Chiltern Vale Animal Physiotherapy

05/08/2024

Evening everyone!
I have a few outstanding payments due - please could you check you're up to date for coaching and treating.
Thanks so much in advance ☺️

29/04/2024

Apologies for the lack of content just lately, it's been a little hectic 🙂

Here's a lovely little update from a new client, post treatment - I do love getting feedback.

Moving forward I'm going to try to be more active on here, drop a comment below with the things you'd like to see/discuss/learn about 🤗

08/03/2024

Lovely to see this photo update from a client, just three weeks difference here, I can't wait to see the difference again in another three weeks. 😁

20/02/2024

Walk pole, simply brilliant!

𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝗽 - 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀

Walking your horse over a series of poles (set at a distance of 0.7-1m apart) is good for:
✅ Improving rhythm
✅ Strength
✅ Control
✅ Developing back rotation
✅ Lateral flexion

Walk poles can also help stop jogging or an irregular or lateral walk.

18/02/2024

** DIARY UPDATE **
Apologies but I'm fully booked this week!

16/02/2024

When you're little, your patient is super tall and the steps just aren't quite tall enough 🫣

Occasionally I've had the odd comment of "you're so little, how can you make a difference?" .... Well, it's not about height, weight or strength, when treating horses. It's more about techniques and timing, encouraging the horse to work with you to get that much needed release.

🙈

08/02/2024

When you have some of the best clients 🤩

16/01/2024

Well..... its definitely chilly!

A few little tips, that I apply to my horses management during a cold spell like this.

❄️ Reduce hard feed! Workload is likely to be decreased due to frozen arenas, reduce hard feed to help prevent explosive, excess energy.

❄️ Keep a very close eye on water intake, encourage more fluid consumption with apple bobbing, adding warm water to drinking water etc.

❄️ Rug accordingly temperature wise and regularly adjust rug position to help prevent pressure points.

❄️ Gently warm your horse up in preparation for turnout with handwalking, the tissues of the body will be more elastic if they are warm.

❄️ Swap riding time for a really thorough groom, it's great for increasing circulation... and it'll help warm you up!

❄️ Don't stress that your horse has had a few down days... they won't have forgotten a thing, and a few days rest often does them good!

Now, where's my hot chocolate?! 🧐🙂

18/11/2023

Please read and please pay the small subscription to access Dr David Marlin's research, it may surprise you and will certainly save a lot of people, a lot of money.

Ps, if you want to increase circulation, improve bone density and increase muscle mass - increase movement (and it's free 😁)

*** NON-EVIDENCED BELIEFS ***

"Non-evidenced beliefs" is my current favourite phrase. You may well have heard of EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE, EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE, EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTIONS, EVIDENCE-BASED EDUCATION ............well this is the exact opposite. Doing things because you "believe" or "think" they have some real effect.

I'm not against placebos, because that's what all these examples are, with the exception of iron supplements which can be harmfull. I am against placebos if: 1) they are marketed in a way that makes owenrs believe they will treat serious medical issues and delay horses and ponies receiving appropriate and timely recognised treatment and 2) if companies marketing such products or services are exploiting owners financially with over-inflated prices (like the ridiculous £250 EACH magnetic boots I saw this week).

At the end of the day what you "believe in" and choose to do is up to you, unless it causes unecessary suffering.

If you have REAL EVIDENCE that any of these things I've listed work then feel free to share it. REAL EVIDENCE does not include ANECDOTES or manufacturers MARKETING :) The REAL EVIDENCE I'm looking for is from peer-reviewed and published full scientific papers.

14/11/2023

Oh so true!

26/10/2023

A thought provoking graphic..

🪣 HOW FULL IS YOUR HORSES STRESS BUCKET?!

We (humans) tend to forget that our horses are prey animals by nature and we are predators.

Things that we find comforts are most often VERY BIG STRESSORS to our horses!

Humans enjoy cozy close spaces for comfort….
Horses find comfort in wide open spaces where they feel safe and aware…

Humans are accustomed to scheduled meals…
Horses are meant to eat little bits ALL DAY LONG…

Humans enjoy solidarity every now and then..
Horses depend strongly on the body language of their friends for safety…

When we think about these stressors like filling up a bucket of tolerance for our horses-it should make us more mindful of what we ask of them in certain situations.

24/10/2023

This is so, so true and perfectly timed with a few of my friends and clients facing significant injuries.

Time and a very targeted rehabilitation programme are the best healers.

*** TIME IS THE GREATEST HEALER ***

As far as injuries go, the greatest healer of all is time. We, as vets, can inject this and that (stem cells, steroids, polyacrylamide gels, PRP) to try to speed up healing time, or “improve” the healing process, but ultimately, all injuries, of every kind, need time.

You may say, “but, I don’t have time! My horse is meant to be competing at x/y/z!”. Ultimately, your horse won’t heal as well as someone who withdraws from the rest of the season, and gives their horse, “time”.

I absolutely “get it”. I have missed whole seasons with horses with the most minor of tendon injuries, but these injuries have always healed, and never reoccurred.

Our horses aren’t concerned if they miss half a season, or have a year out to recover from a tendon or ligament injury; it’s us, the riders/owners, that care.

I’m a vet. I X-ray/scan/nerve block/inject stuff. But, ultimately, a horse with an injury simply needs time. That’s not months shut in a stable, but careful rehab from day one.

Harold in his Eventing days…..he had 2 years off following an 85% tendon rupture, to return to winning dressage at Advanced Medium level.

20/10/2023

The key to a strong back is engagement and development of the hindquarters - we can help you to achieve this 🙂
Call or text 07971670472 with any questions or to make a booking!

18/07/2023

Facebook business at its best again 🤦‍♂️

Unfortunately I can't access messages, if you've messaged, please Whatsapp 07971670472

02/06/2023

Please read ⬇️

LAMINITIS

We have seen sudden increase of laminitic ponies & horses over the last few days.

Here is what to look out for:
🌱Acute laminitis
For animals suffering acute laminitis symptoms generally come on very suddenly and are severe.
The horse will show an inability or reluctance to walk or move and may possibly lie down, displaying an unwillingness to get up. The horse will be visibly lame especially when moving on a circle or on a hard surface, and will have an increased digital pulse in the foot.
The horse, when standing, may well lean back on to its hind feet in order to relieve the pressure on its front feet. The horse will have pain in front of the point of frog and when walking may place its heels down first rather than its toes. There can also be symptoms shown vaguely similar to colic.
🌱Chronic laminitis
A horse with chronic laminitis will show signs of ongoing symptoms that are generally a result of a relapse from previous attacks.
The horse’s hoof will have the appearance of growth rings around the hoof wall, which generally indicates that it has suffered from laminitis in the past. However, these should not be confused with hoof rings, which are due to changes in nutrition or to stress.
The heel will often grow faster than the toe and the white line in the hoof will have widened. The horse may well have a large crest, which runs along its neckline.

How to manage a laminitic:
🌱Call your vets immediately, we will be able to give you pain relief and possibly x-rays to see if there is any damage to the pedal bone.
🌱Remove you horse/pony from the grass & put onto a deep bed (ideally shavings).
🌱Give your horse soaked hay (minimum of 2 hours) to remove any sugars.

Prevention is better than cure as always:
🌱Weight management is key! We offer free weight clinics to all Swanspool clients.
🌱Test your pony/horses for EMS and Cushings- our vets can advise on treatment options for individual cases.

12/05/2023

𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁 - 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀

Core stability provides the strength and co-ordination for control, balance, posture and carrying weight. It can improve self carriage, enhance performance and reduce the risk of injury.

Core muscles include:
🐎 The thoracic sling
🐎 Abdominal muscles
🐎 Pelvic stabilisers
🐎 Deep ventral muscles

Ridden exercises to strengthen your horse's core focus on engagement of the hindlimbs to lighten the forehand. These include frequent transitions and half halts that encourage your horse to collect and push from behind.

Hill work and pole work using raised trot and canter poles are also valuable exercises.

In-hand exercises to strengthen the core include carrot stretches, backing up, walking over raised poles and back lifts.

We have some great on demand recorded webinars that will help you understand more about your horse's core and how to improve it:

𝗣𝗶𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀
https://www.horsesinsideout.com/webinar-pilates

𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲
https://www.horsesinsideout.com/webinar-posture

𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀
https://www.horsesinsideout.com/webinar-misconceptions

03/05/2023

A good little read on sacroiliac injury

Sacroiliac disease can affect any horse, potentially limiting performance abilities.

02/05/2023

𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝗽 - 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗸

A good walk, particularly with a young horse, is difficult to achieve and the easiest to destroy.

Your horse should show even, active, rhythmical steps with impulsion. This is achieved through supple muscles, a swinging back and flexible joints.

At first, aim for a good medium or free walk before gradually asking the horse to come on the bit.

30/04/2023

Let's talk about veterinary referrals - I will ALWAYS suggest veterinary referral if I think it's best for your horse.

During treatment, I'm looking for patterns of symptoms, which may indicate a more significant problem. With a new patient I have no previous knowledge of what is 'normal' for that animal. If for instance, at the first treatment the horse has back pain, treatment relieves the pain and a review is booked. At review, the horse is painful in the same place - we are beginning to see a pattern. At this point, I will discuss involving the treating veterinary for further examination and diagnostics.
If we continue cautiously to a third treatment, still finding the same pattern of symptoms - veterinary investigation will be strongly suggested and I may withdraw my services until this is sought.

Why? Sounds like I'm doing myself out of business, or am I getting a 'backhander' from the vets 🤦‍♂️🙄!
I am doing it for the good of your horse, patterns of symptoms are indicative of a more significant problem. It's important to get to the root cause of the problem, before irreversible damage is done.

This week, I completed a second opinion treatment on a new patient after multiple treatments with another MSK practitioner. The mare showed pain signals at the same area of her back consistently throughout treatment, I recommended veterinary assessment, x-rays unsurprisingly showed kissing spine. This happens often.

Please don't move away from your physiotherapist or MSK provider because they suggest veterinary assistance, they're trying to do the best thing.

27/04/2023

Nice to see less obvious symptoms highlighted here - back pain doesn't just cause bucking etc, but often shows as resentment to grooming, rugging etc.

As always, I'm happy to work with any local veterinary practices, also remember you can work with any physio of your choice, not just the one your practice is affiliated too - feel free to get in contact for more details on 07971670472

Back pain in horses is a common problem that can have a variety of causes. Some common causes of back pain include underlying medical conditions such as arthritis, and musculoskeletal injuries, poor saddle fit and improper riding techniques.

Symptoms of back pain in horses may include reluctance to move forward, stiffness, bucking, resistance to saddling or grooming, and changes in behaviour or performance. If you suspect that your horse may be experiencing back pain, it's important to book an examination with one of our vets who can perform a thorough physical exam and may recommend diagnostic imaging, such as X-rays or ultrasound.

Treatment for back pain in horses may involve a combination of rest, physio, and medication. For example, anti-inflammatory drugs may be used to reduce pain and inflammation, while physical therapy may include massage, stretching, and exercise to help strengthen the horse's back muscles.

To help prevent back pain and keep the horse's back muscles strong and healthy, regular exercise and conditioning using proper riding techniques and in a well-fitting saddle is very important. Keep an eye your horse's health and well-being and address any underlying medical conditions that may contribute to back pain, as soon as they arise.

26/04/2023

Tuesday 2nd May I will be treating at Bryerley Springs Equestrian Centre & Pony Club - please message 07971670472 if you'd like your horse or pony treated 🙂

26/04/2023

Just a reminder 😬

21/04/2023

Great little read 🙂

Alternatively, I could say that I was promoting the concept that comfortable horses are ‘happy’ athletes and providing evidence that they are likely to perform better than horses experiencing discomfort. I also had the opportunity to spend several hours watching the warm-up arena for the showjum...

19/04/2023

Neat little idea for anyone looking for a Polework exercise 🙂

𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝗽 - 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀

This great in-hand exercise encourages and improves:
🔹 Lateral suppleness
🔹 Core control
🔹 Coordination
🔹 Proprioception

As you walk your horse on the serpentine between the poles he must bring his hind and front legs closer together to negotiate the grid - core muscles are recruited and the back is rounded.

14/04/2023

Rainy evening chasing old invoices!

Please check you've settled any outstanding invoices 🙂

01/04/2023

Woah! Just released, the most awesome research paper showing how turmeric & wobble boards cure kissing spine!
More on this later!

20/03/2023

"Would he benefit from physio?"

This is a question I was asked last week.
My answer....
Every, single horse or pony will benefit from physiotherapy.

In basic terms, my aim when treating is to ensure all joints have good range of movement and all soft tissues are supple.

Treatment allows me to assess asymmetries, atrophy, hypertrophy, flaccidity and rigidity. I look for potential reasons for this, treat to restore fluidity through the body, which then allows the horse to develop in a more symmetric way.

Ensuring your horses body is as soft, supple and symmetrical as it can possibly be, will help to prevent injury.

Many, many veterinarians now recommend regular physiotherapy.

Want to learn more about how I can help? Please WhatsApp 07971670472 🙂

13/03/2023

It's been great to work with treating vet Laura from Meadowbrook Equine Clinic, and owner Shaanon, with the aim to get this lovely big horse back to full soundness and ready to enjoy the spring and summer together.

Shaanon regularly rehabilitates clients horses post injury, also assisting in seeing them through any mental barriers caused by pain memory. If you'd like any further info, drop me a message. To contact Shaanon directly, message https://www.facebook.com/EzeEquine 🙂

08/03/2023

Assymetry vs lameness? Something I regularly discuss with clients, particularly after observing training sessions where they keep sneaking back on to that comfy rein - further strengthening the assymetry.
Have a read of the link below, it's an interesting one, particularly if your vets use the lameness locator sensors.

https://thehorse.com/1121701/researchers-determine-fine-line-between-asymmetry-and-lameness/