Have you ever wondered if your horse should see a chiropractor? Meet DVM and certified Chiropractor, Tina Steward, to learn more about this growing field of equine health. Ms. Steward holds a Bachelor Degree in Zoology, a Master’s in Nutrition and completed her DVM as a Regents Scholar at UC Davis. While continuing to build her equine lameness and chiropractic practice she rides and coaches Dressage.
Let’s talk about your
riding career and the famed equestrian George Morris – you had to make an
important decision:
I was given the opportunity to work with and ride for George Morris for two years whenever he taught clinics in southern California. Everyone gets nervous to ride for George, but I just did whatever he told me to do. I think he appreciated my Dressage background, my “feel” for the horse and my work ethic. George asked me to move to Hunterdon and ride under his guidance and he called my Mother to ask her too! I declined because I thought I could do more for horses as a veterinarian than a horse trainer, which turned out to be a big decision in my life.
You became a vet – but that wasn’t enough. Why the interest in Chiropractic care?
I had a practice in the Bay area of California and some of my clients asked me to work with a local chiropractor, Shirley McQuillan. She was brilliant! I didn’t believe in Chiropractic practices at that time, but I watched her work. We ended up working together for 3 years. She taught me some of her techniques and I slowly developed my own technique – things that work in my hands. I realized that Chiropractic is the next dimension beyond academic medicine. As a vet, I look for basic lameness, but Chiropractic practice is more subtle.
Does being both a Veterinarian and a Chiropractor give you more insight to horses? After all, your patients can’t talk.
It has given me a different view of how a horse moves. As a Chiropractor I need to read the horses temperament too – I have to stand directly behind them – even a tense horse.
Ms. Steward has a practice in Oregon but travels the country holding riding clinics and offering her services as a Chiropractor. For more information about Tina Steward www.tinastewarddvm.com
