Sky Equine

02/12/2023

We’ve had an Elf on the Shelf arrive with us overnight… I wonder what naughty antics he’ll get up to this month…

🧝‍♂️🧝‍♂️🧝‍♂️🧝‍♂️🎄🎄🎄🎄

01/12/2023

Each of our residents receives some form of daily treatment, whether that be hands on massage, use of the Equilibrium Products Massage Pad, or stretching.

Here Connie is receiving a treatment from the Optimus Therapy Tech and showing some amazing release signs. Any licking, chewing yawning and a lower head position shows that the horse is accepting the treatment and ‘letting go’.

This is really important when they are on box rest but also just going any kind of recovery. If they hold onto tension because of environmental factors, like box rest, the body is using energy which could be used to better effect. We keep a weekly log of what each horse receives and how they react and this way we can track improvements or make adjustments as necessary

Follow us for more updates on how our residents get on

www.skyequinerehabilitation.co.uk

28/11/2023

Another one of our long standing residents left yesterday to return home and continue their rehab journey. Dolly came to us in June after having many ligament snips for Kissing Spines and PSD in both hind legs.

Her rehab needed to be slow and the priority was her legs but while on box rest and recovering, we made sure her back was also taken care of. She had regular massage treatments, use of the Equilibrium Products Massage Pad, Red Light therapy with the Optimus Therapy Tech Optimus Lumina and so much more.

She was a delight to rehab and she enjoyed her hand walking to begin with and then we were able to progress to long lining and eventually ridden work. The joyous moment was when her lovely mum Kaye could get back on and enjoy her once again. This was something she wasn’t expecting to happen until at least after Christmas.

Dolly enjoyed some time back in her own stable at home and in her paddock meeting up with old friends. I’ll be keeping in contact with Kaye and Dolly to check that that everything remains on track for them both and they continue to get stronger and stronger.

This is the best part of my job and what we offer. Seeing horses come in who need that little extra care and support and then watching them head off home strong and confident again.


www.skyequinerehabilitation.co.uk

27/11/2023

💥💥 SUNDAY GROOM OPPORTUNITY 💥💥

We are in the look out for a Sunday groom to join our fabulous team at

The right person would be over 21 years old, with a passion for helping horses recover from operations and to help see them through their rehabilitation. The role is diverse and includes the usual mucking out duties, turnout/fetch in, poo picking etc but to also do hand walking, groundwork, and exercise for the horses going through the programmes. Good record keeping skills is desired too. Working with own initiative and confident with horses especially when they come off box rest as can be fresh sometimes.

This is a special role to help backup the work of the original team through the week. Rehab doesn’t stop for a Sunday so you’ll be an integral part of the team. Help and support offered to learn this role too but the person must have the desire to learn something different in the equine industry.

Pay negotiable depending on experience

If you are interested, please send me a PM or email your CV to [email protected]

Immediate start available

www.skyequinerehabilitation.co.uk

25/11/2023

What a glorious crisp sunny morning at and Willowbrook Farm Feed Shop

We are not too far from Christmas now so here is an update on the shop opening times over the festive period…

Saturday 23rd Dec - close at 3pm
Christmas Eve - Closed
Christmas Day - Closed
Boxing Day - Closed

Wednesday 27th Dec - 9am to 1pm
Thursday 28th Dec - 9am to 5pm
Friday 29th Dec - 9am to 5pm
Saturday 30th Dec - 9am to 5pm

New Years Eve - Closed
New Years Day - Closed
2nd January - Closed
3rd January - normal hours resume

We would like to thank all our customers for their continued support throughout the year

18/11/2023

💥🎉 Yesterday was a great milestone for our latest longest inpatient, Dolly.

Dolly has been with us since the beginning of June and she’ll head off home in just over a weeks time.

Yesterday, her lovely owner Kaye had the opportunity of a little ride on her pony since a May of this year. We are so proud of Dolly for getting to this stage.

Dolly had been through kissing spines surgery and PSD in born hind legs. It’s been a long long journey but today was a massive milestone and one that I wasn’t sure.we were going to get to this stage before Christmas but hear we are.

As with all these rehabs, recovery is milestone but necessarily timescales. A timescale is good but making sure the horse is strong enough to move on to the next phase is equally as important.

www.skyequinerehabilitation.co.uk

18/11/2023

Yesterday we welcomed the very handsome Felix to our latest ‘inpatients’. Felix is 6 years old and already steeling lots of cuddles. We think he’s going to be quite a character 😁❤️

Felix has come to us for box rest, recovery and rehab for kissing spines surgery and PSD in a hind leg.

He is initially on box but part of his rehab is to start hand grazing straight away. Due to his leg condition, this will take slight precedence in his recovery and rehab but we will make sure his back is healing well from surgery, applying red light from the OOptimus Therapy Tech over the incision sites once the bandages come off and the sutures are removed, plus he’ll be getting daily stretches, a groom, targeted physio and use of the EEquilibrium ProductsMassage Pad and Magnetic rugs.

We can’t wait to see how he will progress through his recovery and rehab and we’ll keep you updated on his journey

www.skyequinerehabilitation.co.uk

16/11/2023

Some useful tips

THURSDAY RESEARCH MEME

Todays meme relates to the use of a half pad fitted beneath a correctly fitted saddle. Using a “thin layer” (5mm) beneath a saddle can help dampen saddle pressures particularly beneath where the rider is sitting.

Whilst useful, it is essential that the use of any half pad is discussed with a saddle fitter, as using a half pad beneath a saddle that does not have sufficient space can cause an increase in pressure.

The material is an important consideration, the half pad must have a rapid recovery rate (closed cell foam or equivalent) meaning that if you apply pressure, the moment the pressure is released, the material reforms.

We must be mindful, that what feels nice and soft to touch, when positioned beneath a saddle, and a load (rider) is applied, the soft material will be compressed, deform and have no functional benefits in dampening saddle pressures.

The materials are subject to fatigue, as an example woollen pads can be useful but over time they can become hard and lumpy, with the fibres loosen their crimp and dampening ability, so important to check, clean and maintain the half pads regularly.

🤓

16/11/2023

Well here we are, half way through November and not long now until Christmas…

As always it’s been busy on the yard over the last month or so with the growth of the intake of patients.

We are now preparing Dolly to leave us and head home to continue her rehab. Dolly has done fantastic during her time with us, taken all aspects of rehab in her stride and it’s great now to see her owner Kaye learning the methods we have been using with her. We encourage owner involvement so that they are confident when going home that they can continue the rehab plan. Dolly had kissing spine surgery and PSD in both hind legs.

Goldie who has been with us since the end of October is showing really good progress too. Although she’s still on box rest, she is off medication, starting to walk more comfortably for the vet assessments and the swelling in her hock is reducing. Goldie had her hock drilled (arthrodesis) because of arthritis. She receives regular massage treatments to help reduce tension through compensation lines.

Connie is a little character. She has been with us around 3 weeks now and has inflammation in her tendon. She has been going through extension physio through use of the Arc Equine, Ice Boots, bandaging, hand walking - all to help her weight-bear on it in a controlled manner to reduce any further complications. Regular massage helps her too.

This month we have also dealt with a rainscald case and he has improved remarkably well and will be heading off soon too.

Luckily we have lights in our school so we can continue with exercise as the sun goes down. The views of the sunsets (when not raining ☔️ 🤦‍♀️) are spectacular.

We are currently full with a waiting list but if we can help, please do get in touch.

www.skyequinerehabilitation.co.uk

🐎

13/11/2023

💥💥💥 Can’t believe we’ve hit 1000 followers on Facebook… thank you to everyone following our journey through the ups and downs of horses, rehab and physio ❤️❤️

12/11/2023

Skyla and I are on duty on a Sunday and her job is making sure Harpers box is mucked out… she did it all on her own and not a bad job really!!!

09/11/2023

I’m taking the opportunity to brush up on any new ideas and research that we can use in our rehab centre.

We never stop learning and in order for me to keep my certificates, I must complete a certain amount of hours of CPD learning a year.

I’m looking forward to doing this one 👇

**𝗨𝗦𝗘 & 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗢𝗙 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗 & 𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗦𝗘𝗗 𝗣𝗢𝗟𝗘𝗦: 𝗔 𝗕𝗜𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗘**

**THURSDAY 9th NOVEMBER 2023 @ 19:00 HRS GMT**

with

Dr Russell MacKechnie-Guire

Pole work exercises are commonly used in equine training/rehabilitation programmes to build core strength and improve limb flexion.

Ground/raised poles are thought to be beneficial for:
🐴Training proprioceptive skills
🐴Improving/restoring joint range of motion
🐴Strengthening propulsive muscles
🐴Providing variety within training programmes

This popular* 2-hour webinar will review the literature and present new research related to the use and application of ground and raised poles when walking and trotting.

𝗧𝗢 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/use-application-of-ground-raised-poles-a-biomechanical-perspective-tickets-717669788657?aff=oddtdtcreator

CPD Certificates
video replay
Q and A

*a live repeat of the webinar presented early 2023

07/11/2023

Back to the sensible posts… rehabbing in the dark.

Luckily we have floodlights in our arena so that we can still get all our horses exercised even as and when the sun is going down. We have magnificent views across the fields and we seeing some wonderful sunsets

www.skyequinerehabilitation.co.uk

07/11/2023

It’s not all playing ponies on the yard… sometimes we have to do some furniture arranging 🤣🤣💪💪

To me… to you… to me… to you…

Rachael Winnett was a little on the forehand and i I was a bit bum high 😆😆😆😆

03/11/2023

A bedroom with a glorious view this afternoon from A sunset to end the week… and this has been a busy week.

The last couple of weeks has been hectic on the yard. The vast majority of our current rehab horses are in with us for leg injuries or surgeries.

We have been settling in Goldie and she’s been doing great considering her operation. Today she had her bandage off and will stay on box rest for a bit longer while her leg continues to heal.

We welcomed 2 more other horses this week too and they are settling in well. Both are bringing their own challenges but we are keen to do everything we can to help them through.

We couldn’t resist carving some pumpkins on Halloween and we were treated to some pumpkin soup from Laura… yummy 😋

The weather has been against us all this week and there’s no doubt that Autumn and Winter has arrived. We caught a lovely picture of the rainbow… wonder what’s in the pot at the end of this rainbow 🌈????

We still have our usual horses in residence and they are making good progress. With a full barn now, we are being kept busy but finding time to get some lovely pictures

Have a good weekend guys

Lots of love
The Sky Equine Team

31/10/2023

This week we said a fond farewell to one of our longest residents who joined us in our early days… Scooby. 💥💥 there is a graphic picture in the post 💥💥

We’ve done a few updates on Scooby over the months but on Sunday it was time for him to head home and continue his rehab with his lovely owner Jacqui. Scooby came into us following Kissing Spines surgery for bone shave and ligament snips. His back healed incredibly well and to look at his back now, you wouldn’t think he had any surgery at all. He gained immense strength in his back and learnt how to engage his core and lift his back.

Our biggest milestone with him was when jacqui suddenly realised he was able to stand square with each leg underneath him - something which he just wasn’t able to do prior to surgery.

Scooby took all his hand grazing, hand walking and eventually school work in his stride and was a pleasure to work with. He loved his time in his Equilibrium Products Massage Pad and Magnetic Rug, he loved his general physio treatments and the opportunity for snacks while doing his stretches.

Back in September, he needed to have a sarcoid removed which we thought would hamper rehab slightly but we never expected the wound reject completely. We as a team, worked hard daily to keep the wound clean and flushed so that it could heal and we managed to keep all infections at bay. 💥 The picture shown is fairly graphic if you’re a bit squeamish.

Now Scooby is home, he has settled back into his herd really well and Jacqui is armed with a plan to continue his work. I will go and check on him in a few weeks to make sure everything is ok and to offer any assistance to Jacqui that she needs.

It’s incredibly rewarding when we can see our residents head home in a much better place than when they arrived with us. Our team all work together to ensure that the best care is given to the horses.

www.skyequinerehabilitation.co.uk

26/10/2023

Thursday afternoon in the sun, and we are having a Yard revamp, change around and tidy up ready for the next load of horses to come in

We have finally made it into the end part of the barn which can only mean one thing… we are getting full!!!

It’s a great feeling 😊

www.skyequinerehabilitation.co.uk

25/10/2023

Some very good kissing spines information

24/10/2023

🐎 This week we saw in and met the gorgeous Goldie.

Goldie has had a hock operation and needs extensive initial box rest while she recovers and heals. She arrived on Saturday and has settled in really well.

This morning she had her first dressing change and her vet is pleased with how the wound is healing. She is in a full limb bandage which will keep an eye on to make sure it doesn’t slip.

Whilst with us, she will receive her daily physio which is especially important while on box rest to keep the circulation moving and help maintain flexibility. Physio will be a mixture of hand massage from myself, use of the EEquilibrium ProductsMassage Pad and Magnetic Rug, the OOptimus Therapy TechLumina Red Light, daily stretches and daily groom. It’s really important to us that each horse has access to this level of physio.

We will track Goldies progress over the coming weeks and see how she recovers.

This makes us full at 10 horses for the moment but from next week we will have another box available so if you find yourself in the position that you need help and support with your horse, please do give us a call.

www.skyequinerehabilitation.co.uk

🐎

20/10/2023

19/10/2023

WILLOWBROOK BARN FEED SHOP

Don’t forget we have a shop on site with us at Sky Equine Rehabilitation where you can get your essentials for horse care, together with horse bedding and horse and other animal feed.

Drop in and say Hi and grab some bargains while you’re there.

The jodhpurs especially are warm and thick, perfect for this weather and time of year… and less than £20 each. All Toggi

Willowbrook Barns
Bushmead Road
Whitchurch
HP22 4LG

17/10/2023

We were unexpectedly late on the yard this evening but got the opportunity to see the barn lit up. Two of our horses popped their heads out

17/10/2023

It was a yoga session this afternoon for Archie and Troy as they were engaging their core muscles standing on the yoga blocks.

These are a great but simple and effective way of working the core without physical exercise. Neither of these horses have leg issues so they are safe to use. The yoga blocks are used twice weekly and they stand on them for as long as they can and are happy to.

Troy was also enjoying the Equilibrium Products Heat Sense massage pad at the same time

These are just two pieces of physio equipment we have available at to help our rehab horses through their recovery.

www.skyequinerehabilitation.co.uk

12/10/2023

💥💜 💜💥

As we head into the Autumn and Winter months, the clocks will soon be changing and nights drawing in. Not to mention the change in weather, rehabbing your horse may become more difficult for you. This is where we can help.

What can we offer you and your horse?
💜 Box rest in a caring and peaceful environment
💥 Assistance with wound and dressing care
💜 In-hand walking specific to your vets requirements
💥 Physiotherapy from the start to give your horse the best chance of recovery
💜 Caring and supportive staff
💥 Support for you during an anxious time and opportunities for you to see your horse at any time
💜 Regular updates on your horse’s progress and well-being
💥 We work closely with your vet to follow their advice
💜 Each horse receives a daily groom and check over

We can ensure that your horse gets the exercise they need as per their plan without you having to worry about doing it before and after work

Physiotherapy is key to any recovery whether it be human or animal and being with us at Sky Equine Rehabilitation, we offer that physio from day 1. We tailor make each horse’s physio plan which will help to keep them supple while on box rest but also to adjust to movement again, ensuring flexibility and strength. Recovery is usually won and lost on the rehabilitation stages.

If you think we can help, please do get in touch. We are happy to arrange a centre viewing and answer any questions you may have

Katie and the Team Sky Equine

Tel 07736910638
Email [email protected]
Website www.skyequinerehabilitation.co.uk

11/10/2023

My Riding Life. The one-stop on-line entry website facility for riders and equestrian centres

08/10/2023

And here we are… we’ve hit October already and today we have been open for exactly 6 months. And what a busy, rewarding and enjoyable 6 months it’s been. 💥🥂

We have helped so many horses already from simple box rest to getting a few horses diagnosed with kissing spines back under saddle. We have even had to deal with open wounds!!!

As a physio, having my yard to help more horses is what I’ve always aimed for since qualifying. It’s been so rewarding especially when I go and visit the horses who have left and returned home for their follow up treatments.

Anyway… the last couple of weeks have been really really busy with 3 more horses arriving, all bringing their own challenges and personalities.

It’s never a dull moment on the yard. Scooby is healing very well from his surgery and fingers crossed, he will be back out in his paddock next week but he has started his rehab again for his back. He quickly responded to the first round of rehab so we are confident, he will again this time. He has started raised poles and his groundwork exercises.

Dolly is making tremendous progress too, getting extra space in her field paddock to mooch around in. She’s not showing any signs of erratic behaviour in the field which is good as it gives her hind legs the time they need to repair. Yesterday though she welcomed back on her rider and was brilliant. She’s enjoying walking round the fields too to break up her exercise time.

Let’s bring on the next 6 months!!!!

www.skyequinerehabilitation.co.uk

05/10/2023

It’s been great to finally Scooby off box rest again. 4 weeks ago, he had a sarcoid removed from the inner part of his elbow but unfortunately, the wound broke down and it’s taken some time to heal it.

The pics are too graphic for me to post, but he has been the best patient while we have been dealing with it. The wound has had to go through a secondary intention process and heal from the inside out. Following his vets advice, we have meticulously cared for the wound to keep it clean and infection free.

This week he had a sign off from the vet and we have been able to start his hand walking, grazing and groundwork exercises again. We, unfortunately lost some rehab time for his back, but we are back on it and he’s enjoying being out of his box again. He hasn’t made it to turnout just yet, as the wound just needs a little extra time.

This has been the much added advantage of Scooby being with us, as we have been able to spend that extra time to get him well again before heading home next week. He has been able to resume his hand grazing, hand walking and groundwork exercises so we can start ti pick up his back strengthening and core engagement. It’s been amazing the change in shape in his back from not being able to exercise him in accordance with his rehab plan. We aim to do what’s e can before he goes home but his owner will have plans to help bring him on further.

Wound care is just another aspect of physio and rehabilitation that we can assist with at

www.skyequinerehabilitation.co.uk

🐎

05/10/2023

💥💥 warning… graphic pictures 💥💥

Today has been quite a day!!! We welcomed in our latest horse this afternoon and she’s settling in well. We’ll introduce another horse Siri, over the weekend.

But in the meantime, I thought we haven’t updated you all on Scooby. For the last 4 weeks, Scooby had to go back on box rest and recovering following the removal of a sarcoid from between his front legs. The wound did well for the first week but then the wound broke down and the stitches failed.

The wound itself became very open but we kept infection at bay with the meticulous cleaning and flushing as directed by his vet. With the application of Manuka honey, 4 weeks on, the wound has gone through a secondary intention healing process, healing from the inside out. Scooby was the absolute best patient and never once gave us any grief while we were trying to help him. A lickit and some extra cuddles, he allowed us to fully clean it every time. He’s a real credit to his owner Jacqui.

Today, the wound is half the size and looking much healthier. His vet is very pleased with the look of it.

On the downside, we are a bit behind on his rehab for his kissing spines but we are now able to start mobilising his back again before he heads home in just over a weeks time. Unfortunately the location of the wound around his elbow, has meant that we have had to keep his movement limited to not over stress it but it’s so good to see him out hand walking again and eating some grass.

I’m so pleased we were able to offer the extra assistance to Scooby and his owner through this healing process. Being a physio, I wouldn’t normally see this level of wound until weeks after but to be able to deal with it from day one and on a daily basis, has really helped to speed up the recovery. This is the best part about being on a rehab centre, we can offer that support and extra care.

www.skyequinerehabilitation.co.uk

04/10/2023

I’m really pleased to announce that I have a small stock of the units for sale.

These are Red & Blue light therapy units which can be used for an array of ailments on your horses, animals and even yourself! They are small enough to keep in your grooming box so they are always to hand.

‘Lumina can be used as part of your daily or weekly care routine - a complimentary therapy to other treatments and interventions - perfect for pampering your horse or pet’

It can be used to soothe sore muscles after exercise, releasing poll tension and relaxing hamstrings

It is a staple unit and therapy within our rehabilitation centre for our horses and I use it every time I am out seeing my mobile clients.

If you would like to purchase one, please let me know and I can arrange to get one to you. They retail at £275 and it’s absolutely well worth it

www.skyequinerehabilitation.co.uk

Optimus Therapy Tech

01/10/2023

Hope everyone has had a good weekend.

We’ve been busy this weekend getting ready for two more horses to arrive next week. When one horse leaves to go home, we strip the box back by removing the matting, disinfecting the stable, washing the mats and resetting the box.

Can’t wait to welcome our two latest horses to the yard for their rehab

www.skyequinerehabilitation.co.uk

🐎

27/09/2023

We are very lucky to have been given the opportunity of trialling for a few weeks, the new Equilibrium Products HeatSense Massage Pad. This was launched at the beginning of this month and so far it is proving very much loved by our patients.

Most of them have experienced it now and they all fall asleep. We use an array of the Equilibrium Products anyway for the physio and rehab of our horses and the addition of the heat to the massage pad is a welcomed one.

Each of our horses have an individual programme of treatments and plans and the massage pad features heavily in it. It works amazingly at helping to reduce tension in their back, especially when on box rest and maintaining a good level of circulation. With the heat addition, it helps to warm the muscles aswell as providing that massage effect.

We love it at Sky Equine and so do our horses. Its on the Christmas Wish List

23/09/2023

Autumn 🍂 actually arrived this week… wet and windy at the beginning of the week and foggy 😶‍🌫️ at the end… the hoodies and coats are definitely out now.

It’s been a busy week for us at with Bobby leaving us yesterday, he had his final physio treatment on Thursday. We have started cleaning and preparing his stable ready to take the next horse needing support.

Dolly got to finally go and have a roll in her small paddock and she absolutely loved getting covered in mud. Today, we placed her saddle back on since having her kissing spines operation around 11 weeks ago. She didn’t flinch once and walked well with it on again. We will work with her now to gain more strength ready to take a rider. We are excited for her future.

Archie is still undergoing physio and strengthening work, although lunging is not is favourite pastime 🤣. He’s doing really well though and improving all the time.

We haven’t updated on Scooby for a while as he has been receiving extra care following an operation he had two weeks ago. The wound has been proving hard to heal but he’s been a model patient and allowed us to take care of it. That’s the great thing about being on rehab livery… we were able to provide that tailored additional care and his owner didn’t need to worry. He’s back on box rest as a result but fingers crossed he will be back out in the field very soon and can continue his rehab exercise.

We also received in a new horse this week for box rest which was great. We welcome a new horse in a few weeks for rehab livery too and can’t wait to meet him.

Once we have cleaned up the stable, we will have two more boxes available, whether for a full livery or rehab.

With the weather taking a colder, more unpredictable turn now, we have the perfect setup to help you through the difficult months of winter rehab. We can save you the time, stress and anxiety of trying to get the walking/exercise in before and after work in the dark. We can keep the rehab work consistent whatever the weather.

Please do contact us to discuss your requirements.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

www.skyequinerehabilitation.co.uk