what does "wholistic"
really mean?

general approach

feeding
& nutritional therapy

exercise physiology
& sports medicine

internal medicine

physical therapy
& rehabilitation

"prehab"

manual & movement
therapies

osteopathic care
of the spine

homeopathy
& homotoxicology

medical intuitive evaluation

energy medicine

Anima Herbal Solutions

WHAT DOES "WHOLISTIC" REALLY MEAN?

Wholistic essentially means to consider the whole as more than just the sum of its parts. For example, you are so much more than just a collection of limbs and organs.

In this way of viewing things, the whole is seen to exist as a single, fundamentally indivisible entity. It may be comprised of many different parts, yet when they're all put together, the unified whole is much greater than the sum of its parts.

(You'll often see the word spelled holistic because it is derived from the Greek word, holos, which means whole. I prefer wholistic, because it reminds everyone that we're evaluating and treating the whole horse.)

In a veterinary context, an wholistic approach means that the veterinarian views the patient as a whole being, rather than a collection of body parts, some of which can be altered or removed without affecting the rest.

A bowed tendon, for example, isn't just a strained tendon in one foreleg. Rather, consideration is given to the possibility that this obvious injury is the consequence of a less obvious problem that has been present for some time elsewhere in the body, such as in the opposite foreleg or hindleg. And the underlying problem may have its roots elsewhere, too, such as poor saddle fit, shoeing, conditioning, training, nutrition, or even genetics.

The big picture.  The wholistic approach doesn't end with examining and treating just the injured part or even the patient's whole body. It also considers the setting in which the horse lives and works - in other words, the vet considers the horse's environment and management as part of the patient's whole millieu. Factors such as housing, diet, turnout schedule, exercise program, social interactions, training and competition schedules, dental care, shoeing, saddle fit, deworming and vaccination programs, and horse-human interactions are all considered.