Equine Athletes Rehabilitation Livery

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Equine Athletes Rehabilitation Livery

Rehabilitation Livery yard & SPA Grantham Lincs. Run by qualified Veterinary Physiotherapist Antonia

Permanently closed.

02/02/2022

WEDNESDAY WISDOM: Patience is a virtue which you will need huge amounts of if you are trying to rehab/re-educate your horse!
Here is another progress pic of Scout. 8 weeks between these photos so it is not an overnight change by any means.

I have highlighted where I see the most muscular development but you can also see that he is looking generally stronger and that his hindquarters and shoulders are both building up.

We are focusing on developing his thoracic sling so that he can lighten his forehand and gradually start to take more weight behind. I don’t think there is any shortcut to achieving this- we are now 5 months in to a consistent training programme with this horse and he can still only lift his forehand up and soften through his neck and back for a few strides at a time.

So, don’t be discouraged if you feel you are not getting anywhere- small changes lead eventually to big changes. I find taking pics and videos really helps me to see the progress and therefore keep enthusiasm levels up!

05/01/2022

WEDNESDAY WISDOM: suppling work is key to, well, pretty much everything! If your horse is not supple it cannot be engaged, balanced or light in front. So it makes sense to start suppling work as soon as possible- any horse can practice this exercise of walking a figure of 8 of two 10m circles. Keep calmly repeating it in walk and see if you can feel where any stiffness or blocking is and then if it frees off as you do the exercise. 😊

15/12/2021

WEDNESDAY WISDOM: rest- it is really important to factor in your horse’s need to rest into your training regime.
This can range from breaks during a schooling session, to days off every week, to longer periods of time off to allow them time to process new information and develop physically.
Pic is of Heather- she is 4 yrs old and has been in work for 8 weeks now- she says she is ready for a break! I think it is vital, when working with young horses, to notice when they begin to fatigue and alter your training regime accordingly.
Heather is now broken in and ridden away and she will have a couple of months off before coming back into work in the spring. We will then see how much progress she has made while off and judge what she is ready to do at that point.

01/12/2021

WEDNESDAY WISDOM: Heather, a recently broken 4yr old TB demonstrating the importance of head and neck position. Heather is still quite weak in her back so I am focusing on increasing her strength and coordination before asking her to do any formal schooling. I like to do this on the lunge so there is no rider weight to cope with and so that I can watch how she is working.
I don’t use any gadgets at this point as I want her to learn for herself where the most comfortable position is. I encourage her to stretch forwards and down with a slight inside bend. This helps her lift her back and find her balance.
In the top pic she is working nicely with a good length of stride, a soft back, visible abdominal activation and maintaining her posture on her own.
In the bottom pic (same session) she has got distracted by something and brought her head up. Her stride has shortened, her back is more rigid and she is using her abdominals less which has caused her to load her thoracic sling and forehand more heavily.
Change doesn’t happen fast - it is a slow, gradual process of education and specific exercises. Then the magic happens 😊

11/11/2021

Young horse no 2: this is Heather, a 4 yr old homebred TB. No history of lameness. Heather was unwell as a 2 yr old and lost a lot of weight, it has taken a long time to get her looking and feeling good again.
Top pic was this spring, Heather is looking well but still v weak so we turned her out for 6 months in a grass field and the bottom pic is how she came back in.
I have highlighted all the areas she has gained muscle just from being in a field and given time.
She is now being broken in and is taking to being ridden really happily which, I think, shows that she was mentally and physically ready to begin work at this point. All horses develop at different rates and you can’t rush this process!
Heather’s programme includes- lots of feed with low starch and plenty of protein to help her stay well and build muscle. Tail pulls to activate her spinal stabilisers before exercise and help strengthen her back so she does not develop postural compensations to cope with the added weight of a rider. Walking around the farm incorporating different surfaces and gradients to help with proprioception, balance and coordination. She will continue to build up her fitness out hacking until she is ready to attempt more complex activities (schooling and jumping).

10/11/2021

Apologies- I have been rather quiet on here lately- I have been having a lovely time returning to my first love of producing young horses! It is always incredibly satisfying working with young horses and seeing them change. I thought it might be interesting to share some of the work we do and try to highlight the changes as they develop.
Below is Scout (7 yrs Connemara). No history of lameness. He has spent the last couple of years mostly hacking, now preparing to be a PC eventer. Top pic was Sept 13th and bottom pic today (Nov 10th). Areas we have focused on are lifting the thoracic region, building the top of the neck and reducing muscle on the underside of neck (highlighted). It is still early days but I think you can see some changes already.
Scout’s programme includes baited stretches, working up hills in a long, low frame and trotting poles. He is a sweetheart to work with and hopefully he will continue to improve over the coming months!

Address

The Drift
Grantham
NG321DN

Website

http://www.equineathletes.co.uk/

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Antonia Bealby is a qualified veterinary physiotherapist who also holds equine sports massage and chiropractic certificates. She is fully insured and a member of RAMP and has over 20 years’ experience competing, training and working with sport horses. Her expertise covers post injury care, exercise prescriptions, re-schooling and re-educating movement.

Antonia has a passion for understanding the whole horse and finds the link between behaviour and physical problems or limitations a fascinating one. She is constantly working to improve and update her knowledge and regularly attends training days and conferences, as well as working closely with other professionals, such as vets and farriers, to achieve the best possible results for every horse.

CONDITIONS

Soft tissue injury