Chiropractic care is being applied to many horses today, and a growing number of veterinarians are learning about the modality and becoming certified in its use. New ground was broken in 2001 when Colorado State University (CSU) offered a special short course that could lead to certification in the field of veterinary manual therapy, which includes both chiropractic and osteopathic approaches. This marked the first time that such a course had been offered at a veterinary college, says Kevin K. Haussler, DVM, DC, PhD, of Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine. Haussler, who gave a talk on "Equine Chiropractic: General Principles and Clinical Applications," at the 2000 American Association of Equine Practitioners' meeting, was one of the instructors for the CSU course.

Chiropractic Certification

Chiropractic is usually not included in the curriculum at veterinary colleges, so practitioners who want to be certified must attend specialized courses following veterinary school graduation. In the past, says Haussler, there was one course offered in the United States; in 2001, there were three in the U.S. as well as several in other countries. This, he says, reflects the increasing interest in the modality by both veterinarians and horse owners.

One doesn't have to be a veterinarian to become an animal chiropractor. There are many human chiropractors with professional degrees (Doctor of Chiropractic or DC) who have attended the specialized animal course from the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association (AVCA)