are best guesses, even though
the horse was X-rayed. He was in such pain that he could
not trot. One vet recommended that the horse be put down
and offered to do it, but then most vets seem to know very
little about lameness, especially at the hoof.
Treatment
I began treating Cowboy with the Microlight laser, at a
frequency of 3 times per week. I did about 10 of the 33
second doses to both hooves, surrounding the coronet band
{top of hoof} each session. After 2 weeks he began to show
such improvement that I only needed to treat the R hoof.
Results
By the 4th week, he was 95% sound, with no limp at the canter
and only the slightest limp perceptible at the trot. I continued
to treat the R side only but could not get that last 5%.
Since he could be ridden normally by that time, I stopped
treating. The owner was extremely happy with 95% since the
horse was unridable at the beginning, and didn't know if
he could ever be ridden again.
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