# Tex Gamble



## jellyshake (22 July 2008)

Anyone in the wilts or surrounding areas heard of him/used him? if so anyone willing to give their opinion on him.
tell you why I'm asking lol , friend has a pony who went hopping lame after a fall on the road, vet said stifle problem, Tex disagreed and said pelvis problem and put it back in line, now friend has asked us to look after pony for a few months which is not a problem but I do wonder how there can be 2 such different diagnosis from 2 'experts'.
Been asking about as Tex is very local and the general opinion is he knows his stuff but just thought i would ask a wider audience


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## burtie (22 July 2008)

When Hannah was on the SJ circuit, Tex did her back, she didn't really have any problems so can't say if it helped, but certainly a lot of the SJ's seem to really like him!


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## Bosworth (22 July 2008)

I have heard good and bad about him. Personally I would not use as I am totally unconvinced about the smacking with a hammer and putting pelvises in. I know of one horse who became seriously worried about any treatment after a tex treatment as he was quite brutal. However I know of another horse who is amazing after a treatment. He has clinics at David Broomes so they obviously rate him.


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## rema (22 July 2008)

Tex used to do alot of clinics down here in Cornwall,But just seemed to have disapeared and Anton took his place.I have used him in the past for my horses.But haden't needed anything other than a tweek.Another back man i have used has said Tex is not very good  and pretty much called him a cowboy.So i dont really know who to believe anymore.


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## henryhorn (22 July 2008)

I've used him on four horses, one was a mare who before his treatment sat up like a dog in the field , he manipulated her back end and she never did it again and was sound for the first time ever. 
Second had misplaced his coccyx making him trot unlevel, he fixed that too.
Third was a four year old I called him out to look at , he took one look, recognised the horse and said it was a wobbler.. (treated it as a foal and told owner at the time). vet confirmed it and it was pts. 
fourth was a jumping horse who had gone through a double meant for ponies and tweaked his back. He fixed him too.
So I would say yes, use him. The hammer thing really wasn't at all brutal when I watched, more a soft but firm tap which could have been done with his hand the same force. His skill is in the manipulation, he can feel what's wrong and how to right it if it's feasible.
We now use McTimoney as he no longer visits our area, but I'd happily give him a good reference.


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## archiesmum (22 July 2008)

Nope wouldn't touch him with a barge pole... a pelvis can't be put 'back in' as you wouldn't have a horse that could move, so how would smaking it with a hammer work?!?! 
However if they can go out/in I would like to know... always one for learning new things


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## Bossanova (22 July 2008)

I've been told never to take a sensitive horse to him


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## swshowjumper (22 July 2008)

Have used him several times. Brilliant, Always had good results


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## Araminta (22 July 2008)

always suspicious of people that say back or pelvis is out - and then crunch it back in ( not)

Never used tex myself but he used to do a double act with a tooth man many years ago.


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## archiesmum (22 July 2008)

I think he still does a clinic with Bob at West Wilts


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## Santa_Claus (22 July 2008)

Personally no wouldn't use him ever on one of my horses.... 

You either love or hate his methods of treatment!

IF you decide to use him firstly check he is insured and that he asks for a referral from your vet. If he doesn't he is acting illegally and will not be insured if anything went wrong. Though this of course is the same with any person 'treating' a horse which does not belong to them whether it me a physio or a chiro.


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## kerilli (22 July 2008)

i used him years ago, never never again. he tried to pull my (Advanced) mare's hindleg out at almost a right angle to her body, then shoved it back and up. very dramatic and extreme. my vet showed me videos of similar techniques being demonstrated in Australia, then told me that they had to shoot most of the horses shown within a week. (my mare was okay afterwards, she was as tough as anything fortunately.)
mctimoney chiropractors get fabulous results with very small gentle movements. i know which i prefer...


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## tickety_boo (23 July 2008)

[ QUOTE ]
IF you decide to use him firstly check he is insured and that he asks for a referral from your vet.

[/ QUOTE ]

Our local vet (for various reasons I'll not go into) will not allow him to treat any horse of a client and therefor he is not insured to do so. I will never use him, but I know plenty of paople who do. 

If you are after a good McTimmony person who travels to Wiltshire, I can thoroughly recommend Helen, www.horse-back.co.uk


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## weob (23 July 2008)

Tex came back into this country from abroad about twenty odd years ago and used to shoe for us - he actually wasn't too bad as a blacksmith (his son also shoes).

He then set himself up as a "back man" but I do not know if he has had any training or qualifications to do this. He once "did" our mare's back for us  
	
	
		
		
	


	




 Can't say I'd let him loose on any of my horses again after he was stood on the mare kicking her vertebrae with the heel of his dealer boot!! However...  my father did have a sore neck at the time and Tex gave him a quick jerk (so to speak!) and father felt instantly better. It's up to you whether you like his methods or not!

If I need a physio now, it's Mark Windsor all the way.

W


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## jellyshake (23 July 2008)

thank you all,  
	
	
		
		
	


	




 although i think i'm more confused now lol, some love him some hate him 
	
	
		
		
	


	




What worried me is that he calls himself a manipulator, not a physio or anything that has a governing body  
	
	
		
		
	


	




 i know that doesn't always ensure you get the best as I'm sure we all know of fully qualified farriers that we wouldn't let within 100 yards of our horses!


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## cosmo_sam (23 July 2008)

Jules, I obviously don't know this guy, but Shellee used to be treated by a similar "back man" in our area.  

He was forever saying her pelvis had "popped out" etc and doing dramatic manipulations (she did love whatever it was he did though, I must say).

He also diagnosed her with a sacroiliac injury when she was 4 and so her owner gave her a year off etc.

This history caused me to back off from pushing her for a long time schooling wise.

Eventually a I drew a stalemate and so Mark Windsor was recommended. (He's McTimoney)

He was fantastic! did very gentle manipulations and stated point blank that there was no way on this planet she had ever had anything wrong with her sacroilliac!  He said "this mare has good bone structure and has never worked hard a day in her life! Go home and get on with it!"

I did and as you know we went from strength to strength.

Since then, I'm reluctant to let anyone near my horse that offers "manipulation" and is decsribed as a "back man"

It is a very personal choice though.


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## myhorsefred (23 July 2008)

His son shoes my horses!

Although I've never had the need for Tex to look at my horses as they've been fine, I have heard some very good reports about him from local people who have used him.  Tex goes back and for to Dubai to treat the teams over there, so just like Broomes, they must rate him.

I think you will always hear good and bad stories about any practitioner, and its down to personal choice/preference at the end of the day I think.  Good luck.


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## Faithkat (23 July 2008)

He worked on a friend's pony some years ago at one of his clinics at Catherston.  He was fascinating to watch.  I was a bit concerned about the rubber hammer thing but the pony wasn't bothered in the slightest and she had something of an attitude so would have snapped at him if it had upset her.


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## KatB (23 July 2008)

A friend uses him down south and although agrees he isnt for everyone, she has only ever had very good reults with him.


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## Scottish_Miss (23 July 2008)

Hi All

I think there may be someone else up in Scotland called Tex? Does anyone know if same person - again some people rave about him and he does treat a lot of the SJ'ers..... I am very sceptical like you but just wondered if one of the same as looking for someone here up in Fife and this guy 'Tex ' has been mentioned - unsure as mentioned if the same guy????


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## verapig (23 July 2008)

Just a word on people calling themselves "manipulators"

McTimoney and McTimoney-Corely qualifications are diplomas in "Animal Manipulation"

Unless someone is qualified to treat humans and they are a member of the General Chiropractic Council they are not allowed by law to call themselves "chiropractors"

So - a manipulator is the correct term

Anyone can call themselves a "physiotherapist" but only practitioners who are members of the "Chartered Society of Physiotherapists" can call themselves a "Chartered Physiotherapist"


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## old_girl (23 July 2008)

I have seen him work. He didn't manage to fix the horse, it ultimately turned out to be  a leg issue which was not his domain.

However, he did 'fix' my friends mum, and she was impressed. It isn't the nicest thing to watch though, seems quite violent.


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## ttt (23 July 2008)

I heard good things about him and was recommended to use him by several people. I used him for the first time this week, we should start seeing a difference within the next week or so. 
'Gentle manipulation' would be a gross understatement but as long as he helps my horse.........
My husband uses a human chiropracter and he says the human chiropracter is not exactly gentle but it works!!!
Tex said he was going to Scotland yesterday so I would imagine it is the same person.
I am just hoping that he is as good as I have been told, he certainly seemed confident that he could help my horse.


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## Lotnaa (16 January 2009)

I have never heard of a vet who would recommend using any backman  they simply dont believe they can help :lol:  
Some time ago I worked as a groom in Wiltshire. My employer has used Tex for a number of years. Whenever our horse went lame, unlevel or stopped jumping  Tex was our first call. And he ALWAYS helped. 
I could write here about at least 5 horses which were treated by him, but one of them was particularly special. An eventer which had been bought a year before for 10 grand. Soon after he arrived to a new home he had an accident in the field and went lame. The owner spend a fortune on vet treatment to fix him. He got better, but was still a bit unsound in trot so no way he could event. After a year my employer bought the horse for no money. She took him to Tex first thing, he noticed instantly that something was wrong with the horses shoulders. He treated him twice  after that the horse has never been lame again. I rode him myself before and after and I could tell the difference. And now tell me that we should always rely on vets  I would not agree. 
I have seen many times how Tex treats horses and I would never say they get stressed. He tries to be as gentle as possible, considering that he does use a rubber hammer. And even if it might be upsetting for some to watch, I believe that horses would rather have a few minutes of stress to get rid of pain. I have seen their happier faces so I cannot recommend Tex enough.

 Ps. He fixed my back, too (although my doctor and physio said it was just a pulled muscle !!!), and yes - I was scared when he was twisting me etc. But at least I know what the poor horses feel when something is wrong with them and I am telling you - Tex is my hero, no mater what you say


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