Emma Barber Healing Hands Veterinary Physiotherapy

Emma Barber Healing Hands Veterinary Physiotherapy Professional Veterinary Physiotherapy services, Remedial Groundwork, In-hand and Ridden Coaching.

Putting your horses physical and emotional wellbeing first, while empowering the horse-human relationship. Emma provides Veterinary Physiotherapy, Biomechanical and Rehabilitation training to Equine patients in the Midlands and surrounding areas. As an experienced horsewoman Emma has worked professionally in the equine industry for more than 20years, initially as a freelance groom and qualified ri

ding instructor, going on to qualify as a McTimoney Animal Manipulation therapist and Veterinary Physiotherapist. Emma combines her academic knowledge and practical experience to provide owners with a highly tailored service. Giving owners the skills and knowledge to help their own horses stay in the best possible health. Emma is passionate about improving the well being of all horses, from happy hackers to top competition horses and all those in between.

An evening with a difference, a non horsey outing for a change! Bringing out my budding artist 🧑‍🎨
08/01/2025

An evening with a difference, a non horsey outing for a change!

Bringing out my budding artist 🧑‍🎨

A big bonus of being a veterinary physiotherapist is the fact you don’t just have to use your equipment on the horses! T...
04/01/2025

A big bonus of being a veterinary physiotherapist is the fact you don’t just have to use your equipment on the horses!

Today it was the Epiony heat pads time to shine, giving me a much needed warm up post swim 🏊🏼‍♀️, yes I did have a wet suit on, yes it was cold 🥶 , yes I must be a little bit bonkers 🤪 🤣

I can honestly say I’ve used every bit of equipment I own on myself, with the long wave ultrasound, H-wave and TENS machines being really useful for muscle soreness, pain land a lot more!

If you would like to know how some of this equipment can benefit your horses (sorry I’m not allowed to use them on clients 🤣), just get in touch for an appointment.

Use of electrotherapy equipment is included in the standard price of an assessment!

The first day of the year may have been a bit of a washout to start, but it’s definitely finished on a brighter note! 4....
01/01/2025

The first day of the year may have been a bit of a washout to start, but it’s definitely finished on a brighter note!

4.30pm and still some light 🌅, brighter days are coming 💛🧡

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year and an amazing 2025! 🥳This year, instead of setting New Year’s resolutions, I’m focusi...
31/12/2024

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year and an amazing 2025! 🥳

This year, instead of setting New Year’s resolutions, I’m focusing on New Year’s intentions.

Resolutions can feel limiting and often lead to disappointment if we don’t meet them, but intentions are much more adaptable. They allow us to adjust our plans as life unfolds, and we all know that horses can often complicate things when we have plans!

Whether you’re celebrating all night or getting an early night to be up with the horses in the morning, I wish you a wonderful New Year. I look forward to hearing and seeing many of you in 2025!

This is a powerful video showing symptoms of ECVM (Equine Complex Vertebral Malformation) which is a congenital skeletal...
28/12/2024

This is a powerful video showing symptoms of ECVM (Equine Complex Vertebral Malformation) which is a congenital skeletal malformation that affects the cervical vertebrae and musculature at the base of a horse's neck creating a wide cariety of symptoms.

The research on this condition is still in its early days, and the condition is often not recognised by vets currently. The work of Dr. Sharon May-Davis has been vital in the discovery of this malformation, and she has found it present in many of the horses she has studied during dissection.

The take away message from this video is that if you feel there is something not right with your horse, and the professionals involved don’t seem to be listening, keep pushing for an answer. Be your horses advocate, as they don’t have a voice and can only tell us something is wrong by their actions.

Listen, don’t judge.

More info in the comments 👇🏼

This powerful video looks at the acute neurological signs associated with the lower cervical vertebrae that led to the very recent loss of a yearling. Link to Timber's Story is in the first comment. Brace yourself: this is a challenging and moving few minutes.

There are moments when I’m out poo picking in sideways wind and rain, and I can’t help but wonder why I’m doing this!But...
22/12/2024

There are moments when I’m out poo picking in sideways wind and rain, and I can’t help but wonder why I’m doing this!

But then I see my horses’ goofy faces, and I remember—it’s all for the love.

What else would I be doing with my time?

It’s not about the rosettes, the last ride, or how big the last fence was. It’s about the horses and spending time with them.

I wouldn’t have it any other way

Happy Winter Solstice ❄️Today is the shortest day of the year, which means gradually things are going to get lighter and...
21/12/2024

Happy Winter Solstice ❄️

Today is the shortest day of the year, which means gradually things are going to get lighter and brighter ☀️

Wish in all my clients, friends and followers a very Happy Christmas 🎄I look forward to seeing you all in the New Year!
20/12/2024

Wish in all my clients, friends and followers a very Happy Christmas 🎄

I look forward to seeing you all in the New Year!

So cosy 🥰
14/12/2024

So cosy 🥰

Studies have shown that the horse has a thinner epidermis packed with nerve receptors!
14/12/2024

Studies have shown that the horse has a thinner epidermis packed with nerve receptors!

In hand work today with Pip 🦄In hand and groundwork are both hugely beneficial techniques for horses of all ages! It ca...
11/12/2024

In hand work today with Pip 🦄

In hand and groundwork are both hugely beneficial techniques for horses of all ages!

It can be used to teach about the bit contact from the ground before moving to ridden work, can start training for lateral work , can help develop correct movement and posture and importantly can develop the horse human relationship and connection.

If you’d like to know more about how these techniques can help your horse, just get in touch!

01/12/2024
Had a lovely day at The Horsemanship Showcase! Met up with clients Deb, Katie and Alethea, got to watch horseback archer...
30/11/2024

Had a lovely day at The Horsemanship Showcase! Met up with clients Deb, Katie and Alethea, got to watch horseback archery (must have a go at this!), Lee Rutter (western demo), Ben Atkinson (liberty work), Sean Coleman (working on the canter), and Warwick Schiller (attuned horseman). Along with shopping and catching up with colleagues!

Lots to think about and lots of ideas for things that will fit in with the current services I offer, especially the groundwork and horse human connection work.

www.emmabarber-vetphysio.co.uk

Sollie settling down for the night with his buddy Simba 🐱
27/11/2024

Sollie settling down for the night with his buddy Simba 🐱

Address

Derby
DE243

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 6pm
Tuesday 8am - 6pm
Wednesday 8am - 6pm
Thursday 8am - 6pm
Friday 8am - 6pm
Saturday 8am - 1pm

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+447815935599

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Videos

Ready for the fireworks 😩😩 Sound reducing ear muffs on, fly mask on, sedation in. Bloody fireworks

I’ve been out helping with the lovely, and large Pip today! He is coming back in to ridden work after having time to mature in to a very strapping young man 💙 He was nervous being asked to work on the outside of the school, so to give him some support I simply moved to the outside to help him feel “in the safe spot”. Why do I mean by “the safe spot”? Thinking of a herd of horses grazing, there will be some horses in the centre of the herd, such as young or more vulnerable horses, and some on the outer edges of the herd, those keeping an eye out for danger. By putting Pip in the centre of the school, I’m taking on the role of lookout and allowing him to take the safer spot in the centre of our little herd. A simple method to promote confidence 🥰

This past week I have been doing some work with Eve on her self regulation in the ménage. Eve is great at this when out and about on our walks, looking to me for support if she’s unsure of something. But in the ménage she is much closer to her buddies and finds things going on around her distracting and a little stressful. This is her after 3 days of short (less than 15mins) sessions. I focused on my mindset, keeping myself centred and grounded, regulating my breathing, and when she had a stressful moment (shown mainly by rearing!), I kept myself in my grounded place, allowing her to demonstrate her behaviour, and then softly returned to what I was asking without making a fuss or an issue of the undesirable behaviour. This allowed Eve to show her feelings and experiment with her opinions, which I listened to without judgment and without escalation, which allowed me to gently guided her back to regulation encouraging her to follow my lead, this is known as co-regulation. “Co-regulation is the ability to regulate emotions and behaviours, manage stress (internal or external ), and return to a calm state, with the support and direction of a connecting person.” 🩷Just look at that lovely soft eye 🥰

Check out www.emmabarber-vetphysio.co.uk

Sollie can’t be ridden anymore, but that doesn’t mean he can’t find new fun things to do! I’m going to sign him up for the England team 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 ⚽️

Been revisiting and picking up a few new skills today, straightness training with Marcia Wakeman. Got some new exercises to practice, really liked the counter shoulder in and circling away to open and mobilise the shoulders which many horses can be restricted in. It’s also a great way to start education for young horses, enabling them to learn about contact and lateral movements on the ground before they are expected to learn them with a rider on board. Anyone interested in learning some in hand or groundwork techniques which are invaluable for improving movement, performance and physical health, drop me a message via messenger, WhatsApp or give me a call. 📞 😃

🦄🦄🦄

❗️ANSWER TO PREVIOUS POST❗️ We didn’t have any takers for which is Churchills easier rein, so here’s the answer 👇🏼 Watching the video again, when Churchill is moving away from the camera on the left rein, he finds keeping an equal distance away from me a lot easier, being more balanced and straighter. On the right rein when he is moving towards the camera, he finds his balance much more difficult drifting towards me and at times almost moving in to me. This is due to his tendency to put increased weight on the right shoulder, his more dominant weight bearing front limb. This causes him to fall in on the right rein, and if we were moving at higher speed, most likely he would put his head and neck out to the left to act as a counterbalance. On the left rein the tendency to load the right shoulder makes him appear to be more balanced as he is always slightly falling out towards the wall, with a left bend in the head and neck. This doesn’t mean that the left rein doesn’t need work! Aims would be to improve the balance between the shoulders, encouraging weight to move off the right shoulder and be distributed more to the left. This will improve straightness and help shift some of his weight back towards the hind limbs in a more equal distribution.

Not had any brave takers to say which rein they think Churchill finds easier yet! Anyone got a guess? Can you see which rein Churchill finds easier to work on? Why do you think this might be?

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Who is Emma?

Emma Barber - MSc, PgDip, BSc (Hons), EEBW, BHSAI

Emma is a highly qualified and fully insured Veterinary Physiotherapist working in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Staffordshire and Warwickshire boarders.

A Veterinary Physiotherapist and McTimoney Animal Practitioner, Emma offers a combination of manual therapies, electrotherapies and remedial exercise to address musculoskeletal issues in your horse, giving the best chance for your horse to achieve and maintain peak health and well being.

Having worked in the equestrian industry for over 20 years, Emma is uniquely qualified to offer a vast experience of horses and equine management to back up her academic training and knowledge. Not only trained to the level of BHSAI, she also trained with Kelly Marks and the Intelligent Horsemanship Association utilising the methods of Monty Roberts to increase her understanding of horse psychology and behaviour, allowing Emma to work skilfully with even the most nervous or sensitive horse.