What’s Wrong With My Animal?

“If I had fifty cents for every time I hear ‘What do you think is wrong with my horse (or dog)?’ — I could retire.”

The honest truth is: I’m not allowed to diagnose your animal.

And before you ask why, it’s not because bodyworkers lack knowledge or experience.

It’s because diagnosis legally sits with veterinarians — professionals who have studied for five or more years, across multiple species, diseases, and medical conditions. As bodyworkers, we usually specialise very deeply in one area — most commonly muscles and movement.

Even practitioners like myself who use additional modalities — acupuncture, meridians, pressure points, and emotional support tools — work in areas that aren’t traditionally taught in Western medicine. Some of these approaches are still misunderstood or even dismissed, despite the results we see daily.

What Bodyworkers Actually Do

Most bodyworkers focus on one or two species only. We place our hands on horses or dogs day after day, learning what healthy tissue feels like, how compensation patterns develop, and when something feels off.

We’re trained to:

• Look beyond the presenting symptom

• Understand muscle chains and biomechanics

• Ask why a body is compensating the way it is

That hands-on repetition builds a different kind of expertise.

Where the Frustration Comes In

There’s often a hierarchy placed on qualifications that doesn’t always reflect practical experience.

For example:

• Equine dentists study for up to 24 months, yet are sometimes seen as “less than” — while a vet may only complete a handful of hours in equine dentistry.

• Farriers complete 3–4 year apprenticeships, yet we often call a vet for hoof abscesses at a far higher cost — even though farriers know hooves inside out.
  
  

This isn’t about criticising vets — they are essential.
It’s about recognising specialisation.

There’s an exceptional veterinarian in the US, Dr Audrey DeClue, who often works with cases other vets won’t take on. She regularly acknowledges that bodyworkers — because they palpate and feel muscles constantly — are often extremely proficient in functional anatomy and early detection of issues.

So What Can We Do?

We can suggest.

We can:

• Suggest further investigation

• Suggest a veterinary check

• Suggest imaging or a second opinion
  

What we cannot do is diagnose — and if an auxiliary practitioner does, they can get into serious trouble.

When Collaboration Works Best

I’ve had several occasions where respectful collaboration made all the difference:

• A horse cleared by a vet because it could still move — but on palpation I could hear bone movement. I stopped work immediately and suggested a second opinion.

• A rescued pony with an old injury. I questioned delayed X-rays and suggested another assessment. My suspicion of a healed injury needing ongoing support turned out to be correct.

• A horse referred for bodywork after a leg injury — yet clear swelling pointed to the shoulder. The vet later agreed once it was re-examined.
  

The Bigger Picture

I personally would never want the sole responsibility of diagnosis — that role matters and carries weight.

But I do believe this:

👉 Bodyworkers are specialists in their field.
👉 Vets are specialists in theirs.
👉 Animals do best when we work together.

Respect, communication, and collaboration lead to better outcomes — and ultimately, better lives for our animals.