That's what I want a girth area to feel like!
For a horse that has suffered with chronic girth pain caused by restricted fascia and trigger points in the deep pectorals, I cannot tell you how happy I was to find absolutely nothing in his girth area!
This was during my assessment, so not the results of treatment. This is the result of an owner that is committed to making their horse as comfortable as possible, sticking to the plan, making tack adaptations, and focussing on the holistic well being of their horse. Small changes can have big results if you commit!
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#bclvetphysio #equinephysio #feipet
☀️ Summer is finally here! ☀️
But with sunshine comes heat. For horses that are not acclimatised to the heat or are not generally very fit, cardiovascular work can be difficult and potentially dangerous.
What exercises do you do when it is a bit hotter (at appropriate times of day of course) that stimulate your horse?
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#bclvetphysio #equinephysio #feipet
✨ Exercise therapy sessions ✨
If you know me as a vet physio, then you know that I put a huge emphasis on exercise. Exercise that is targeted towards developing your horse's weaknesses. Exercise that is progressive with development. Exercise that is adaptive to the capabilities of both the horse and the rider. Exercise that achieves goals.
I provide exercise therapy sessions where we work on seeing the quality of the exercises being performed to the required standard, and adapting exercises that may not be achieving our goals, or are no longer suitable.
All exercise plans are tailored, goal oriented, clinically reasoned, and most importantly, individual. Meaning that there is no 'one size fits all' to achieve a well conditioned horse; every horse is an individual. Therefore exercise therapy sessions to oversee these puts a professional eye on the movement, to ensure quality and biomechanical accuracy.
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#bclvetphysio #vetphysio #equinephysio #equinecorestrength
Exercise prescription in the glorious sunshine - can we have a bit of this weather back now please? ☀️
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#bclvetphysio #equineexerciseprescription #exerciseastherapy
Don't know how to long line? Well if an 11 year old can learn to long learn her super sassy pony, then you can too. The benefits are endless, and for Minstrel it has been key to his rehab, so his young jockey learned how to do it. And he certainly hasn't made it an easy ride, but if she can do it so can you!
Long lining is one of the key skills I believe all horse people should have at least a basic understanding of. It isn't just a rehabilitation or backing exercise, it should be part of your horse's general exercise regime.
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#bclvetphysio #equinephysio #vetphysio
Do you know how to perform a trot up for your veterinary professional? In some cases you may be asked to trot up in a particular way, on a certain surface, or on the lunge etc. But this is for a basic straight line trot up.
A few things NOT to do are -
❌ Not walking in a straight line
❌ Trying not to run when the horse is trotting
❌ Being on your phone
❌ Letting the horse walk on a loose rein and pushing them over
❌ Walking too slow for the horse
❌ Holding the horse's head in the air/to the side
❌ Not being in control and having the horse run off
❌ Wrapping the rope around your hand
❌ Walking in front of the horse 🤦🏼♀️
Things you SHOULD do are -
✔️ Walk/trot the horse in a straight line at an active pace
✔️ Allowing them to hold their head in their natural position
✔️ Use a bridle for control if necessary and don't wrap the rope around your hand
✔️ Walk next to the horse paying attention
Your veterinary professional should communicate with you as to how exactly they want the trot up doing, but it's useful to know the basics.
Side note: please appreciate the looks of confusion on V's face, she thought I'd lost the plot doing all of this to her!
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#bclvetphysio #equinephysio #vetphysio
Start the year as you mean to go on. Learn how to long line. Get to that pole work clinic. Book with that new trainer. Take the course that will help you help your horse. Do whatever it is that you've been meaning to do for the last year. You'll set yourself and your horse up for a great year ahead if you take the opportunity now!
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#bclvetphysio #equinephysio #vetphysio #feipermittedtherapist
Merry Christmas!! ✨✨
I just want to say a huge thank you to all of my lovely clients, old and new, who have continued to support BCL Veterinary Physiotherapy and allowed me to help in keeping your animals in the best condition ❤️
I look forward to seeing you all in the new year to continue to work with you and your animals.
I am closed now until January so all messages will be replied to then.
Have a lovely Christmas and a happy New Year!!
Anddddd stretch!
Have you ever noticed how much spinal range of motion your horse has and therefore how much they can stretch their epaxials when encouraged to do so? Probably not, because you're usually the one under the horse asking for the stretch!
This slow mo highlights it perfectly, specifically after the stretch when the horse returns back to her natural resting posture.
And on the opposite side of this, the abdominal contraction required to achieve and hold this stretch builds a great amount of core strength, therefore improving your horse's resting posture. So it's a 2 for 1!
(Just to note this stretch is being taken to the outside of the front hoof to incorporate a slight lateral stretch also, hence why the horse looks slightly off to the side!)
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#bclvetphysio #equineposture #equinecorestrength #dressagehorse
In regular maintenance cases with little to no clinical history, it's about looking for those small changes in suppleness, mobility, mass, or tone, which can make big differences to the horse's overall performance.
Can you see the moment of release?
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#bclvetphysio #equinephysio #dressagehorse #vetphysio
OTTBs seem to be the flavour of the month at the moment and I love it!
In my last post I talked about the journey with your horse, and one of those is racehorse to riding horse. Balancing out muscular asymmetries, learning new gait patterns, improving (often reducing) muscle tone and mass, and all while developing a new bond.
Bobby is still in the early days but gosh he's doing well! And isn't it lovely to see young girls keen to do the ground work. I know when I was a teenager I just wanted to ride and jump and gallop so if someone told me I had to do 6+ weeks of ground work I would not have been impressed! So very well done @gracemae_eq and all my clients who commit to the ground work in their plans.
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#vetphysio #bclvetphysio #feipermittedequinetherapist #equinephysio
Feedback on comprehensive reports
Calling all current clients - I have a question for you.
As you are all aware you receive both a brief paper report at your appointment, and a comprehensive report emailed to you.
What I want to know is how many of you read/like/use your comprehensive report?
I personally think they are useful for exercises etc however they do take a good couple of hours in the evening to write. I am happy to continue doing them, but want to check if they are actually being used or I am spending a lot of time doing something you don't really need or want?
Be honest, I won't take offense! And any feedback is appreciated, is there anything you want adding or don't think is necessary? Press the 👍 button of you want them to stay, the 😠 if you don't use them, or add your comments below.
Always a pleasure to treat Future Gravitas from Future Sport Horses. He really appreciates the process and leans in to areas of tension, giving lovely visual responses throughout and making it an enjoyable experience for the both of us.
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#bclvetphysio #equinephysio #vetphysio #feipermittedequinetherapist #futuresporthorses
Restricted fascia - do you know what it is or how it affects your horse/pony?
Keep an eye on this page for more info coming soon.
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#bclvetphysio #horsesofinstagram #horsesofyorkshire #equinephysio #vetphysio
Jumping into the work week like Arnie (a day later and maybe not so enthusiastically but I try!)
#veterinaryphysiotherapy #vetphysio #dogsofinstagram #caninephysiotherapy #bclvetphysio
When you're really fighting the release but you know it feels good!
#veterinaryphysiotherapy #vetphysio #horsesofinstagram #horsesofyorkshire #horsephysiotherapy #equinephysio #bclvetphysio
