Massage Therapy

[Randi]

Have any of you ever had a Massage Therapist work on a cow?

I have a Massage/Bodywork woman that comes and works on my horses. I've seen amazing results. So I asked her one day, did she ever works on cows...

So we had a 2 year old come in this fall, and she would skip/hop when she trotted, on the hind end. Rather than just cull her, as she is young and bred, I thought it might be an idea to have her worked on. As it turned out, she had a rotated pelvis, and has been moving pretty normally since (3 weeks). She's scheduled to have another session, hopefully the end of January.

My thoughts are, if it can be fixed, and I don't have to cull a young (or even older) cow because of it....$80 is pretty cheap when you consider probably under $800 for cull, and $2000+ to replace her.

 

[Nesikep]

Not available in my area, like anything else... On an exceptional cow I'd give it a shot.

 

[Randi]

Not available in my area, like anything else... On an exceptional cow I'd give it a shot.

Well, my lady drives 4 hours to get to my place. But I generally have her working on some horses. Most of the ponies are good to go now though...

 

[Bright Raven]

I have not but watched one work on a bull when I was at Fire Sweep Simmentals.

Personally, I am a skeptic. I even think chiropractic therapy is pseudoscience.

A soil scientist who worked on a Federal Facility that I managed in Denver ( she was only in her 30s) went to a chiropractor for a stiff neck. He twisted her neck, pinched the artery between the axis and atlas cervical vertebra. It caused a small laceration. On her way home, she lost coordination and even most of her vision. She recovered.

I think soft tissue massage is helpful if done responsibly.

If it works, do it.

 

[Randi]

I have not but watched one work on a bull when I was at Fire Sweep Simmentals.

Personally, I am a skeptic. I even think chiropractic therapy is pseudoscience.

A soil scientist who worked on a Federal Facility that I managed in Denver ( she was only in her 30s) went to a chiropractor for a stiff neck. He twisted her neck, pinched the carotid artery between the axis and atlas cervical vertebra. It caused a small laceration. On her way home, she lost coordination and even most of her vision. She recovered.

I think soft tissue massage is helpful if done responsibly.

If it works, do it.

Not talking Chiro here, just Massage therapy and Myofascial work.

The thing is I've had massage therapy done on myself, and I know it works. I mean you go in and can hardly move or turn your neck, and you come out and you're 90% better. Have seen it work on the horses, had one dragging his back feet, once worked on 1 time and he's got suspension in his stride. And now this cow. She would literally hop with her back feet whenever she trotted. Afterwards, she's walking and trotting pretty normally.

 

[Bright Raven]

I have not but watched one work on a bull when I was at Fire Sweep Simmentals.

Personally, I am a skeptic. I even think chiropractic therapy is pseudoscience.

A soil scientist who worked on a Federal Facility that I managed in Denver ( she was only in her 30s) went to a chiropractor for a stiff neck. He twisted her neck, pinched the artery between the axis and atlas cervical vertebra. It caused a small laceration. On her way home, she lost coordination and even most of her vision. She recovered.

I think soft tissue massage is helpful if done responsibly.

If it works, do it.

Not talking Chiro here, just Massage therapy and Myofascial work.

The thing is I've had massage therapy done on myself, and I know it works. I mean you go in and can hardly move or turn your neck, and you come out and you're 90% better. Have seen it work on the horses, had one dragging his back feet, once worked on 1 time and he's got suspension in his stride. And now this cow. She would literally hop with her back feet whenever she trotted. Afterwards, she's walking and trotting pretty normally.

Yes. I understand. If it worked, I would say well done.

I am skeptical when they are attempting to improve bone conditions such as malalignments, etc.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Not available in my area, like anything else... On an exceptional cow I'd give it a shot.

Well, my lady drives 4 hours to get to my place. But I generally have her working on some horses. Most of the ponies are good to go now though...

80 dollars and drive 4 hours to get there ?.. Id pay her just for showing up..I've heard of guys rolling them on 55 gal. Drums like inter segmental traction.. And it worked

 

[Randi]

Well, if we don't have enough work for her, she charges mileage. I try very hard to line up enough clients ;-)

 

[Nesikep]

Not available in my area, like anything else... On an exceptional cow I'd give it a shot.

Well, my lady drives 4 hours to get to my place. But I generally have her working on some horses. Most of the ponies are good to go now though...

80 dollars and drive 4 hours to get there ?.. Id pay her just for showing up..I've heard of guys rolling them on 55 gal. Drums like inter segmental traction.. And it worked

I can't picture this.. at all.. explain?

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Cow down a couple days and couldn't get up, after pulling calf...man lifted cow and sit cow on drum.""with drum laying on side"""and put cow down on it,on her stomach....friend helped him roll the cow back and forth,several times... The result was her running them,, out of the pasture...

 

[Son of Butch]

Have any of you ever had a Massage Therapist work on a cow?

So we had a 2 year old come in this fall, and she would skip/hop when she trotted, on the hind end.
Rather than just cull her, as she is young and bred....

My thoughts are, if it can be fixed, and I don't have to cull a young (or even older) cow because of it....
$80 is pretty cheap when you consider probably under $800 for cull, and $2000+ to replace her.

Sell her for $2,000 NOW that she's all fixed up.
Problem young cows get worse with age.
Buy another that doesn't need $80 massages twice per year.

 

[Randi]

Have any of you ever had a Massage Therapist work on a cow?

So we had a 2 year old come in this fall, and she would skip/hop when she trotted, on the hind end.
Rather than just cull her, as she is young and bred....

My thoughts are, if it can be fixed, and I don't have to cull a young (or even older) cow because of it....
$80 is pretty cheap when you consider probably under $800 for cull, and $2000+ to replace her.

Sell her for $2,000 NOW that she's all fixed up.
Problem young cows get worse with age.
Buy another that doesn't need $80 massages twice per year.

Well, we will see. Just because she needed a little assistance once doesn't make me want to cull her. if it happens again, sure. but if the bull hurt her or she slipped and fell, it is likely a one time thing.

 

[Bigfoot]

I know I'm talking about chiro, and not massage, but I used to be skeptical. I have a horse adjusted every 6 weeks, and 4 would probably be better. He'd be retired without it, and brings home checks with it. Mine is done by a DVM. He's always out in 2 lumbar vertebrae, and 3 in his neck every time we go.

 

[farmerjan]

I test for a small (12 cow) herd that is all registered. He had one of his VERY EXPENSIVE cows start to limp and walk very stiff. They were going to flush her. Got a horse vet that does acupuncture and chiro work. They adjusted her spine and leg and did it several times in 2 weeks. She started walking normal. Then a few days after the last adjustment they flushed her and got a record number of # 1 eggs. This cow sold 1/2 ownership for over 500,000. This farmer had bred her and retained the other 1/2 and there were stipulations in the contract as to flushing and embryos etc so it was in his best interest to get her back healthy. This was about 6-7 years ago. She is still there, and they are still getting embryo's out of her and she is now 16 I think. The thing is her daughter was sold, then bought back a couple of years later because she had been injured at the other farm. Then she calved and was paralyzed. They got a sling under her, picked her up 3 times a day for 6 weeks. Milked her in a bucket and the horse chiro vet worked on her. She got stronger and by the end of the 6 weeks she could stand on her own once up. By 8 weeks post calving, she was back in the barn in her box stall and went on and produced many eggs and embryo's also. She died this past year at 14.

So yes, I am a big believer. I know that even with the ankle issues and knees, when I go to my chiropractor, I come out feeling better. If I could afford it I would go once or twice a week.

 

[farmerjan]

I didn't mention that not only did they do chiro on that cow, but also some type of massage therapy too. Vet said it worked better in tandem than alone in most cases.

 

[Aaron]

I'm a big believer in getting rid of little problems before they cost me big money.

Probably why I don't have a wife and kids.

 

[TCRanch]

I read a study a while back where some dairies have massage therapist work on the cows and they produced more milk. Have no idea if it was a "scientific study". Most of my girls will immediately drop their head/neck in a passive/submissive position when I rub & scratch down their neck & on their shoulders. They love it!

 

[Bright Raven]

I read a study a while back where some dairies have massage therapist work on the cows and they produced more milk. Have no idea if it was a "scientific study". Most of my girls will immediately drop their head/neck in a passive/submissive position when I rub & scratch down their neck & on their shoulders. They love it!

Mine respond the same way. It is hilarious how some will wave their head side to side and stick out their tongue and move their lips like they are pantomiming.

 

[TCRanch]

I read a study a while back where some dairies have massage therapist work on the cows and they produced more milk. Have no idea if it was a "scientific study". Most of my girls will immediately drop their head/neck in a passive/submissive position when I rub & scratch down their neck & on their shoulders. They love it!

Mine respond the same way. It is hilarious how some will wave their head side to side and stick out their tongue and move their lips like they are pantomiming.

Bustin' out in their best rendition of Stevie Wonder!

 

[Randi]

I'm a big believer in getting rid of little problems before they cost me big money.

Probably why I don't have a wife and kids.

Well, we are too, for the most part. Let's just call this an experiment. If she goes on to have a happy productive life, it will be money well spent, and I'll do it again. If she comes upmlame again, well, live and learn, and she'll go to town.