Victoria Lee Veterinary Physiotherapy BSc(hons) NAVP AHPR is a mobile veterinary physiotherapist
(2)
Hi guys, I’ve just got back from my holiday and will be replying to all your messages ASAP. Please do get in touch if I haven’t replied as I’ve probably just missed it!
Really looking forward to getting back to treating your lovely animals on Monday ❤️ Let’s hope the snow clears up by then!
A fab weekend doing myofascial release CPD. I can’t wait to incorporate this more into my treatments!
All skills are transferable to my equine clients, so don’t worry, you’ll definitely get to experience some relaxing and great releases! ❤️
Hey everyone, just wanted to remind you all that I am away until 6th November with limited WiFi - I’m sorry for the slow replies! If I haven’t got back to you, please do send me a reminder in case I’ve missed your message ❤️
Here are just a few of the animals I’ve been spending my time with on my travels 🐪
🥰🥰Being stronger than the thoughts😍😍
Last night many of us would have watched the amazing 5 star competition in 🇺🇸 Marylands. What a result 🇮🇪🇮🇪 Austin and his Mount Salty moved up from 4th after XC to WIN……..an overdue fantastic result ❤️❤️
Something that touched our hearts watching this competition was an interview that Austin did on TV straight after he won. He stated that results like these don’t happen to people like him……….he is one of the best event riders in the world and has the best relationship with his horse but he still thinks he’ll never beat the people who he thinks are ‘better’ than him! Then he went on to say he had been privately thinking of putting someone on the horse who would get the results the horse deserved………….again he had been doubting himself, one of the BEST eventers in the world had been doubting himself that Salty needs someone better!!!!!!! So from watching from the outside this result for Austin has come at a perfect time and so well deserved but also………..
It just goes to show what your own mind can sometimes tell you, you start doubting yourself, you start to think you can’t do what people think you should be doing, you start thinking what others might be thinking over and over again………….but all the time you are doing amazing and in the bigger picture achieving things all the time! Sometimes whatever gets in your mind needs a reality check and you need to realise, ‘wow I’m actually doing GREAT ❤️’
Austin well done and thank you for being honest. There was not many dry eyes last night watching you ……. Roll on your next results 🥰🥰
(Austin is also supported by the amazing Childeric UK and Orange Horse Consultants 🍊🍊)
Riders Minds
Just a few of the lovely horses and ponies I’ve had the pleasure of treating recently ❤️
Some lovely releases this afternoon ☀️
I’m delighted to announce that I am now RAMP registered! 🎉
A bit rudimentary picture drawing! But this is a great picture that shows the signs of a ill fitting saddle.
This pony has been having a bit of back pain and this picture was taken after being ridden. The photo shows the fur has been rubbed just behind the scapula and slightly lower down. This suggests areas where the saddle may be too tight or not fit correctly. Other signs to check for include uneven sweat marks on your saddle pad, unusual behaviour such as bucking and refusing, and uneven hair loss/rubbing.
Horses often change shape throughout the year and it’s important to get your saddle checked every 6 months, just as you would get a physio to check your horse’s back every 6 months to ensure they’re in tip top condition!
A poor fitting saddle may lead to a sore back which will need assessment from a physiotherapist, as well as consulting your local saddler to ensure the saddle fits well.
* This pony is booked in to get her saddle checked *
Appointments are currently available for May, but they are filling up fast!
I have appointments available for current and new clients, so please do get in touch if you would like to book in.
I offer maintenance treatments which are very beneficial for all horses and ponies, no matter what their job! They will leave them feeling more comfortable and happy ❤️They are also a perfect pre and mid season check-up to boost their performance before you start competing 🏆
I use a mixture of manual therapies, electrotherapies, and joint mobilisations in my seasons, including the H-Wave (for horses only)! I will also leave you with a home exercise plan to help continue your animal's improvements between sessions.
If you have any questions and would like to know more, please get in touch:
📞 07852 385084
📧 [email protected]
💻 www.vleevetphysio.co.uk
or DM me!
Small businesses rely on the opinions and recommendations of their clients to survive and grow!⭐️
If you are one of my clients, I’d be very grateful if you could write a short review on my page and/or Google profile.
Thank you so much in advance, Victoria
Please share 😊
Physio, Chiro, Osteo or EMT? Which one is “best”?
The answer is simple - all of them! It depends on the condition and underlying musculoskeletal dysfunction your horse needs help for but for maintenance the use of ALL 4 professions is recommended.
None of us is better than the other - we just use a different approach to achieve physical and mental equilibrium for the horse. In one word - balance.
To correct a dysfunction the whole horse needs to be taken into consideration. Even if we concentrate on the treatment of a specific area, we will still have the underlying biomechanics and also mental well-being of the whole horse in mind.
As we all know horses are flight animals - they tend to mask pain and compensate with a different body area to “hide” the problem. If this area falls into another professions “area of expertise” we should always refer the horse to the most suitable professional.
🐎 Veterinary Physiotherapy: Physiotherapy aims to restore “physical function” and reduce pain. PTs will use a range of manual and electro-therapies (laser, ultrasound, tens/nmes or PEMF) to either rehabilitate a specific injury or maintain a healthy musculoskeletal system. Physios generally work more with soft tissues in comparison to chiros and osteopaths.
🐎Animal Osteopathy: Osteopaths not only diagnose and treat skeletal and spinal dysfunction, they also treat the horse as a whole and can address problem areas in the horse which are closely connected to spinal dysfunction. They concentrate more on the skeletal or “boney” aspects of the horse and use a range of manual techniques.
🐎Animal Chiropractic: Chiropractors identify spinal subluxations and dysfunctions and aim to correct these to enable the whole body of the horse to work in balance. They also concentrated mostly on the spinal and skeletal aspects of the horse.
🐎Equine Massage Therapist: Massage therapists are exceptionally good at palpating and massaging areas of tension and pain in the muscular system of the horse. Massage is an excellent tool to instantly relax a horse and provide pain-relief and can also help to increase mobility. They typically only concentrate on the treatment of muscular dysfunctions.
I hope this short post helped to clarify a few questions I’ve recently had 😊 any questions or if you are looking for recommendations for other professionals in my area- give me a shout!
I had a great time this weekend helping a local farmer with some lambing - here are just a couple of the adorable babies that were born!! 🐑💙
Don’t forget that it’s not all dogs and horses! I treat a whole range of animals including cats, rabbits, sheep and cattle 🐈🐇🐑🐄
Get in touch if you have an animal that you would like Physiotherapy for. If you have any questions and would like to know more, please get in touch:
📞 07852 385084
📧 [email protected]
💻 www.vleevetphysio.co.uk
or DM me!
Such an interesting post on the differences between the domesticated horse and zebras!
I am now fully booked for the rest of February, but don’t worry we still have appointments available in March, so remember to book in today! 📔
Maintenance treatments are very beneficial for all horses and ponies, no matter what their job! They will leave them feeling more comfortable and happy ❤️
They are also a perfect pre season check-up to boost their performance before you start competing 🏆
I use a mixture of manual therapies, electrotherapies, and joint mobilisations in my seasons, including the H-Wave (for horses only)! I will also leave you with a home exercise plan to help continue your animal's improvements between sessions.
If you have any questions and would like to know more, please get in touch:
📞 07852 385084
📧 [email protected]
💻 www.vleevetphysio.co.uk
or DM me!
It’s always wonderful to hear your feedback and to make a big difference for you and your pets ❤️
I am currently on annual leave but even on holiday I’ve managed to find some wonderful animals! 🐕 ❄️ 🐎
Happy National Labrador Day!! Where would we be without our beloved pups?! ❤️🦮
❄Winter Challenges❄
It can be hard work and sometimes problematic to keep the water supplies available to your horse in this freezing weather. Adult horses can drink between 24-36 litres (approximately 3-4 buckets) of water per day and this can increase to 40-45 litres (approximately 5-6 buckets) per day, with an increase in forage.
Water plays an important role in hydration and digestion. If your horse doesn’t have enough water, it can affect how food passes along the gut, increasing the risk of impaction colic. A risk that can increase through the winter if additional forage is being fed, but not enough water is being consumed.
To help your horse stay hydrated:
🧊Check for, and remove any ice, twice a day in water troughs
❄Have water containers filled ready in case pipes freeze
🌡Adding some warm water to stabled horses’ buckets can encourage them to drink
🍎Try adding apples to your horse’s water to encourage them to drink
To learn more about the different types of colic and reducing the risks visit: https://www.bhs.org.uk/horse-care-and-welfare/health-care-management/horse-health/equine-diseases/colic/
***LET'S TALK ABOUT SADDLE STIFFNESS ***
Pretty much all the saddles we use fall into two categories – those with a tree and those without. Such a polarised position. When faced with such a situation this should suggest to us that there are advantages and disadvantages to both i.e. neither is ideal. And one major factor behind this I would suggest comes down to saddle stiffness. Stiffness is the extent to which something bends or deforms under load. The opposite of stiffness is flexibility or compliance.
If you have ever picked up a conventional tree’d saddle and tried to bend it from cantle to pommel you will know they are quite hard to bend. This means they are relatively stiff. They are also relatively stiff across the gullet (pommel). The stiffness comes primarily, around ¾ of the total, from the tree with some contribution from the webbing. The rest of the stiffness comes from the leather and foam or wool. How do we know this? Because it's something that can be measured: if a saddle is loaded with weight and the amount the saddle deforms is measured then we can calculate the stiffness. The loading can either be in the seat or across the stirrups to measure stiffness when in a 2-point position. By comparison, treeless saddles are much easier to bend – they are less stiff (more flexible).
So what are the advantage and disadvantages of stiffness and flexibility? Let’s start with a conventional tree’d saddle. Because the saddle is stiff, the rider’s weight can be distributed more evenly over the horse’s back. But everyone is now shouting “what about those pressure mat images? they don’t look very even”. The reason these images are not perfectly even is because of a variety of factors including, rider position and movement, horse-back shape changes during locomotion and asymmetric and/or poorly fitting saddles.
We also need to mention that when the horse and rider are moving we should really use the term force (weight x acceleration i.e. movement of horse and rider). So when moving riders effectively “weigh” 2-3 times more than they do when sitting still on a non-moving horse.
A treeless saddle can conform better to the shape of the horse's back. It can also move in close contact with the horse's back as the horse's back shape changes as it moves. This sounds perfect? But there is a limitation. It doesn’t distribute the rider’s weight as well as the tree’d (stiff) saddle. Also, when the rider adopts a 2-point or rising position, all the force is focussed across the gullet/withers.
So treeless saddles are more flexible and accommodate the movement of the horse's back better but don’t distribute rider forces as well. Tree’d saddles are stiffer and distribute forces better (more evenly) but don’t accommodate changes in the horse-back shape during locomotion. Neither is therefore ideal. The ideal is a saddle that accommodates changes in back shape as the horse moves AND a saddle that distributes rider forces evenly. But they don’t exist.........yet!
Please Remember - You may agree or disagree with me or others but I do not tolerate rudeness or aggression on this page. Thank You.
We still appointments available in January, so remember to book in today!
Perfect for your horse's post season check-up or before you start your winter equestrian sports!
These sessions would also suit your working dogs to keep them feeling on top form or for your beloved pets as it starts to get colder, and they become slightly stiffer and in need of a pick me up! Physiotherapy can help arthritis too 🦮
I use a mixture of manual therapies, electrotherapies, and joint mobilisations in my seasons, including the H-Wave (for horses only)! I will also leave you with a home exercise plan to help continue your animal's improvements between sessions.
If you have any questions and would like to know more, please get in touch:
📞 07852 385084
📧 [email protected]
💻 www.vleevetphysio.co.uk
or DM me!
This Friday and Saturday, join Charlotte Hawkins for Pet Classics and an evening of soothing classical music for all pets and animals who might feel anxious and scared with loud noises of Bonfire Night.
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT RUGGING HORSES!
It's that time of year when WE notice that it's got a little colder and we dig out our fleeces and jumpers. And many of us are likely to do the same for our horses, unpacking the stable and turnout rugs we packed away in late Spring. BUT, horses don’t feel the cold in the same way we do.
Why? The answer is pretty straightforward - they are around 7 times heavier than us and covered in hair. Although they are 7 times heavier they don’t have 7 times more skin surface. In fact, it’s only around 2.5 times more. Skin surface is the key to retaining or losing heat as this is the main route horses lose heat in cooler weather. That’s why in nature if you live in a cold climate it’s generally an advantage to be large and if you live in a hot climate it’s an advantage to be small – and yes there are exceptions to this, such as elephants!
So the temptation is to start over-rugging horses at this time of year because we are feeling cold and putting on more layers. Over-rugging may make your horse or pony feel uncomfortable and unhappy. It’s also not good for coat and skin health and it may even contribute to obesity.
What rug should I use? There are a lot of things to consider and there is no one-size fits all but some general rules do apply.
To learn more about the science of rugging……https://drdavidmarlin.com/tag/rugging/ (MEMBER CONTENT - Subscription of £8 required for 30 days access).
QUICK UPDATE!
The wonderfully talented Erin at Chestnuts created this brilliant illustration, and we are very grateful that she has allowed us to use it. We chose the image as we think it perfectly depicts Dr Marlin's point in this post. Thank you Erin Chestnuts!
If you want to improve your cross country, this academy may be for you! Lucinda gives lots of great tips and exercises you can do at home to improve you and your horse's cross country skills 🐴
Maximise your horse's potential! 🌟🐴
Pre competition H-Wave Treatments!
These sessions are scheduled roughly 24 hours before a competition and last around 30 minutes. They are used to ensure your horse is feeling and performing at their best. This is beneficial for all disciplines, including dressage, show jumping and cross country.
The H-Wave helps by reducing muscle tension, improving function, and improving flexibility and suppleness.
If you have any questions and would like to know more, please get in touch:
📞 07852 385084
📧 [email protected]
💻 www.vleevetphysio.co.uk
or DM me!
Boots, boots, boots!!! 🥾
At the moment, there is a lot of information circulating the internet regarding equine boots. Whether it be brushing boots, tendon boots, or even travelling boots, everyone seems to have a different idea of if and when you should put boots on your horse. However, I truly believe the need for boots varies with different horses.
The main downside to putting boots on your horse is the heat that is produced and trapped between the boot and the tendons. Research shows when tendon cells are heated to 48°C for 10 minutes, 80% of them die. This can lead to tendon injuries.
However, you may have a horse who crosses their legs when moving, overreaches and graze their front legs or brushes their legs and risk cutting themselves. This can cause tendon injuries through trauma. The use of boots can help prevent this and protect them.
Therefore, I believe the key to the question of, "do I put boots on my horse?" is KNOWING YOUR HORSE! Spending time brushing them (checking for any cuts or grazes) or watching them in the field or when doing groundwork is key to seeing how they move and if they're at high risk of accidentally clipping themselves.
If your horse often comes in from a ride or from the paddock with cuts on their legs from clipping themselves then it may be worthwhile to put boots on your horse. If they don't, then you may not have to worry about using them at all! Which would be ideal.
Therefore, if you do choose to use boots to prevent tendon injuries from trauma, a high risk for some horses, it's important to get the right ones. It is important that they fit correctly and are as lightweight and breathable as possible, while providing the much needed protection.
If you have any questions or would like to know more, please get in touch:
📞 07852 385084
📧 [email protected]
💻 www.vleevetphysio.co.uk
or DM me!
Lots of interesting topics being covered in this horsey chat show!
Uley Road
Dursley
GL115
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Some lovely releases this afternoon ☀️
I am now fully booked for the rest of February, but don’t worry we still have appointments available in March, so remember to book in today! 📔 Maintenance treatments are very beneficial for all horses and ponies, no matter what their job! They will leave them feeling more comfortable and happy ❤️ They are also a perfect pre season check-up to boost their performance before you start competing 🏆 I use a mixture of manual therapies, electrotherapies, and joint mobilisations in my seasons, including the H-Wave (for horses only)! I will also leave you with a home exercise plan to help continue your animal's improvements between sessions. If you have any questions and would like to know more, please get in touch: 📞 07852 385084 📧 [email protected] 💻 www.vleevetphysio.co.uk or DM me!
