Livestock chiropractic care is becoming an increasingly valuable tool for producers looking to improve animal mobility, comfort, performance, and overall well-being. According to Central Oklahoma livestock chiropractor Dr. Lacey Hoel, chiropractic treatments can benefit everything from show cattle and horses to dogs, sheep, goats, pigs, and even poultry. Speaking with Associate Farm Reporter Carli Davenport, Hoel said her passion for agriculture and animal care naturally led her into the profession.
Hoel said she originally planned to become a physical therapist before realizing chiropractic care better matched her interests. “My chiropractor growing up also did livestock and horses. I’ve always been an animal person. I was in ag, FFA, and 4-H, and very involved. My plan for life changed from physical therapy to chiropractic, and now I can’t imagine being any different.” She has now been providing chiropractic care to animals for 14 years.
Recognizing When Livestock Need Chiropractic Care
Hoel said there is no single reason producers call her, but movement issues are among the most common. “I do a lot of show animals, so like show calves, pigs, goats, sheep,” she said. “They’re putting so much weight on them so quickly that sometimes they’re not correct in their movement and they’re not fluid, and that’s when people call me and want to get their animal adjusted.”
She also works with newborn calves that may have experienced difficult births or injuries shortly after birth. “I’ve had people that had a calf born and it either got stepped on or laid on or it wasn’t laying right in the womb,” Hoel explained. “They call me, and say, ‘Hey, before we do anything drastic, do you think you can do something?'”
Hoel said another rewarding part of her work is helping older livestock remain comfortable during retirement. “I’ve also had clients that have called me for older cattle… they said, ‘This is a really nice cow. She was a retired show calf, and she’s just not getting around quite right. We just want to keep her comfortable because I owe that to her.’ It’s just rewarding to be able to do that.”
From Show Livestock to Rodeo Horses
While Hoel treats a wide variety of species, she said her practice generally centers around three groups. “I do a lot of dogs… anything from puppies to old dogs,” she said. “Then I have my horses… these horses are anywhere from professional to pasture pets.”
She also spends considerable time working with show livestock. “I do a lot of show pigs, show cattle, sheep and goats,” she said. Recently, Hoel worked with exhibitors during a showmanship clinic in El Reno. “I got to go out there and work on some of their animals while they were there.”
Barrel Horse Success Story Still Stands Out
One of Hoel’s favorite success stories involved a barrel horse that appeared to have a career-ending injury. She recalled receiving a call on Super Bowl Sunday after multiple veterinary clinics were unavailable to the horse’s owner. “She had called numerous vet clinics and couldn’t get in anywhere,” Hoel said. “They said it was neurological and that she just needed to euthanize.”
Instead, Hoel made the trip to evaluate the horse. “We worked on the horse. I did some muscle work. We adjusted a few times. We did liniment. We did cold light laser. We tried anything and everything.”
The horse improved enough to return to competition after taking one weekend off. “They ended up having the barrel racing series in Guthrie, and she entered. She actually won.”
The horse not only returned to competition but captured the series title. “It ended up winning the series on the same horse that she was told was neurological and to put down. It’s so rewarding, so heartwarming to be able to serve the people and their pets and animals and livestock and make a difference.”
Busy Schedule at Oklahoma Youth Expo
Hoel said the Oklahoma Youth Expo (OYE) has become one of her busiest events each year as exhibitors increasingly schedule appointments well in advance. “They get on my schedule like a month ahead of time; they say, ‘We want our animals worked on while you’re at OYE.'”
Demand often keeps her working into the early morning hours. “There are nights I’ve left at two in the morning because I get there and I just work,” she said. “People see me working, and they’re like, ‘Hey, can you come to my pen? Can you work on this steer? Can you work on this heifer? I’ve got this gilt I need you to look at.'”
After 14 years in practice, Hoel said referrals continue to grow well beyond Oklahoma. “I’m getting to the point where people know me and they trust me,” she said. “It’s not just Oklahoma.”
She recently worked with families who traveled from Texas after previously knowing her while living in Iowa. “They were like, ‘We want to see you. We want our horses done while we’re here. We want our kids done.’ It’s really rewarding. I just love what I do.”
Advice for Livestock Producers
For producers who have never considered chiropractic care, Hoel encourages keeping an open mind. “Give it a try,” she said. “Most of the time it’s animals that are hurt, that are injured, that are lame. It helps with overall health. It’s not just lameness and mobility. There’s more to chiropractic than just that.”
She said producers interested in learning more or scheduling an appointment can contact her through her Dr. Lacey Animal Chiropractic Facebook page, her email at dr.laceyfamilychiropractic@gmail.com or call 405-919-3622
