Being a small animal vet, I don’t have much first-hand experience with equine CAM. But our recent guest blogger, Alison Averis, is very involved in equine issues, and she has a nice article in the Equine Independant on judging alternative claims in this area. She is also dealing with the usual sorts of critiques that defend CAM and challenge science-based medicine without ever resorting to facts or evidence but trying to find fallacious rhetorical strategies to undermine arguments without addressing them. She’s holding her own just fine, but it wouldn’t hurt to offer her some support if you can, particularly those of you more familiar with horse medicine.
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Quick message of support duly posted: she’s really sticking her head over the parapet – this is a very fraught area!
Skeptvet and Rita – many thanks. Your moral support is very much appreciated. I’m well aware of what I’m letting myself in for here: horse management in the UK has become so infused with CAM that most owners seem to believe quite seriously that it is now part of the mainstream and not open to question. There are also huge numbers of people making money either as therapists or as teachers of therapists. I learned from a less-public discussion with some of these people that criticism and public education (i.e. the possibility of reducing the number of potential clients) are really not welcome. Even so I think it is worth trying to do what I can for all of the reasons I’ve mentioned in my articles, although I have been feeling rather like a lone person waving the banner of scepticism in the face of an advancing army of Believers. Knowing that even a few people are on my side makes all the difference.
Indeed, Alison – I’ve got into very hot water on a few forums trying to put the non-CAM position – at least for consideration, but it’s amazing how the temperature rises. I used to be a EBF subscriber, by the way, but the process got too cumbersome.
Again, best of luck!