It's important to understand what kind of help your veterinarian says your horse needs and why, verify the qualifications of potential care providers, and ask the right questions as you evaluate candidates for your horse’s health care dream team. | Photo: Stephanie L. Church/The Horse

How to find a qualified chiropractor, acupuncturist, dentist, or body worker to join your equine health care dream team

These days the veterinarian and farrier are no longer the only equine care contacts in your phone. There’s also the acupuncturist, chiropractor, massage therapist, dentist, physical -therapist—heck, you might even have the digits for a horse psychic!

A range of equine practitioners and other professionals now play unique roles on your horse’s health care team. The team’s coach, of course, is your veterinarian. He or she helps identify the horse’s needs, designs an overall health plan, and helps you choose the right players for each position so all your bases are covered.

Some equine veterinarians only serve the horse’s medical needs, while others fill multiple roles if they’ve trained to also practice chiropractic, acupuncture, dentistry, physical or massage therapy, or other types of body work. And the best veterinarians know when another equine practitioner or other professional is better suited to serve horses’ needs and will refer clients to those individuals