The Physiotherapy Vet Nurse

19/04/2024

Some great thoughts! Our horses are our therapy, it is our choice to enjoy them

Taboo Subject … 🥇🥈🥉

And a post which has taken me a few days to form & I’m still not sure I have worded this perfectly, but here we go.

🏆 Is it okay if I don’t want to compete ? 🏆

I had a friend recently express to me that she doesn’t want to compete and no longer gets any enjoyment out of being competitive, and it had taken her a while to feel comfortable to admit it.

This made me very emotional. 🥹

Why ? Because I was so HAPPY.

She knew what she wanted, she knew what makes her happy - the horses. Not the rosettes, not the posting on social media after being at a show…

But the horses.

Being around the horses, being in their company, continuing to improve them through regular training, driving out & enjoying the purity of the animal.

The horses ALWAYS have to come first. No matter what level you’re at. They are number 1.

She loves her regular training, loves improving the animal, but has no desire to put this improvement and knowledge towards competition.

🩵🩷🩵🩷

There seems to be a lot of pressure for people to compete.

‘What do you do with your horses?’ 🐴
‘What are your plans?’ 🐴
‘What is your next event?’ 🐴

And we are all guilty of asking these questions - without thinking, we mean it in a friendly and inquisitive way.

More recently I have realised how much these questions can affect the mental health of those who just want to enjoy their horses as pets or without the pressure or commitment of competing.

Sometimes you need someone external to tell you:
‘IT’S OKAY NOT TO COMPETE’.

🩷 Not competing does not make you any less of a horse-woman /man.

🩵 People who choose not to compete are no less knowledgable or less experienced around horses than those who do compete.

It’s also worth remembering we all have different lives …

Some have very competitive and stressful day jobs.
Some struggle mentally to get by day to day.
Everyone has different priorities in their lives.

You are not letting anyone - human or equine down if you don’t want to compete.

It’s all a personal choice and there is no right or wrong.

Is also okay if you thoroughly enjoy competing & this is what you want to do - I have nothing against this. Just this post’s focus is on the opposite.

Love to you all.
Have a lovely weekend ENJOYING your horses.

Remember how lucky we are. So very lucky. 🍀

🩵🩷H🩷🩵

18/04/2024

Sending the very best of luck to all my clients who are competing at the British Indoor Carriage Driving Championships

I am cheering you all on!! 🥳🥳🥳

15/04/2024

This is one of my favourite things about owning a horse..... a cuppa and a hand graze, there's something about the sunshine and sound of my horse munching that makes my heart sing

09/04/2024

One of the most common questions I get asked ❤️

So here’s my area with a couple of patients that I go and visit in the isle of Sheppey, Battle and Cranleigh.

I am thrilled to be able to welcome more patients on my books 📖 check out what my clients are saying ❤️❤️ and tag a friend who’s horse or dog would love an appointment with me 😍😍

08/04/2024

Just one of the tools in my kit bag is my therapeutic ultrasound!

How does it work?

When tissue is exposed to ultrasound, the sound waves cause a micro-vibration within the tissue. This vibration creates heat energy that increases blood flow to the area. This increased blood flow causes an increase in oxygen and chemicals that are essential for healing of the damaged tissue.As well as increasing blood flow, ultrasound has the additional effect of speeding up the transport of chemicals from the blood into the damaged tissue to aid the healing of the tissue.

This is a form of therapy that has been used since the 1950's for things such as:

🐴 Muscle strains

🐶 Ligament sprains/tears

🐴 Breaking down scar tissue

🐶Tendon injuries

🐴 Spasm and lots more!

It's also non-invasive AND patients really feel the benefit. Many often worry to start due to the cold gel (which I try to warm) and being approached by a bag but within a minute or so they are dozing off after feeling the calming vibrations.

03/04/2024

Hello! I'm Horsey Hannah 🐴 An equine physiotherapist and Veterinary nurse. I am finally living out my dream and working full time helping horse owners (like me) with their horses well being and rehabilitation 💪 with a HUGE passion for my golden oldies, breaking the boredom of box rest and groundwork!
I am now able to open up my books and accept some new patients 😍 from the Surrey, Kent and Sussex areas 📍
As a physiotherapist I believe every horse and owner are an individual, I won't use fancy new machines on your horse because they are in fashion... I will do what suits and benefits them as well as supporting you with their well-being (lord knows how stressful being a horse owner can be...am I right?!)
I LOVE working with farriers, vets, other therapists, trainers etc to create a team to support you to achieve your dreams ☁️
I have been around horses all my life including youngsters, stallions and tricky personalities. It's why I have evolved my treatments to involve mutual grooming motions and deep breathing exercises to help your horse feel like they've met a friend.

If you are interested you can message on here or head to my website physiorvn.co.uk

01/04/2024

Please take some time this evening to nominate your favourite equine business!!

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

01/04/2024

Studies have shown that 50-90% of horses who are stabled and fed twice daily have stomach ulcers or gastric distress.

The stomach is on the left side of the ribcage and the hind gut is on the right hand side behind the ribcage. Horses who have gut discomfort can show behavioural changes when I am working in these areas.

I often use my low level laser in these areas, this works by providing the area with pain relief, endorphin release and encouraging the cells to repair.I find horses who have gut discomfort instantly relax with use of the laser, nostrils relax, deep breaths and ears fall back to a relaxed position.

I often recommend that these horses are treated as though they have gastric upset with fibre feeds before work, consistent fibre intake and feeding a pre/probiotic.

Did you know? Most horse feed companies have a FREE adviceline. You can call anytime and discuss your horses diet.

30/03/2024

New KIT has finally landed!!!

25/03/2024

Don't let the need to prove yourself distract you from becoming the best version of you ❤️

Focus on being just a little bit better than you were yesterday, that's all self improvement is 😍

19/03/2024

Rare appointment available edenbridge/lingfield/Hever area 12pm on Friday! ❤️

19/03/2024

You all know me.... I love to ask questions!

‼️ Your physio SHOULD be nosey‼️

Is your paraprofessional asking a lot of questions? Great! This means they're aiming to specifically tailor their treatment and give plenty of relevant advice.

Are they asking...

🐾🐶🐾
• How often are they exercised and what are they doing?
• Behaviour- do they lick, chew or express any discomfort in certain areas?
• Are they jumping in and out of cars or using stairs?
• Are they given any supplements?
• What feed are they given? Do they have elevated bowls?
• Do you have carpet or rugs in your rooms?

🐎🐴🐎
• What feed are they given? Are they fed from a net or on the floor?
• How often are they exercised and what are they doing?
• Behaviour- are they guarded around certain areas, are they girthy?
• When was their last saddle and dental check?
• Are they shod and if so, what shoeing are they fitted with?
• Which rein do they prefer? Do they struggle on the lunge?
• Are they on any supplements?

While each professional is only certified in their area of expertise, your answers are very important to draw a better picture of your animal's lifestyle. This enables paraprofessionals to work together and provide increased efficacy of treatments through a multimodal approach! 🐾

Another quick note...
Regulatory bodies 💪
Such as NAVP & RAMP!

As the veterinary physiotherapy industry is becoming increasingly popular, please check your paraprofessionals credentials to ensure you are being given the best service possible. Unfortunately veterinary physiotherapy is not a protected title and there are courses out there which (worryingly) provide very little practical experience.

Please ensure that your body worker has voluntarily registered themselves with a regulatory body to give you the confidence that they have completed clinical hours in the field, maintain regular CPD and have completed an accredited course.

Thank you all for reading and please feel free to get in touch with any questions 📝👋

-------------------------------

Zoe Miles
Level 7 IMSc Qualified
Member of NAVP & RAMP

✉️ [email protected]
📞07783277932
💻 www.zbmvetphysio.com

Please get in touch if you feel that your animal would benefit from physiotherapy 🐴🐶🐱

19/03/2024

A fab before and after seeing the change in posture 😍

18/03/2024

Wonderful blog on cool downs and their importance!

Check it out!

Rachel Greetham, the British team’s equine veterinary physiotherapist, shares her top tops for cooling down your horse after riding

01/03/2024

The March diary is now coming together!

I have a few slots spaces left...

11th of March
20th of March - 2 x spaces Lingfield/Oxted/Edenbridge area
22nd of March
25th of March
26th of March - Ashdown forest/East Grinstead area

If you would like an appointment please let me know 😍

28/02/2024

What does that mean?

It means that we need to remember the purpose of walking our dog is to ensure our dog fulfils their needs. Which includes taking in all the smells, sights and setting the pace and length of walk.

We can tend to forget about our dogs needs and want to complete a certain route in a typical time.

By letting our dog set the pace of walks, it means that those who are struggling with their mobility can take an easier pace. It's easier for these dogs to go on a shorter walk with more smells.

Sniffing and smells are vital to dogs and give them a huge amount of mental stimulation.

19/02/2024

What an incredible day chatting to Bradbourne Carriage Driving Club all about making box rest bearable.

Some wonderful questions and ideas thrown around about how to support and help your horse whilst they recover.

We checked out the 5 freedoms and how we can still achieve them during box rest, their environment and how it can effect your horses health, physical exercise and most importantly tricks for keeping their brain happy!

Absolutely loved it and can’t wait to get this talk recorded and available on the web. It was also wonderful to see so many familiar faces 😍 I am one lucky lady!

Equally if your club would like me to come and speak to you please do get in touch ❤️

05/02/2024

05/02/2024

For me, it’s so important for your animal to be themselves with me. Yes I get the odd foot waggled in my direction, a nip or the “mare stare” but these are all important indicators to me of pain,discomfort and the patient’s limit.

I love watching horses behavior throughout a treatment and if it’s all snoozing and joy… then they are just getting a spa day. Equally if it’s all grim faced defense, that’s not great either.

That’s why I have encorporated some mutual grooming movements into my treatment. In order to bond with my patients but also give them some respite.

I aim to listen to their warning, let them explain themselves in a safe manner and work with them to tackle the issues in their body.

Animals have always been great teachers to me, they have always been accepting. So it’s only fair to do the same in return ❤️

03/02/2024

Medicine sheets - it’s such a simple thing but it can make it so much easier at home for clients.Keep track of medications can be really stressful and a common accident we see is double dosing because everyone wants to make sure the dog has had their meds but no one said they gave it.

Medication sheets are super handy for keeping everyone on time and avoiding double dosing. You can laminate these sheets and use a whiteboard marker to tick off when medications has been given. Wipe off and reuse. You can also use sharpies and remove the writing with hairspray or nail polish remover.

01/02/2024

FEB APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE

TUESDAY 6TH - Tunbridge Wells/ Crowborough area
WEDNESDAY 7TH - Battle area -BOOKED
FRIDAY 9TH- 1 space PM East grinstead/felbridge/smallfield available
MONDAY 12TH - East Grinstead area PM only
WEDNESDAY 14TH
FRIDAY 16TH - Sevenoaks area PM only
MONDAY 19TH - BOOKED
TUESDAY 20TH
WEDNESDAY 21ST
FRIDAY 23RD
MONDAY 26TH
TUESDAY 27TH - BOOKED
WEDNESDAY 28TH-BOOKED

30/01/2024

Little sneak speak from my “making box rest bearable” talk

Deep litter beds have a high amount of ammonia over time which leads to increased bacteria and fungal spores. These then increase your horses respiratory risk as well as causing an issue with skin and thrush in the feet. This is why I would recommend mucking out daily for a box rest horse.

Another reason not to deep litter is that the bed becomes higher than the floor. Meaning horses are loading more weight on the forelimbs if their hay is at the front. This is a huge concern in horses recovering from a forelimb injury as it’s increasing the pressure on the joints/ligaments and muscles which will slow down recovery.

Then there’s the consideration about dust in the environment. I would recommend dusting down your stable periodically during box rest to reduce respiratory irritation. Being in a dusty environment for large portions of time can increase the likelihood of developing coughs and conditions such as COPD.

25/01/2024

I’m pleased to say that I am now able to offer more appointments ❤️ which means that I can now welcome more clients and patients 😍

23/01/2024

Testimonials like this mean the world! All I've ever wanted to do is create a business that helps animals and their owners (or parents as I often refer to them)

Being able to make these animals comfortable and support their human caretakers through their recovery is definitely the best bit of my job!

If you would like to leave me a testimonial I’d love you too!

There’s right here on Facebook, Google my business and my website ❤️ Physiorvn.co.uk

22/01/2024

Lead walks only until the post op check..... How long? Muddy? with other dogs? On a flexi-lead?

I think something we talk about post op rest without being particularly clear about what that is.

Firstly on lead means on a controllable lead (not a flexi lead or long line where dogs can run and jump), the point of lead walking is to keep your dog calm and under control. Post op patients also commonly have a wound which we want to keep clean so avoiding muddy, wet walks will assist with this.

So here is my rough guide to post op exercise:

24-48 hours post - On lead, out to the garden max of 5 mins actually walking. This allows recovery from anaesthesia where a pet may be drowsy and struggle with co-ordination.

Day 3 - 10 minute on lead walk increasing by 5 minutes per day until day 10 when the pet is signed off or until normal walk length.

TOP TIP - You can make shorter walks more interesting by taking your dog to new locations with new smells or introduce new toys whilst on walks.

20/01/2024

I can happily announce that I will be presenting
“Making box rest bearable for you and your horse”

Talking all about techniques to keep your horse mentally and physically well whilst avoiding potential problems that can arise from restricted exercise.

There’s only limited space so book quickly!

Hope to see you there!

12/01/2024

Appointment available!

Lewes/Ringmer/Firle area : 12:15 on the 2nd of Feb

I firmly believe every single animal should be treated like an individual, I won't use the fanciest equipment or techniques because it's fashionable. I choose to treat in a manner that suits your horse and works for them. I love making small changes that lead to big differences and working in a way that your horse feels happier and healthier.

Equine Physiotherapy Initial consultation - £60

Discussion of all relevant history including diet, injury, exercise etc

Equine Physiotherapy - Including Sports massage, red light therapy, TENS, Muscle stimulation, therapeutic ultrasound and personalised exercise plans.

Bespoke write up detailing history, proposed changes and action plan to move forward.

All communications with your professionals such as vet, farrier, nutritionist, trainers etc



All follow up appointments £50

12/01/2024

The dreaded cone of shame, we all know the puppy eyes looking out from the lampshade that tugs on our heart strings. It can be incredibly tough for us to see our beloved pups feeling so down in the dumps BUT there are alternatives.

🐾 Medical Pet Shirt - These a little cotton onesies that can cover your pet's body after an operation. They work by preventing licking or chewing. They cost around £20 dependant on your pets size and they can be washed and used again. They also have a little popper system on the back so that you can pin it forward whilst they go out to the toilet.

🐾 The Doughnut - This is an inflatable collar that puffs up like a rubber ring. This helps reduce your pets ability to bend their head around which can reduce licking. These are again around £20 but they are reusable and especially good for dogs on create rest as they can turn around in the crate with ease.

🐾 Socks and booties - For limb injuries we have a huge selection of sleeves and boots available so that wounds can remain clean but our pups can still enjoy a walk.

🐾 The Cone of shame - Sometimes the cone of shame is required particularly for facial and eye operations. But there are some ways to help make it more bearable. Using duct tape to cover the edge of the cone can make a softer edge and prevent it cracking.

Next time your pup needs an operation feel free to ask your vet team if there are any alternatives to the cone of shame. This can make your pups recovery more comfortable for them and even more so for you!

08/01/2024

Fantastic place to gain advice!

Did you know that World Horse Welfare recently launched its new Advice Pages online here 👉 bit.ly/46XvvjE 🎉

They have been working alongside industry professionals, including equine vets and behaviour professionals, to update their advice pages and ensure you have all of the equine knowledge you need on a vast range of topics.

📧 Please take a look and email any feedback to [email protected]