Not long ago, veterinarians generally considered most forms of alternative medicine to be a “smoke and mirrors” approach to treating horses. Today, many veterinarians are embracing at least two forms of alternative medicine–acupuncture and chiropractic. A 2002 survey of American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) members showed a growing interest in alternative therapies or, as the AAEP refers to them, therapeutic options.

In 1998, for example, only 16.6% of respondents used acupuncture in their practices. Four years later that percentage had doubled to 33.1%. In 1998, 8.1% of respondents indicated they employed chiropractic in their practices. By 2002, that percentage had doubled to 17.2%.

The numbers involved with homeopathy, herbology/naturopathy, and massage were in the 6-7% or higher range in the early survey, and the increases in their usage have been modest.

Another part of the survey asked about referrals to others who practiced therapeutic options. In 1998, some 40.6% referred cases to chiropractors. By 2002, this percentage was 63.1%. Acupuncture referrals rose from 37% to 56.4%. Massage referrals went from 19.8% to 29.4%, and physical therapy referrals went from 12.5% to 18.5%