Pro-wrestler is horses' Mr Fixit

Twenty years ago Jock Ruddock's main mission in life was to inflict as much pain as possible on his opponents in the wrestling ring.
Back then he was a Palmerston North policeman and pro-wrestler, a star of the hugely popular television series of that time On The Mat.
These days Mr Ruddock still applies some of the techniques learned in his wrestling days, not to inflict pain on humans but to relieve pain in ? horses.
Mr Ruddock is the "inventor" of equine touch, a unique, hands-on technique of "body fixing" for horses.
The technique stems directly from his pro-wrestling experiences and the rule which he and his wrestling colleagues followed: "You hurt me ? you fix me."
In 30 years in the fight game he picked up a variety of manipulation and massage techniques to deal with a wide range of injuries and also gained a reputation of his own as a "body fixer".
It was that reputation that resulted in an invitation, in 1997, to treat the Czechoslovakian nation steeplechase champion seriously injured in a fall.
The successful outcome of his work on that horse resulted in Mr Ruddock being invited to the Czech Veterinary University to teach his equine touch system to vets from all over Europe.
Equine Touch is currently practised by vets, therapists, trainers and horse lovers in 18 countries.
His visit to Wanganui, last night, to give a presentation on Equine Touch, was part of that process of spreading the word.
While pro-wrestling provided the foundation for the equine touch technique, its application on horses is much less vigorous than on people.
There is no skeletal manipulation involved. It is a touch process which brings about muscle relaxation, breaks muscle spasm and reduces pain and encourages the horses own healing ability to kick in.
"Horses are very sensitive. All I am doing is giving them a slight clue as to how they can fix themselves," he said.
Mr Ruddock said the courses he teaches are firstly aimed at helping horse owners recognise and understand when their animals are in pain.
The equine touch technique then provides them with a system for working on their horses for injury prevention and relief.
Mr Ruddock and his veterinary surgeon wife, Evana, will be back in Wanganui early in February to teach a Level 1 Equine Touch course at the Riding for the Disabled Centre.
He said the sensitive relationship between a horse and a disabled rider means the horse works hard to support that rider.
"So at the end of the day the horse is in a mess but equine touch is an eight minute, top to toe, very simple relaxation technique ... a gift to the horse," he said.