Award Equine Physio

06/08/2024

🔋A recharge day… always super important

With so much happening behind the scenes at Award Equine Physio HQ today has been a battery charge day

💪 Starting with a gym session
🐴 Seeing a lovely client and trying out some new software for gait analysis 😬
🦄 Big cuddles with my big ginger ninja (looking so well on his prolonged holiday)
☕️ Lunch and coffee (plus cake) with a good friend putting the worlds to right

It’s so easy to empty the battery 🪫 but it’s important to recharge and take some time out

01/07/2024

🎉An exciting new workshop has launched focusing on the Young Rider 🎉

This workshop will work with the young rider and their horse/ pony, teaching all the fundamentals for them to help support their horses to maintain soundness

🦄 Fundamentals of Anatomy and Biomechanics
🦄 Common injuries
🦄 Massage Techniques
🦄 Stretching the horse
🦄 In hand work

📆On August 6th 9:30 - 3pm

Designed for children aged 6 - 13 (adults to remain on site throughout the day)

All children will receive a handbook so they can refresh their knowledge when they return home

Investment £96 per child, payment secures booking

To book: Please email [email protected].
Limited places available to ensure all children have the attention required

29/06/2024

🌞🐴 Sunshine & Ponies 🌞🐴

It was a lovely trip to Chard Equestrian today with the 2 little ones to watch the fabulous Darcie Nobles to cruise around 3 beautifully ridden rounds.
It is a pleasure to be a part of their team, and seeing them strut their stuff and find their wings.

09/06/2024

🎯Goals for rehab🎯

Having clear goals (which are likely to change throughout the process of the horses rehab), allow you to:

🛤️ Keep on track
📈Measure progress
🏆Sense of achievement
📝Help with planning and setting schedules
📣Maintain motivation

To set realistic, achievable and measurable goals, you should seek the help and support of your team! Your physio is brilliantly positioned to know you and your horses limits, history and pathology of injury, along with having the knowledge to create you a bespoke and measurable rehab goals!

⭐️ If you need support with your horses rehab goals and plans, please head to our website to see what we can do to help you get back on track

https://www.awardequinephysio.co.uk/equinerehabilitation

03/06/2024

🦷🦷Dentist time today…. 🦷🦷

Although Reggie is on a long holiday- it is so important to keep him on track with his regular checks; dentist, vaccinations, feet etc

Nothing to report of concern today and thank you as always to Equine Dental Clinic Ltd for giving a top class service!

Balanced teeth and a comfortable mouth is super important to help enable a comfortable and aligned body

02/06/2024

⭐️⭐️ Final opportunity to get your tickets and submit your questions for this unique evening event⭐️⭐️

🏆 Your entry will include an entry into the raffle with amazing prizes
🌭🥂 Food & Drink included in ticket price

🧠 Whilst learning and hearing some interesting discussions with 2 vets, 2 farrier and 2 physios!

All proceeds going to Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance

🎟️ Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/theoldpowerhouse/two-vets-two-farriers-and-two-physios-walk-into-a-bar/e-rlmojb

❓Submit your questions by lunchtime tomorrow:
[email protected]

Looking forward to seeing you all there on Monday 10th July

Tickets are now available for ''Two Vets, Two Farriers and Two Physios Walk Into A bar....'' at The Old Powerhouse, Bryanston, Dorset on Monday 10th June 2024. Click the link for further information and to secure your tickets now!

22/05/2024

🔑🔑Key points for successful rehab of the equine athlete

🐢 Take your time, slow and steady wins the race
👀 Focus on the details… they do matter!
🏆 Team work really makes the dream work; make sure you have a cohesive knowledgable team around you
🗻 Cross training; utilise different surfaces and terrain to improve your horses proprioception
📝 Make sure you have detailed, easy to follow complete rehab plan
📈 Consistency is key… stick with it!

www.awardequinephysio.co.uk

17/05/2024

🦄Rehabilitation 🦄

Over the coming weeks, we are going to break down what rehabilitation in the equine athlete should look like, how to approach this, hints and tips and ways to stay on track

Rehabilitation = improving/ restoring physical function, it is a type of a physiotherapy approach which allows for a whole horse approach.
🐴In short, it’s using a specific approach to get your horse back on track after an injury, illness or drop in performance! (But it’s a little more complicated than a simple definition)…

⁉️What are your thoughts on Rehab- what does it mean? Pros and cons of rehab?

02/05/2024

So much has been going on behind the scenes at Award Equine Physio HQ

We are delighted to announce that we have launched our Equine Physio vacancy to join the expanding team across the South 👏

This is an employed, full time role and is suitable for newly qualified physios, as well as more experienced physios who are looking to be a part of a cohesive team

Applications close on 31st May
Apply via the website:

Award Equine Physio are looking for an enthusiastic, conscientious & passionate equine physio to join our expanding business as a employed full-time Equine Physiotherapist.

11/04/2024

🦋This week has been a week of reflection🦋

After 3 days of having the privilege of attending an equine dissection Whole Horse Health UK

🦄Thank you to ‘Monty’ for sharing your journey through your body

It’s hard to summarise everything I have learnt; but all I can say is that it made me consider what these magnificent animals do for us… treat your horse with care and respect, listen to them and respond to what they are trying to communicate.
To share this journey with a fabulous bunch of likeminded therapists just topped it all off 🥹

Inspired by Sharon May Davis who is a bible of knowledge, I’m really looking forward to sharing my learning with my clients 😍

08/03/2024

🎉 Let’s all celebrate International Women’s Day 🎉

I come across so many wonderful women on my day to day work, from dedicated mothers, fabulous grooms, committed farriers, devoted owners (to name a few!) all on their own journeys

Tonight I’ll be raising a glass to all the amazing women out there 🥂

Drop a name below to give them a shout out on International Women’s Day ⬇️

02/03/2024

Journey of Hero 📖

💙 Hero joined Nicholas Pole-Carew’s gang last June.
He was a very weak 5 year old who had only been in light work for a short time. He has lots of areas of stiffness (due to his weakness), causing him to tuck his head in and over jump!

➡️ We focused on getting his body mobile with physio and lots of basic rehab work to strengthen him up (especially through his thoracic sling to help him lift in front)

🦄 8 months of hard work, focusing on the basics and he has truly found his wings… his journey will continue along with his basic work to really establish his potential; but he is very exciting 🤪

💖 It is such a pleasure to be a part of Pole-Carew‘s support team

20/02/2024

🎉Super excited to announce that Alice, Lead Physio at Award Equine Physio is now an FEI permitted therapist.
This allows us to support you and your horse through training, lead up to events and now also at events across the world 🎉

19/02/2024

🤔Are you struggling to know how to focus when schooling or find you and your horse get ‘stuck’

👀Here is a new way of focusing on your rides….

1️⃣ suppleness: start with the session seeing and exploring how supple you are both feeling. Work on the aspects that are not so supple with lateral work in walk, bending. Don’t progress from this unless you’re both feeling supple!

2️⃣ Activation: start to activate muscle groups using transitions and slow work. Use resistance through your body to switch on your own muscles too

3️⃣ Dynamic activation: this is when suppleness and muscle activation work together and is when you can ask for suppleness work within faster paces and more lift and carriage from you and your horse. This is when you start to build strength and muscle memory

4️⃣ Cool down: This is a time to let your horses stretch and time for you to reflect on your session. Your horse should finish their session nice and loose and free through their bodies

‼️ Listen to your body and your horses body - and stay within comfortable training and physical limitations
‼️This process can be as simple as staying in walk- it doesn’t need to be complex!
‼️Progress gradually

Give this technique a go the next time you’re schooling or jumping and let us know how you get on!
Suitable for all levels, all ages and all disciplines

www.awardequinephysio.co.uk

17/02/2024

Showjumper success

💚💙 Physio can help improve showjumper success, performance and soundness💙💚

But How??

Show jumping requires mobility, strength and dynamic stability in order to jump clear, accurately & safely

Spinal and pelvic mobility; to allow for a horse to be able to make a true shape over the fence, along with allowing the forces of push off to be maximal
Thoracic sling strength; to support with lifting the front limbs up and out of the way of a pole
Dynamic strength; to allow for the horse to be adjusted and maintain their power when turning after/ before a fence, alongside
Equal stability and muscle strength; when exploding power occurs over a fence, unequal power will lead to leaving a hind leg, not maintaining straightness or twisting over a fence

✔️Physio techniques to improve all areas of restriction and limitations
✔️We can detect areas of limitation before they become an issue - prevention always better than cure!
✔️Knowing your horses areas of difficulty-
We can tailor your training programme so that your horse can perform at its best

At Award Equine Physio, we treat a range of showjumpers, from NSEA ponies up to Grand Prix Showjumpers.

Get in touch via message to find out how we can help you and your team get consistent results

☎️ 07900565500
📧 [email protected]
💻 www.awardequinephysio.co.uk

29/01/2024

🛣️The journey of Camilla; from Box Rest and injury to competing at HOYs!

A story if not giving up and getting the right team behind you…

🦄Camilla is a Connemara mare, who lives to jump, and has a huge amount of power and ability (is a bit of a unicorn!) Her rider is a young, commited and talented jockey, but Camilla’s recent journey has not been easy.

🔪At the beginning of last year, she was diagnosed with a stifle issue, which required surgery and box rest. The vet was not optimistic about her return to her previous level of jumping.

🙌I came on board as her box rest was finishing; it was clear that she was very restricted through her whole body, along with weakness on one side and an asymmetric gait pattern (this is likey to be the cause of the stifle issue). Her owner was lost, in the maze of rehab.

🥳Physio helped with Camilla’s mobility, and a strict and specific rehab programme was implemented. Her owners completed this to the letter; and her way of going drastically and quickly improved. She was reviewed by the vet who concluded that she was now sound and to carry on as she was doing.

🎯We continued to focus on improving her gait pattern on the long lines and regaining her spinal and pelvic mobility through specific exercises as she progressed.

🐴Fast forward onto October and Camilla was sound enough and strong enough to compete at the Foxhunter Final at HOYs!

The winter has been spent revisiting her rehab, making sure her body is in the best shape for her best season yet ahead…

❣️Being a part of rehab is a major role of a physio❣️

We are delighted to announce that we will be offering bespoke premium packages from Mid February, to support you and your horse throughout their rehabilitation, getting you both on track to success and soundness.
Please get in touch if you are interested, as these will be very limited as they will involve lots of 1:1 work

www.awardequinephysio.co.uk

25/01/2024

🎉Our presence has been requested to visit a client now up in the Quantock Hills, Somerset…. On 6th February🎉
So we are extending the invite out to surrounding equestrians…

⭐️At Award Equine Physio, we specialise in rehab and performance physio, for both Rider & Equine
⭐️We pride ourselves as giving you and your horse the best service and treatment
⭐️ We have worked with a huge variety of riders and horses, from amateur to Grand Prix show jumpers and 5* eventers

If you would like to take advantage of us venturing into a new region, for you and/or your horse/ yard please get in touch ASAP as spaces are very limited via 🚗messenger,
💻email ([email protected]) or
📞 07900565500
www.awardequinephysio.co.uk

25/01/2024

This is fabulous description of the complexity of pain and lameness in horses! I’m often speaking to clients about the possibility of spinal involvement (due to impingement/ inflammation of restriction along the pathway of the nerve); but yet we (equine community) still know and diagnose very little of this very complex issue!

What is the diagnosis?

This is a common question we are asked. It is a fair and expected question. The trouble is – I don’t always have an answer for you. Why? Body Lameness is complicated and is rarely clear. In order to fix the body we have to know and understand its complexity. We also must appreciate the concept of biotensegrity.

Small areas of dysfunction can cause lameness and dysfunction in completely different regions of the body. I struggle with periodic left foot pain. I randomly (i.e. no specific event, sound familiar?) get a sharp pressure and pain in my left heal or arch of my foot. It feels like plantar fasciitis. I bought the insoles, I changed shoes- I got mild improvement. I was a 2/5 AAEP lameness. It wasn’t until I saw a human physio that I had relief of my foot pain. She quickly looked at me and explained my foot problem was due to a lower lumbar mild subluxation (my back did not hurt!) which lead to a pull on my fascia and change on my medial tibia which lead to the foot pain. Within one session my foot pain was resolved. I likely would have blocked to my foot. I would have definitely had a response to hoof testers. If I were a horse I would have been offered farrier changes and coffin joint injections, likely with mild improvement. My foot was a secondary issue but a primary concern. My back was the primary source of pain and yet a non-clinical issue. Until you discover the root cause, you will never truly resolve the pain.

Horses are the same. I treat horses based on my clinical exam and diagnostic imaging (to the best of my abilities). However, the important part is treating them based on their biomechanical failure points. It’s important to recognize that the body works as a whole and not individual pieces. If there is one region of pain or dysfunction, you must treat the entire area- not one spot. You also must consider how a horse’s biomechanics and biotensegrity play into their movement, posture and overall athleticism. If they cannot sit and use their lumbar-sacral junction correctly they cannot relieve tension in their thoracic sling. If their shoulder girdle is dysfunctional, you need to treat the entire region- the neck does not work independently from the first few ribs or shoulder. It all works together and in balance of each other. Additionally we must consider things like nutritional deficiency/toxicity, diet plans, exercise routines, saddle fit, gastrointestinal issues and muscle diseases. Often horses have some combination of all of these things. To get the best results or treat the difficult cases, we have to look at all areas.

On top of these concepts, we cannot image everything. The assumption that there is only an issue if you can image it, is ignorance. Necropsies have proven this to me repeatedly. We find so many things- nerve impingements, muscle changes, fascia changes, scar restrictions, disc problems, boney changes - all can be clinically significant and not found in the live horse. This doesn’t mean they aren’t part of the problem. The body can frequently compensate with little things over time, and then with age and addition of injuries sudden decompensation occurs- leading to acute pain on a chronic issue.

So when clients ask me, what was the diagnosis? I frequently say things like shoulder girdle dysfunction, lumbar sacral dysfunction, neuritis, rib cage dysfunction. I may sometimes be able to pinpoint specifics like T16 articular facet arthritis or lumbar intertransverse joint stepping. However, I know these individual things are part of a much larger picture of dysfunction. I treat the dysfunctional segments as a whole and that’s how we can get big results, where owners have been struggling. That’s how we can take a behavioral horse, who passed lameness exams but wasn’t right and turn them quickly into a happy relaxed working horse. Results matter to me more than individual diagnoses.

Image below is the brachial plexus- cannot be imaged well, cannot be blocked out, yet can be a huge source of pain and lameness in a horse. It’s frequently affected by other areas causing incorrect pressure, pull or tension on this region. It can be treated. Until you solve why it’s under incorrect forces, you will never resolve its pain.

22/01/2024

I have just nominated a few local and very dedicated professionals within our equine world. I feel it is so important to raise our hats to those who go above and beyond in our sport
Get nominating ☺️☺️

Nominate your chosen equestrian professional, business or charity who has gone above and beyond. Self-nominations are also accepted.

21/01/2024

The diary is now open….

For performance physio clinics from March 2024

❓Are you/ your liveries riders that take pride in being the best they can for their horses?
❓ Do you have aches and pains?
❓ Are you looking to take your riding to the next level?

All we need is:

✅ At least 4 people that want to be the best rider for their horses (any level, age or discipline)
✅ A warm, dry and as private as possible space for the physio
✅ An arena

Rider physio performance clinics include:
➡️ Specialist Rider Physio assessment & treatment
➡️ Ridden body concept approach - applying everything from the physio session into the saddle
➡️Answers to why you’re struggling in certain aspects
➡️ Ways to overcome this, with lots of homework!

If you’re interested in hosting a clinic at your yard, please get in touch

www.awardequinephysio.co.uk

19/01/2024

🎉Kickstart your journey of improve your performance with our New Rider Focused Physio Clinics @ Carters Barn, DT2 7TH

These clinics are designed for all levels and disciplines of riders who want to improve their own bodies, which in turn will improve your horse!

30th January
21st February
6th March
25th March

✅ Want to address those aches and pains?
✅ Want to identify your areas of weakness or stiffness?
✅ Want a plan so you continue to improve?

We can get to the root cause of those difficulties of your horse not bending on one rein, struggling with a particular dressage movement, maintaining balance over fences

Spaces are limited

Book now via our website: https://www.awardequinephysio.co.uk/services-3

And select the date and time you wish to book

07/01/2024

⚖️ Imbalances out of the saddle will create imbalances in the saddle ⚖️

🐴 Riding is a sport of symmetry, mobility and stability. We hope for equal lines throughout our body to allow for balance in the saddle, supporting our horses to move equally and loading their limbs symmetrically.

🪑 Being mindful and aware of how symmetrical our body is for the 23 hours a day we are out of the saddle (assuming you ride for an hour of the day) can make a huge difference when we are in the saddle

📏 By knowing your areas of asymmetry (both joint limitation, tightness and weakness) can allow for a targeted programme to be created.
A rider physio is ideally placed to assess for this, along with ensuring your aches and pains are not effecting how you perform in the saddle!

🎯 Make you goals for 2024 more achievable with your horse, by taking responsibility for how you symmetrical you are in the saddle. Remember, we are 50% of the team!

👀More Rider focused clinics coming very soon…

www.awardequinephysio.co.uk

04/01/2024

🥕For the love of a carrot 🥕

I frequently prescribe carrot stretches for my clients for a variety of different issues, and as long as they are completed properly with the targeted outcome in mind are a fabulous way of maintaining flexibility, engaging postural muscles, and checking in with how your horse is feeling that day

I’m often asked when to do carrot stretches and my answer is, it depends on what your hoping to achieve…

🥕Are you looking to increase the mobility through their spine?
🥕Are you looking to see how flexible they are?
🥕Are you looking to increase muscle length?
🥕Are you increase muscle strength?

Depending on your answers to these, will depend on how you approach carrot stretches.
🥕For mobility; lots of repetitions (you don’t need to hold)
🥕 For assessment of mobility; how far can they go each way
🥕 For muscle length; you need to hold this for 20 - 30 seconds!!!
🥕For muscle strength; make the ground uneven or complete on a hill.

‼️IMPORTANT POINTS‼️
➡️ If your horse has not been worked carrot stretches need to be performed with care, take it slow
➡️ Look up! Make sure you’re facing your horse and can see what their backs, muscles and pelvis are doing as this will tell you a lot!

Follow this page for more ways to support your horse
www.awardequinephysio.co.uk

02/01/2024

🍾🎉Welcome to 2024 and a Happy New Year 🎉🍾

And what a blustery welcome into 2024 today 💨

We all start the year with new goals, plans and ambitions… but how many of us to stick to these throughout the year?!

There are a few reasons we don’t stick to our goals and plans…
🎯Unrealistic goal set in the first place
👏Do not have the support team around you to make your goals happen
✏️Not held accountable
🐴Life; life happens and can send us off track and it’s tricky to get back on track sometimes

There are lots of ways to minimise these limitations..

What are your goals and ambitions of 2024??

31/12/2023

💥2023 roundup💥

🥹Thank you to each and everyone of you for making 2023 the most successful year at Award Equine Physio to date!
It has been a pleasure being a part of your teams

2023 has been a year of growth, development, learning and some fabulous results… helping both equine and riders recover, straighten up and succeed 🥂🪩

🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
Over 850 equines seen
Over 420 riders seen

✨Some fabulous clinics and workshops✨

A big shout out to the vets, farriers, trainers and saddlers that I have worked with 🥳🎉

👏Working with our supported riders has been brilliant, some fabulous progress has been made with both horses and riders!
Team Rimmer Eventing
Nicholas Pole-Carew
Hannah Bailey Equine

✏️There have been many learning opportunities throughout the year, including the addition of acupuncture to our rider offering. Along side this, joint working, learning off others and reflecting on some very complex cases; the journey of a therapist is a never ending road of development…

There are too many highlights to list; but here is to an exciting, successful 2024 to all of you wonderful humans and equines out there and may it be a sound year, full of laughs, happy tears and achievements 🍾🎊

19/12/2023

Wow- what a year this has been (year wrap up to follow)

For now, all the final horses and riders of 2023 seen today- time to put my feet up, enjoy wine and reflect on what an amazing year this has been

Admin will draw to a close on Friday, so all appointments need to be finalised for 2024 by 3pm on Friday (only a few slots left in Jan 2024) and then some much needed family focus time, enjoying my little ones and husband until the New Year

12/12/2023

A whizz through a physio session. As you can see - it’s more than just a massage and more than just the back!
This is not a full session, but we look at the pelvis, back, hip, neck, poll, shoulders, TMJ (to name a few aspects).

10/12/2023

🎉Announcement 🎉

To support all of our riders (and in future months the horses too) we have added Rehab My Patient clinic software to our system, to allow us to prescribe visual exercises to the riders to allow for easier completion of their home programmes!

We are hoping to add to the system, to allow us to utilise this for the equine exercise prescription, making sure you are all able to complete the exercises given more easily as it uses visual prompts to ensure correct completion!

Following your Rider Physio appointments, you will be sent your home exercises via email so you have no excuses not to complete them 😝

To book your Rider Physio appointment, please visit www.awardequinephysio.co.uk

06/12/2023

Preventative rehab (sometimes known as prehab)

📌This rehab is when a specific injury is not present- Prevention is ALWAYS better than cure
📌This approach can reduce injuries, improve performance and IMO should be all horse owners focus whilst working the horse (at any level)

💫The average (standing, not moving) horse spreads 30% weight into EACH forelimb and 20% into EACH hind limb

🎯We should aim to have equal loading onto each forelimb. If there is an altered loading, due to weakness, stiffness or pain, this could lead to an injury.

⚖️ So, the main focus of preventative rehab, should be to equalise the loading, by ensuring our horse is equally strong, mobile though his back and pelvis (with no stiffness).

🎉If we all aim for this, then we should reduce the amount of repetitive strain injuries (like tendon tear, suspensory damage etc).

✅Ask your physio where your horse is weak and stiff, and ask for exercises to do to help improve this… and this counts for all horses (young/ old/ in full work/ out of work!)
‼️Then complete the exercises religiously (that’s the hard bit!)

Get in touch to discuss how Award Equine Physio can help you with your prehab and prevent injuries happening!

www.awardequinephysio.co.uk