JT Veterinary Physio and Coaching

15/09/2024

“Use black electric tape as it looks like a normal nose band to onlookers”!!!

So surely as you say those words, your mind should be telling you that it’s very very wrong! So wrong so that you are trying to hide it!

There is so much wrong with this video! And I can’t even process it all right now!

Horses are not our slaves to “submit” to what we want 🤬

09/09/2024

09/09/2024

📣 ANNOUNCEMENT 📣

I hate to say it but winter is coming, and autumn before that 😬
Please ensure that if your horse is receiving a physio treatment that they are:

❌ NOT WET
❌ AS CLEAN AS POSSIBLE
❌ NO COAT SHINE/ CONDITIONER ON THE COAT

All of these things prevent me from carrying out a detailed hands-on assessment, and treating your horse to the best of my ability!

Thank you 🤩

27/08/2024

My thoughts go out to the owners, but please stay alert everyone!

❗ A case of EHV-1 neurological disease in a 13-year-old Warmblood mare on a premises in Ceredigion, Wales, has been reported to the ICC.

🔎 The mare presented with a stiff gait and difficulty urinating, quickly progressing to ataxia and recumbency. The case was euthanased on humane grounds.

🔹There are nine direct and around 20 in-direct in contacts, of mixed vaccination status. The premises is under voluntary movement restrictions, biosecurity measures are in place and additional testing of the population will be conducted to aid in optimising control measures and to inform when restrictions can be lifted.

🔹Positive diagnosis was confirmed by PCR on a nasopharyngeal swab and blood.

10/08/2024

𝘽𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙

Especially in our industry, with everything that has happened over the last few weeks, the last few months, even years, the overwhelming feeling that I get is that change is coming!

We no longer follow the instructions or commands of our “more experienced” professionals. We no longer follow the statements of “it’s just how it’s always been”. We no longer follow “because it’s tradition”.

Why?? Because we are now entering an era where horse owners/ riders ask questions. We want to learn more. We want to do better by these creatures that we adore! We have access to a more rounded knowledge thanks to science, that gives us evidence based facts. It also helps that the world is now watching!

But always remember, we as in the horse owners, the equestrians, the riders are the ones that created this industry. Our energy, our love, our passion for the horse! So we are the ones that can change it. Put their health and welfare first, results second!

Give your 4 legged friends big hugs and remember why you started. See it, feel it and live it! Be the difference we need!

09/08/2024

A meme tribute to the boss!
🐾🐶

03/08/2024

The boss won his own frillies today 🥉🥉
Very proud of how well he behaved and just got better and better through the classes 🐾

01/08/2024

This is why I was so so happy to see Becky given the opportunity to ride 😍

29/07/2024

A little aid to help with setting out your walk poles 👌🏻

SIMPLE BUT EFFECTIVE
Walk poles are so beneficial for the horse - they build strength in the core and the hind end and also increase the ability of the horse to bend and engage the hocks. This is all because there is no moment of suspension in the walk, therefore all effort to pick their feet up is done via the muscles.

Set out six poles in a straight line with a distance in between the poles of 0.8-0.9m (approx. 4 foot lengths). This distance can be altered if needed. You want your horse/ pony to be able to walk through the poles comfortably without having to collect or lengthen too much. If you have a green horse or one that is lacking balance and/ or strength, then continue to walk over the poles flat on the floor. Once your horse is confident and strong enough, you can raise alternate ends, working towards raising both sides of each pole. As you walk through, allow your horse to take it’s time, allow lowering of the head which will aid lifting through the core which will then lift the back.

Do not panic if you cannot go from flat poles to raised in one session. Let your horse show you what they are comfortable with and don’t over face them. I would love to see how you get on ☺️

12/07/2024

Two very relaxed boys for their treatments today!
Both lads had a full body massage along with specific treatments to some minor sore areas! They have now been moved on to 3 monthly treatments 💪🏻 as the owners are managing their exercises and workload brilliantly!

04/07/2024

❓DID YOU KNOW ❓

That LLLT is a very good treater of wounds!
Once the wound is clean, red light therapy can be administered to aid in wound healing at an accelerated rate.
It does this by triggering a biological process of photobiomodulation, which generates energy at a mitochondrial level which intensifies the healing process. It can also provide pain relief because of a rise in endorphins, and a reduction in pain receptors!

I can offer services to aid in wound healing using my LLLT kit. If this is something that (unfortunately) you are needing then please get in touch 📲🤳🏻

03/07/2024

❇️ NEW KIT ❇️

Some fab guesses from yesterdays question box, with a few that were spot on 👌🏻

So you might have noticed that I seem to picking up more canine clients which is lush, so I’ve expanded that side of the business.
I now have my own set of cones and poles, a balance ball and a more solid balance pad! All expertly displayed by the boss!

Very excited to start using the new kit and making your pooches stronger 💪🏻

01/07/2024

The lovely Cerys 🐶

This lush whippet is currently undergoing weekly appointments with me to treat FCE. When I read the timelines of improvement for FCE I was doubtful but the improvements in her over the last two weeks have been nothing short of incredible!!!!
Today was the most relaxed she has been to treat and just seeing her personality shine through is fantastic! There is more work to do but we are definitely on the right path 👌🏻👌🏻

25/06/2024

Had a very cute assistant today whilst treating the sweetest whippet for FCE (Fibrocartilaginous Embolism).
I will be doing a post about FCE and the animals it affects at some point in the future, as I had never experienced this, and I believe owners should be more aware of how it presents and the realistic outcomes.

13/06/2024

‼️ COAT RUBS ‼️

Does your horse have rub patches or patches where the hair is ruffled after work?

There a few causes of this:

❗️Seasonal coat changes
❗️Ill-fitting tack
❗️Saddle cloth material
❗️Rider position in the saddle
❗️Muscular changes

It is my job as the physio to recognise any changes including rubbing, and use other potential symptoms from the horse to narrow down the cause. This allows me to advise the owners correctly as to the route to take to rectify the problem!

To limit the rubbing, make sure that you:

❗️Groom your horse before and after work - this will obviously get rid of any dust and dirt beforehand, and remove excess hair if they are moulting. Grooming after work should focus on removal of sweat patches.
❗️Regular tack checks with a qualified saddler - the time between checks is dependant on age and workload.
❗️Make sure that your saddle cloth is not causing any pressure points.
❗️Regular appointments with a qualified musculoskeletal professional to monitor muscular changes.
❗️Ensure that you are sitting level in the saddle and not causing any pressure points through your seat bones or legs.

09/06/2024

So if you hadn’t noticed, I absolutely love my Epiony heat pads and they’ve become a staple item in my toolkit 💛
I also recommend them to 100% of my clients to aid in muscle relaxation before and after work or to aid in stiffness in between physio sessions!
I am chuffed to say that Epiony has given me a discount code to allow my amazing clients to purchase their own with ⭐️ 10% off ⭐️
If you want the code and/ or want to know anymore about what they can provide then pop me a message!
💚

07/06/2024

A few clients have asked why I still use my heat pad in treatments even though it’s becoming quite warm! Here’s why……

📍The heat pad gives off controlled temperatures so I know what temperature I am heating the areas.
📍I can vary those temperatures depending on what area of the animal I am treating and if the horse is clipped or hairy.
📍I can administer a known temperature for a certain amount of time, again depending on what and where I am treating.

✅ BENEFITS OF HEAT THERAPY ✅

📍Heat dilates the blood vessels of the muscles. This increases the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles, to help repair any damage.
📍Heat stimulates the sensory receptors in the skin. This decreases transmission of pain signals to the brain, partially relieving discomfort.
📍Heat therapy decreases stiffness, improving comfort and flexibility.

01/06/2024

Is it any wonder that this mare was “trying to kill people”?!!!!
When are we going to learn that just because we don’t speak the same language doesn’t mean that we can’t try and understand each other?

27/05/2024

Some fab client results coming in from the weekend 🥇🥈
These two are absolutely smashing it in their first season competing at affiliated competitions 💪🏻💪🏻

26/05/2024

Well I didn’t expect this little piglet on my client list this week!
🐷🐷
Unfortunately, she had been experiencing paresis in her hind limbs, which only seemed to be getting worse. This had resulted in atrophy of the spinal muscles through the lumbar and sacral spine.
The vet had seen the piglet and advised the owner to wait and see.
After my brief assessment, it was left up to the owner as to whether they were going to follow up with the vet, or allow the little piglet to go over the rainbow bridge.
Every day is a school day, and just shows that with the knowledge that we have as animal physiotherapists, we can apply it to a range of species 🥰

24/05/2024

Lovely catch up with these two little ladies today!
💚
Queenie 👑 (left) is starting to trust that I’m there to help and is letting go more and more!
Seren ⭐️ (right) is feeling so much better through her body!

23/05/2024

We need to be the change that our horses need!

Within the equine industry, horses continue to be stereotyped as naughty, grumpy, resistant, mean, or a typical mare when they are in reality showing signs of pain. It is our responsibility as equine rehabilitation practitioners to quantify and recognize pain in our equine patients, and to educate owners to recognize pain in their animals.

Many markers can be measured and used to quantify pain in the equine, the most valuable of these is behaviour. With advances in research allowing us to identify specific pain behaviours, we can now use composite pain scales in equines to quantify and monitor pain in our patients. This allows an objective method of measuring pain and its progression, improving communication and compliance between members of the multi-disciplinary team.

Let’s discuss some of how we can quantify pain here: https://onlinepethealth.com/putting-a-number-on-pain/

15/05/2024

It’s hard work standing around in the sun for a saddle fitting 🧡

At this time of year, it is really important to note any small changes in your horse’s temperament and way of going. As they experience more turnout and more grass, their bodies will change shape quickly. The sooner you notice the difference, the sooner you can get your saddler out to check it. This will reduce the pain that your horse experiences when you use ill-fitting tack!

Today Flashy got one of our dressage saddles fitted to him. I’ve used it a couple of times just to see if he was happy with it, and today we got it properly checked over by our master saddler! It just needed a little bit of flocking at the front and we are good to go! 💪🏻🐴

11/05/2024

The boss was definitely keeping a close eye on my work yesterday!
🐶🐾🐴

10/05/2024

She’s a girl that knows what she wants!
🐾🐾
Nimue’s training has picked up recently, and she’s had some big knocks over the jumps. Lucky for her, her body seems to recover quickly! Today she had some soreness through her neck and a little bit around her pelvis, but nothing that some massage and LASER can’t sort out 💪🏻🐶