For Hannah Anderson, becoming an equine veterinary chiropractor was never just a career decision – it was a calling rooted in a lifelong passion for horses.
Originally from America, and now based in Co Down, Hannah is leading the field treating competition horses to improve their comfort, performance, and overall wellbeing, offering a unique blend of veterinary training, equestrian experience and chiropractic care.
“I probably didn’t realise it at the time,” she says, “but during my entire time through vet school, all I could think about was eventually becoming a veterinary chiropractor.”
Hannah’s journey began at just 12, when her family made the bold decision to home school her so she could pursue elite show jumping. “I was riding with my first Olympic show jumping trainer, and he basically told my mother that if I wanted to train with him, I had to be at the barn during the day.”
With supportive parents – her father a professional ice hockey player – Hannah spent her formative years as a “snowbird,” riding in Florida during the winter and touring the show circuit in the summer.
It was one of her own horses that initially introduced Hannah to chiropractic care. “I had my first Grand Prix horse, and when he was a youngster, he wasn’t going very well.
“We had the vet out, but they couldn’t find anything wrong. So they referred us to a chiropractor, and for lack of a better word, she fixed him. I never had a problem with him after that.”
That ‘fix’ stuck with Hannah, and years later, it became the foundation of her practice. “A simple way to describe what we do as a vet chiropractor is that we re-establish a correct range of motion in the joints, help with balance, and improve biomechanical function. It makes the horse more even through its body – able to push off both hind limbs equally and bend through the back and neck,” she explains. Hannah points out that conventional vets can miss these subtle performance issues. “Say you have a horse that’s not bending well to one direction, a vet can’t always fix that. But when it comes to jumping, dressage, or eventing, those details really matter.”
Hannah Anderson of Tyrella Veterinary Chiropractic, a hands-on and horse-focused business. \ Tyrella Veterinary Chiropractic
Before making the move to Northern Ireland, Hannah worked as a traditional equine vet in Gloucestershire’s horse-rich Cotswolds. Life took a sharp turn in 2019 when her father-in-law was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Starting a new business
“My husband and I decided to pack up and leave. I gave my work four weeks’ notice, and we just got here as soon as we could.” Then COVID-19 hit.
“It was the worst time ever to start a new business,” she says, “but you just have to make the best of what you have.” That’s when she enrolled in a postgraduate veterinary chiropractic programme and launched her own practice.
To gain her qualifications, Hannah trained with a provider called Options for Animals, a respected postgraduate programme. “It’s a course specifically for people who are already qualified as either vets or human chiropractors,” she explains. “There are a few internationally recognised programmes – one is in Germany, and the one I took is in the UK.
Both are accredited by the International Veterinary Chiropractic Association (IVCA) and recognised by RAMP [Register of Animal Musculoskeletal Practitioners].”
One of the biggest challenges, she says, was educating people about what she actually does. “Initially, not everyone understood it. But Ireland is such a horse culture.
These horses are people’s livelihoods – they need to be performing at 100%, and honestly, owners here are willing to do whatever it takes. It’s really great to work with clients like that.”
Horse-focused
Day-to-day life as a veterinary chiropractor is hands-on and horse-focused, exactly how Hannah likes it. “The best part of the job is that I get to work with horses every day,” she says.
“I absolutely love meeting every new horse I come across and seeing them improve. Talking to the owners and sharing their love for the animals – it just puts a smile on your face.”
However, running a one-person business isn’t all sunshine and saddle pads. “The downside is that you have to do everything yourself. All the paperwork, all the scheduling, and I don’t know many veterinarians who love doing paperwork.
“I’m hard to get a hold of occasionally, and I feel really guilty about it. But I spend most of my day in the car or talking to clients. I do my best to keep up, and everyone is patient with me.”
Still, the rewards far outweigh the stresses. Hannah’s business has grown steadily, largely through word of mouth and consistent results. “If I think about five years ago, what my business was then versus now – I’m pretty impressed.
Hannah Anderson is an accomplished equestrian as well as a vet and chiropractor. \ Tyrella Veterinary Chiropractic
“If you love it and believe in it, and you persevere long enough, things will eventually go your way. It’s not an overnight success, it’s an uphill climb. “But remember where you started. Even if you have a slow day, think of how far you’ve come.”
For Hannah Anderson, becoming an equine veterinary chiropractor was never just a career decision – it was a calling rooted in a lifelong passion for horses.
Originally from America, and now based in Co Down, Hannah is leading the field treating competition horses to improve their comfort, performance, and overall wellbeing, offering a unique blend of veterinary training, equestrian experience and chiropractic care.
“I probably didn’t realise it at the time,” she says, “but during my entire time through vet school, all I could think about was eventually becoming a veterinary chiropractor.”
Hannah’s journey began at just 12, when her family made the bold decision to home school her so she could pursue elite show jumping. “I was riding with my first Olympic show jumping trainer, and he basically told my mother that if I wanted to train with him, I had to be at the barn during the day.”
With supportive parents – her father a professional ice hockey player – Hannah spent her formative years as a “snowbird,” riding in Florida during the winter and touring the show circuit in the summer.
It was one of her own horses that initially introduced Hannah to chiropractic care. “I had my first Grand Prix horse, and when he was a youngster, he wasn’t going very well.
“We had the vet out, but they couldn’t find anything wrong. So they referred us to a chiropractor, and for lack of a better word, she fixed him. I never had a problem with him after that.”
That ‘fix’ stuck with Hannah, and years later, it became the foundation of her practice. “A simple way to describe what we do as a vet chiropractor is that we re-establish a correct range of motion in the joints, help with balance, and improve biomechanical function. It makes the horse more even through its body – able to push off both hind limbs equally and bend through the back and neck,” she explains. Hannah points out that conventional vets can miss these subtle performance issues. “Say you have a horse that’s not bending well to one direction, a vet can’t always fix that. But when it comes to jumping, dressage, or eventing, those details really matter.”
Hannah Anderson of Tyrella Veterinary Chiropractic, a hands-on and horse-focused business. \ Tyrella Veterinary Chiropractic
Before making the move to Northern Ireland, Hannah worked as a traditional equine vet in Gloucestershire’s horse-rich Cotswolds. Life took a sharp turn in 2019 when her father-in-law was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Starting a new business
“My husband and I decided to pack up and leave. I gave my work four weeks’ notice, and we just got here as soon as we could.” Then COVID-19 hit.
“It was the worst time ever to start a new business,” she says, “but you just have to make the best of what you have.” That’s when she enrolled in a postgraduate veterinary chiropractic programme and launched her own practice.
To gain her qualifications, Hannah trained with a provider called Options for Animals, a respected postgraduate programme. “It’s a course specifically for people who are already qualified as either vets or human chiropractors,” she explains. “There are a few internationally recognised programmes – one is in Germany, and the one I took is in the UK.
Both are accredited by the International Veterinary Chiropractic Association (IVCA) and recognised by RAMP [Register of Animal Musculoskeletal Practitioners].”
One of the biggest challenges, she says, was educating people about what she actually does. “Initially, not everyone understood it. But Ireland is such a horse culture.
These horses are people’s livelihoods – they need to be performing at 100%, and honestly, owners here are willing to do whatever it takes. It’s really great to work with clients like that.”
Horse-focused
Day-to-day life as a veterinary chiropractor is hands-on and horse-focused, exactly how Hannah likes it. “The best part of the job is that I get to work with horses every day,” she says.
“I absolutely love meeting every new horse I come across and seeing them improve. Talking to the owners and sharing their love for the animals – it just puts a smile on your face.”
However, running a one-person business isn’t all sunshine and saddle pads. “The downside is that you have to do everything yourself. All the paperwork, all the scheduling, and I don’t know many veterinarians who love doing paperwork.
“I’m hard to get a hold of occasionally, and I feel really guilty about it. But I spend most of my day in the car or talking to clients. I do my best to keep up, and everyone is patient with me.”
Still, the rewards far outweigh the stresses. Hannah’s business has grown steadily, largely through word of mouth and consistent results. “If I think about five years ago, what my business was then versus now – I’m pretty impressed.
Hannah Anderson is an accomplished equestrian as well as a vet and chiropractor. \ Tyrella Veterinary Chiropractic
“If you love it and believe in it, and you persevere long enough, things will eventually go your way. It’s not an overnight success, it’s an uphill climb. “But remember where you started. Even if you have a slow day, think of how far you’ve come.”
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