The purpose of an examination is to assess the horse condition. For that the examination will determine the horse basic constitution and current issues or imbalances that eventually lead to a specific disorder.
An Ayurvedic examination is based on the following three approaches: observation, touch and questioning.
There can be variations with more or less depth in each of the procedure but most of the time it will go over this three stages.
Observation
Observation consists at looking at the horse as a whole and also examining specific part of the body. It covers the posture, the physical attitude, the movement but also the coat, the eyes, the tongue.
Observation of sounds (like the one from the gut) and smells are included as well.
Touch
Touch is another important part of the examination. It provides additional information about the horse that enrich the observations already made.
Touch includes taking the pulse and palpation of particular point of the body. It will show if there is any tender point, lumps, if the tissues are more hard or soft, if the temperature is cold or hot.
The procedure informs at both a physical level and at an energetic level.
Questioning
Questioning includes the medical history of the horse as well as direct questions asked to the owner. It allows the practitioner to gather information about the horse behavior, habits and lifestyle. Questions about food preference, time of rest, response to seasons will be covered.
This three fold examination give the practitioner insights about the horse condition. From there the course of an holistic treatment can be decided.
