Case Study - Belle Fleur
Belle Fluer & Jennifer Azevedo
Belle is a 7 year old OTTB mare. And boy, does she fit the stereotype and then some.
Jennifer has owned Belle for about a year and a half now. When Belle first came to me, it was not for massage, it was for touch therapy. Belle just needed to learn how to have hands on her body. My first session with Belle solidfied the necessity of just touching her. She would rear, leap, spasm, and just plain react to any stimuli.
As time moved on, Belle became familiar with touch, and soon began to enjoy massage. Enough so, that I was able to feel her skeletal system and places she was tight, sensitive, compensating with, etc. Jennifer and I kept an eye on her, we watched her progress.
Once Belle allowed me in, I began noticing changes in her compensation. Her soreness would move around. She would almost seem strained in one muscle set one month, and a completely different muscle set the next. Jennifer and I discussed this issue, coupled with a few other idiosyncrises, Jennifer decided to take Belle to a lameness specialist - just to see.
The vet did a lameness exam. Stated Belle was sound, and asked why the heck they were there. Jennifer explained and the vet resumed his exam.
Turns out...Belle had a fractured tibia that was never treated. This caused a bone cyst to form on her femur head, and the tibia to start dissolving at the point of attachment for the meniscus ligament.
BUT...Belle was sound. She wanted to work - work hard even.
I see Belle once a month. Together, Jennifer and I discuss her work. I am able to provide Jennifer with feedback to their exercise regime and how it is affecting Belle's body. Belle is sound, her body looks better that it ever has, and she is loving her monthly massage.
