Lorem Veterinary Physiotherapy

28/06/2022

Amen ❤️

26/06/2022

I love being a veterinary physiotherapist because I love being able to help horses just like this but it also breaks my heart because all too often I see that money is the thing that gets in the way of these horses getting the treatment they so desperately need 😞💔 Why can we afford £100 for a LeMieux saddle pad but we can’t afford £70 or whatever your local equine physiotherapist charges for a physiotherapy treatment? I’m pretty sure I know which gift your horse would prefer if it came down to it… and it’s not the LeMieux saddle pad 👀😬

You might be paying me, but my contract is with your horse.

He starts talking to me as soon as I lay my eyes on him. It's not that I hear his voice or see pictures projected to me. His body speaks to me. I notice the placement of his feet beneath his body, the angles and symmetry of his hooves. I take in the rhythm of his breath, the motion of his ears, the wrinkle over his eye.

As you begin to tell me his story, my eyes continue scanning over the contours of his body. The hollows and creases explain a history of imbalance in his muscles. I make a mental note to look at your saddle.

I know he travels on the forehand well before you mention that he leans on the bit. The thickened throat-latch and hypertrophied under-neck muscles have been shouting at me since I arrived. That he spooks randomly at nothing comes as no surprise to me either.

Tensegrity will absorb many physical problems as they arise, allowing bodies to do an amazing job of compensating for physical trauma, but like us, as horses get older, trauma accumulates and creates dysfunctional posture and movement patterns.

And it's not just physical damage suffered through knocks, falls and micro-tears that takes a toll. There's emotional trauma from being weaned, trapped in yards, deprived of sufficient forage, transported, “broken-in”, separated from herdmates and so on…

Chronic emotional trauma can manifest as fascial restrictions. Dehydrated fascia becomes rigid, creating a strangle hold around muscles, nerves, tendons and even organs, limiting range of motion and sending pain signals to the brain. A vicious circle is created. The body braces as if to form a protective armour against unseen threats and the nervous system remains ever ready to flee, fight or freeze.

So once you have told me his story, it is my duty that I tell you what his body said to me. Be assured - these are my observations, not accusations. He’s always been like that, you say? Well how about today we start to do something about it? Not after the show next weekend, not after the trail ride, or after the $150 jumping lesson with the coach from out of town. For the sake of your horse, it needs to be now.

I've made a promise to your horse that I will
See him
Hear him
Honor and respect him.

I promised to do all in my power to help him feel safe so he is free to become the magnificent creature I know he can be.

So before I take your money - are you with me?

08/06/2022

16/02/2022

I have some equine physiotherapy appointments available next Friday 25th Feb in the SO51 area. If you would like to book an appointment please pop me a message or an email using the details below 😊

08/02/2022

I regularly get chatting to my clients about equine behaviour. I truly believe in the importance of asking the question ‘why does my horse behave in that way?’. I often hear owners say ‘if only they could talk to us’. Well, I think they often do! We just have to be open to listening to them. Behaviour is the only way they have of communicating with us. If they whisper and we don’t listen, then of course it makes sense for them to turn the volume up until we do. Next time your horse is ‘naughty’ give them the benefit of the doubt and ask yourself ‘why?’. What might they be trying to tell you? Horses really are brilliant communicators… if you just take the time to listen 👂

Take it all away.

If you were to strip away the tack accessories, leaving only the bare minimum (saddle, basic saddle pad, headstall with browband, throat latch and bit) what truths would you discover?

For every additional piece of tack, ask yourself not if you need it, but why, and with that answer, ask yourself if that reason is stemming from pain, anxiety or even physical weakness.

Head in the clouds? Perhaps your horse isn't strong enough to carry himself properly and uses his neck to rebalance.

Tongue over the bit? Perhaps the bit doesn't fit, or his teeth are bothering him, or just the placement of the bit in the mouth.

The best way to open up better communication with your horse is to first stop gagging and silencing their every attempt to get a point across. Understand that they don't have the ability to take the p**s or have some sort of agenda, they do what they do to relieve pain or discomfort, be it physical or psychological.
You cannot help your horse without first removing everything that would hide the symptoms.

02/02/2022

Here is the lovely Ben enjoying a good poll stretch. Ben had reduced range of motion in his neck, which wasn’t improving with the usual physiotherapy techniques, so after a discussion with his vet we decided to treat him under sedation so that we could really get into the deep layer of muscles within the neck and manipulate any restricted joints.

19/10/2021

After seeing multiple videos posted by various breeders bragging about their 2 ½ year olds/recently turned 3 year olds and sharing videos of them cantering around in the arena, I have decided to once again circulate the below article.

First of all, breeders *should* have the knowledge to understand a horse’s fragile and slow maturing musculoskeletal system. Breeders should not condone their own horses let along anyone’s horses being cantered around under saddle at an incredibly young age. Period. This sets a terrible example and is quite honestly animal abuse. Just because a horse does not object does not mean it is right. And quite frankly, most of the videos posted show animals that are already in pain or developing pain…

As breeders, we should strive to produce healthy and sound animals. We should promote horsemanship that produces long term soundness. No, starting a horse later does not guarantee soundness. But it certainly helps.

I am a firm believer in scientifically backed approaches to horsemanship. You can’t argue with science that has been proven time and time again. Let’s dispel some stupid rumors:

1. There is no such thing as a (skeletally) slow maturing horse or one that is fast maturing. No horse is skeletally mature before the age of 6. And that is on the low estimate for age.

2. Growth plates are not just in the knee. Every bone behind the skull has a growth plate. Not every single one needs to be converted to bone before starting. There is a schedule of when bone fuses…this is the information needed to know when to start a horse. Not their outward appearance. It is a known fact that during growth, proprioceptive awareness can regress, greatly increasing the risk of injury.

3. Starting a horse is not the same thing as riding a horse. Starting a horse does not mean cantering it 3-4 days a week in an arena.

4. Injecting a horse that is in pain does not mean you fixed a problem. You masked it.

5. You can build correct muscle and teach a horse how to move their body from the ground. This creates a solid foundation to work from once your horse is ready to actually be backed. Teach a horse to use its body correctly before backing and you’ll save yourself a lot of vet bills down the line.

Hocks are “late” for maturity. The growth plates on the tibial and fibular tarsals do not fuse until a horse is 3-3 ½. Ever wonder why so many horses seem to have hocks issues?? Horses need to learn to carry themselves and their own weight well before adding a rider.

The growth plates that are LAST to close are at the base of the neck. This area is where we ask a horse to raise the base of their neck and come round. If under too much stress, the growth plates can fracture or be permanently damaged.

There are DOZENS of activities you can do with a young horse to build healthy muscular development. None of them involve a saddle or your weight on their back. Teaching a horse to carry themselves correctly BEFORE adding a rider is essential and cannot be done in a week. A 2 ½ year old horse is a baby. Mentally and physically. We see far too many injured performance horses at VERY young ages - broken down and/or sour from work. It’s wrong. Period. They need slow and steady work and need time to recover from even the slightest of injuries.

PLEASE, if you are considering when you should start your horse and what that work load should look like, please read the below. There are some wonderful things you can do with your young developing horse. Please don’t rush a year out of greed.

http://www.equinestudies.org/ranger_2008/ranger_piece_2008_pdf1.pdf

12/12/2020

26/11/2020

🐴 To Bit or Not to Bit? 🐴

This question comes up a lot in the equestrian world at the moment! Bitless bridles are a controversial topic these days. With all the information and opinions currently published, it can be difficult for many equestrians to decipher which option is best for them and their horse. However, with the compilation of current research demonstrating the benefits of a bitless bridle, why not let riders do their own research and make their own choice?

Current riders who enjoy competitive equine sports are prevented from making this choice for themselves and their horses because very few of the disciplines' equipment rules allow bitless bridles, with the FEI recently banning bitless bridles from the cross country phase in eventing, but here are some compelling reasons why all horse sports should allow riders to remove the bit from the horse’s mouth!

🐎 Better ability to breath

🐎 Increased freedom to stretch out through the head and neck

🐎 Reduction in 'problem behaviours' such as bolting

🐎 Safety

Have a quick read of Dr Robert Cooks article below to find out exactly how these benefits come about! Bitless bridles are by no means the perfect solution. Still, with the mounting evidence in support of the concept that bit-free riding is a gateway to both, improved safety and performance, they should at least be an option for all riders to consider!

Bit-free: Why all horse sports should allow riders to ride and compete bitless - especially when success depends on a fully functioning respiratory system.

24/09/2020

Recently I’ve been spending some time refreshing my knowledge of anatomy and it’s just fascinating to see how each muscle in the body is linked! 🐎

🔸The Hyoid and Hind End Connection🔸

I’m currently treating a horse with a stress fracture on the pelvis; there is obviously a lot of focus on the lumbar area and hindquarters during our sessions but I am also working on the neck, head shoulders .... all due to the hyoid.

The Hyoid apparatus is a delicate structure comprising of 5 bones nestled between the mandibles and under the jaw. The top of the apparatus articulates with the skull under the temporal bones (TMJ), the small, lower bones attach to the root of the tongue and to the larynx and pharynx.

So at this point, the hyoid is linked to balance and steering, breathing, the vocal cords, swallowing and eating.

Much has already been written about the effects of tight nosebands, restriction around the mouth, rollkur, TMJ tension and headshaking - all linked to the hyoid, but this is only the tip of the iceberg!

The hyoid is connected to the scapula and the sternum by a pair of long muscles that work together –the omohyoid and sternohyoid.

So now you can imagine how the range of movement of the forelimb may be affected if there is tension, excess flexion or bracing against the bit between the hyoid, shoulder and sternum.... and back up to the TMJ.

And there’s more!

The pectoral muscles connect the forelimbs to the trunk and the sternum, whilst the abdominal muscles, also attached to the sternum, connect to the p***c tendon which connects to the pelvis...

The pelvis is the powerhouse ; and the pelvic bone is the site of attachment to muscles that connect to the back (iliopsoas group) and to the hindquarters (biceps femoris).

You can visualise the chain of muscles and action that lead from the hyoid to the hind end! The Ventral Chain. If the jaw is stuck, tense or evasive this will be reflected in the pelvis and the movement in the hind end. If there is pain or dysfunction in the pelvis, or the muscles that attach, patterns of compensation will begin and radiate out up to the hyoid and TMJ.

Anatomists have demonstrated in dissections that applying pressure to the mouth and jaw (affecting the hyoid) restricts the movement of the hind legs and hips when articulated by hand; when the hyoid is released the leg can move freely again.

Although an injury can be pinpointed to a specific location, it may have affected a wider area, especially if it hasn’t been diagnosed immediately or is part of a chronic condition. And this may explain why your body worker is addressing muscles or fascia not near the site of injury or discomfort.

🔸This is a simplified account and an anatomically not correct drawing; links below are more technical 😊

22/09/2020

Dogs have so much love to give and this is why we love them 🐶💖