RPM Equine: Veterinary Physiotherapy, Byley Lane, Middlewich (2026)

05/09/2026

🐴 There are always good weeks and bad weeks with equine physiotherapy and rehabilitation... and this week was absolutely one of the best ones! 🐴

Kenny is one of those cases that reminds us why rehabilitation isn't always a straight line.

In March, Kenny was diagnosed with irregular navicular conformation, impar ligament desmitis and adhesions within the navicular bursa in his right fore.

He was medicated and shod with a remedial setup.

By April, he was still lame, with active inflammation, and things weren't heading in the direction we wanted.

By the end of May, his owner was facing some incredibly difficult decisions. Kenny was increasingly stiff and lame, spending more time on box rest because of the hard ground, and his other leg had also developed some puffiness.

The veterinary reassessment in June highlighted significant concerns with his feet and foot balance.

At that point, it was clear that the initial farriery approach wasn't producing the improvement required, and a different approach was needed.

A change in farriery and remedial shoeing followed, alongside continued veterinary management and rehabilitation.

And then things started to change.

12 June:
“His other leg has been a lot less puffy since the new shoes 🥳”

And apparently he was also broncing around the sand, which was a pretty good indication that he was feeling considerably happier! 😂

8 July:
“Thank you so much! We wouldn't be here without you!! Best gift ever was seeing him like that again 🥰”

25 July:
“No puffiness on the good leg anymore 💪🏼”

And this week...

“Guess who's sound” 🎉

Kenny was assessed sound on hard, soft AND on the circle.

Even the vet was impressed, and he's now been cleared to start his return to ridden work in 6 weeks.

This news has been a long time coming and certainly wasn't a quick fix.

It was veterinary treatment, appropriate farriery, rehabilitation, regular reassessment and an owner who kept going when things looked pretty bleak.

His case really highlights the importance of a multi-disciplinary care team, with everyone working towards the same goal.

Sometimes, when progress isn't happening, the answer isn't necessarily to do more. We need to step back, reassess and adjust what we're doing with the management.

Kenny's diagnosis hasn't disappeared, but this week, he is sound. ❤️🐴

We can now slowly plan his rehabilitation programme back to strengthening, suppling and, most importantly, ensuring that he remains comfortable when his owner gets back on.

02/09/2026

While Joker comes in for his weekly treadmill session, the rest of Team Hankey are busy preparing for the journey to Burghley Horse Trials! 🐴

Best of luck to Hayden and the whole team with all four horses competing, we’ll be cheering you on! 🤞🏼🏆

Safe travels and have a brilliant event! ❤️

01/09/2026

🐴 The smallest client has officially checked out! 💚

Peppermint the miniature Shetland has headed home today after a week of holiday livery with us.

Many of you will have met him during your sessions this week… or, more likely, heard him 😂 He might be tiny but he has absolutely no problem making himself known!

Although Peppermint was here for a holiday stay, we offer a range of short-term and rehabilitation livery options depending on what your horse needs:

🏡 Holiday livery – going away for a few days or weeks? We can look after them while you’re away.

💧 Short-term treadmill stays – want to fit in a block of water treadmill sessions without committing to a full rehab stay? We can accommodate short stays where appropriate.

🐴 Rehabilitation livery – structured exercise, physiotherapy and therapy support for horses recovering from injury or returning to work.

🌿 Box rest / restricted exercise – a controlled environment for horses who need a little extra management during recovery.

Stays can also be combined with physiotherapy, water treadmill, laser and gait analysis, depending on the individual horse and their requirements.

size really doesn’t matter here! 😂

From miniature Shetlands to competition horses, our aim is to provide a calm, professional environment where horses can stay, recover and be looked after properly.

Byley, Cheshire
www.rpmequine.co.uk

07939874828

27/08/2026

WHY DO PHYSIOS SUGGEST HILL WORK? ⛰️🐴

Bums, backs and bellies… but there’s a bit more to it than that!

I’ve got two ponies in these videos, walking on the flat vs walking uphill, because you can really see the difference.

Look at their outline as they go up the hill. Their spine becomes more elevated, the abdominal line changes and you can see them having to work harder through the hindlimbs to push themselves uphill.

And this is why I love hill work as a training and rehab tool.

Walking uphill changes the mechanical demands on the horse. It increases the work required from the hindlimb muscles and also increases activity through the muscles of the trunk.

So we’re asking the horse to:
• push more from behind
• stabilise their trunk
• maintain balance against gravity
• control their body as they move uphill

Research has shown increased muscle activity during uphill walking, particularly through the hindlimb and trunk, compared with walking on the flat.

And you don’t need to find the steepest hill you can!

A controlled walk up a suitable gradient can be really useful, particularly when we’re trying to gradually build strength and coordination without adding more speed or impact.

As with everything, the hill, gradient, pace and the individual horse matters. The aim isn’t to make them work harder but to give them the right stimulus for what we’re trying to achieve as part of their programme.

24/08/2026

WHAT I’M SEEING IN HORSES LATELY AS A VETERINARY PHYSIOTHERAPIST 👀

There are a few patterns I’m seeing again and again at the moment, whether that's owing to the weather, how we're adapting our riding programme or altered workloads.

One-sidedness

Many horses that I am seeing are particularly dominant on one side over the other. This often shows up under palpation as one side having increased muscle mass alongside increased muscle tone, whereas the other has less of both by comparison. The dominant rein often feels tighter and less supple under saddle, and riders can subconsciously add to this.

Pelvic asymmetry or restriction

Changes in pelvic position, mobility and control can have a huge effect on how a horse uses its hindlimbs. I’m seeing horses where the pelvis isn’t moving as freely or symmetrically as I’d like, so we need to work through why that is and whether we can improve it.

The effects of hard ground and current conditions

The ground is rock solid at the moment and this is affecting our horses. During dynamic assessment, some horses are looking a bit stiffer than usual, but loosen up as we move through the assessment and continue on to lunge.

Remember, rock-hard ground combined with a firm hoof capsule, including shoes, can mean less shock absorption at the hoof and potentially greater transmission of impact further up the limb.

Lots of arena work

And to combat the hard ground, I’m seeing horses doing a lot of repetitive work on the same surface, often in the same direction and with relatively little variation.

This can add more repetitive loading to our soft tissues and really highlights the importance of variety in the work, this is where something like water treadmill work may help!

Horses needing strength and conditioning

More and more, I’m looking at how we can actually change the horse’s capacity for movement and range of motion.

That might mean progressive strengthening, poles, controlled treadmill work, changes to the ridden programme or simply introducing more appropriate variety.

All of my clients receive a comprehensive exercise prescription programme to target areas found during assessment.

The obvious problem isn’t always the whole problem

A tight back, restricted shoulder or reduced hindlimb movement might be what we find on assessment, but it doesn't necessarily tell us where the problem started or what the primary area of concern is.

That's why I utilise a comprehensive assessment, palpation, history and any other relevant information to piece the puzzle together.

The goal isn’t just to make a horse feel better after a treatment. It’s to understand why they’re moving the way they are and give them the tools to move better long-term.

If you’ve noticed your horse becoming more one-sided, struggling with a particular rein, feeling different on hard ground or just not moving quite like themselves, it’s worth paying attention to those small changes. 🐴

17/08/2026

💧 Things I wish every client knew before a water treadmill session…

There’s a common idea that more water plus more speed equals a better workout, although this isn't usually the case.

Every horse responds differently to the water, so I’m watching how they’re actually moving throughout the session; their rhythm, balance, stride, hindlimb engagement and when they start to fatigue.

Sometimes I’ll increase the water.

Sometimes I’ll slow the belt down.

Sometimes I’ll change the whole thing.

The aim isn’t to make the horse work as hard as possible. It’s to get good quality movement and build strength and fitness gradually, without letting the movement fall apart.

So if you see me changing the settings during a session, there’s a reason.

There isn’t one perfect setting for every horse. It’s about what works for that horse, on that day, at that stage of their programme.

💧 Water Treadmill
🐴 Rehabilitation & Fitness
🤍 Veterinary Physiotherapy

📍 RPM Equine Veterinary Physiotherapy
www.rpmequine.co.uk

14/08/2026

🏆 WIN WITH RPM Equine Veterinary Physiotherapy! 🐴📸

We’ve loved seeing so many of you jumping the RPM Equine sponsored fence at byleyinternational, so we thought we’d make a competition out of it!

📸 We want to see your best photo over the RPM Equine fence!

To enter:

🐴 Post your best photo from Byley International jumping the RPM Equine fence
💙 Like our page and Tag Equine so we can see it!
📍 Tell us which horse/pony you were riding

We’ll choose our favourite photo and the winner will receive a free Water Treadmill session (intro sessions available) 🎉

It doesn’t have to be the biggest jump or the fanciest horse, we’re looking for the photo that captures the moment best!

Entries close 13.09.26 and the winner will be announced shortly afterwards.

Good luck! 🐴💙💚

11/08/2026

🐴 REHAB • TREADMILL • PHYSIO

All sessions are carried out by a Veterinary Physiotherapist, meaning your horse’s movement and rehabilitation is considered as a whole.

🏡 Rehab & Holiday Livery
Whether your horse needs a structured rehabilitation programme, is on box rest, needs bringing back into work, or you simply need somewhere for them to stay while you’re away, we can help.

💧 Water Treadmill
A controlled way to build strength and fitness, improve movement and add variety to a rehabilitation programme. Sessions are tailored to the individual horse rather than simply following a set water height or speed.

👐 Veterinary Physiotherapy
For horses recovering from injury, dealing with ongoing issues, returning to work or needing regular maintenance. Every session starts with an assessment so treatment is based on what we actually find.

We also offer combined physio + treadmill sessions, allowing us to assess your horse, identify any areas that need attention and then apply those findings to their treadmill work.

📍 Byley, Cheshire
📩 Message us to discuss rehab, treadmill or physio for your horse.

RPM Equine Veterinary Physiotherapy
www.rpmequine.co.uk

07/08/2026

Sometimes the best treatment decision is knowing when to change your plan.

This mare is rehabilitating from chronic PSD alongside a historic hock fusion.

I started treating her proximal suspensories with my Class 3B laser, but she became increasingly fidgety during each session. Rather than pushing on, I changed my approach and applied the laser over a selection of acupressure points (YBH, ST36, BL23, BL60, SI9 and GB21).

Almost immediately she became more settled, with lots of licking, chewing and yawning.

One of the reasons I completed the QiEquine Acupressure course was for horses who may not tolerate traditional physiotherapy treatment techniques (massage, trigger point therapy etc). Some horses are simply too sensitive for direct treatment over painful areas, especially during rehabilitation. Having another option means I can adapt each session to the individual horse.

Rehabilitation is never about one treatment or following a set protocol. We adapt to the horse, altering the approach and giving them the best opportunity to progress.

*Licking, chewing and yawning are commonly observed in relaxed horses during treatment, but they shouldn’t be taken as proof that a treatment has been effective.

RPM Equine: Veterinary Physiotherapy

05/09/2026

02/09/2026

01/09/2026

27/08/2026

24/08/2026

17/08/2026

14/08/2026

11/08/2026

07/08/2026

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