Laura Payne Sports Therapy

17/07/2024

07/07/2024

A really good read and approach

Changing up your horse’s activities can be better for his body and mind than giving him time off. Biomechanics expert Hilary Clayton, BVMS, PhD, explains why. In Australia we have a saying that goes, “A change is as good as a spell.” It means that if you are feeling tired, don’t stop and res...

24/05/2024

🚨LAMINITIS ALERT 🚨

🌦With the rain & sunshine mix we've had recently, the grass is growing like crazy.

Signs of Laminitis to watch out for:
🌱Abnormal heat in hoof
🌱Increased digital pulse
🌱Weight shifting
🌱Pottery/ ’footy’ gait
🌱Struggling on hard or stony ground
🌱Sore on the turn
🌱Laying down more

⚠️ If your horse has any history of lami or is carrying excess weight, please monitor closely.

⚠️Horses with Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) or Cushing’s Disease will be at particular risk. We recommend testing basal (baseline) insulin in conjunction with ACTH testing to determine laminitis risk and allow us to tailor management recommendations for individual horses and ponies accordingly.

📞If you’d like any advice & to speak to a vet, please contact our reception.

20/05/2024

Last week it was International Dressage horses , today, riding school ponies.

Both get the same standard of attention to detail and care . This is Ringo of Mill Lane Riding School

15/05/2024

Having made his International Debut last week at Hickstead CDI, Alexandra Hardwick s Joie had a well deserved post show, physio session.

He now has a well earnt down time, so it's important to keep him comfortable and maintain his muscle health...I do this by using manual therapy techniques to locate and release tension.

12/05/2024

It takes a village......so proud to be apart of this Team ...Congratulations Alexandra Hardwick ....xx

Hickstead CDI 🥳

Joie was an absolute dude from start to finish!
Friday PSG 6th place, Saturday a relaxed hack out, Sunday Inter I 9th place at his first international. He took it all in like the absolute pro he is 👑
It was super hot today and he came out ready to rumble. Just time to chip away at the little blips to keep improving ready for the next outing 😝

What an amazing competition it was. Really well organised and run with super entertainment. The All England Jumping Course, Hickstead
So great to meet up with lovely friends, old and new 👌 massive well done to all!

Especially big big thank you to all family and friends keeping the ship sailing at home 😘 Also to my incredible sponsors for the amazing support.

Sally Hardwick Simon John Hardwick Grace Sadler Lauren Burt
Pikeur - Eskadron-UK Shaws Equestrian
Saracen Horse Feeds Rosie King Saracen
Custom Saddlery UK Aviar Saddles Elite Saddle Fit
Roeckl Equestrian ABUS Equestrian
Laura Payne Sports Therapy SJP Wellness LTD
Hawkins Organic

06/05/2024

Really interesting...Worth a listen

03/05/2024

As of 5pm today, my phone will be off until 13th May as I will be on vacation enjoying some down time with family, friends and animals.....! 😊🍷

29/04/2024

♦️ Just a heads up♦️

As of this coming Friday 3rd May, 5pm..I'm on Vacation and Study Leave for my Animal Osteopathy Postgrad Diploma..

SO

The phone will be off until Monday 13th May...

Thanks for your continued support

Laura x

26/04/2024

Another busy and varied week with

* Horse and Rider Clinics
* Canine Vet Clinic
* Working alongside Saddlers, vets and farriers to discuss issues with mutual clients horses
* Polework Clinics to help with Strength and Conditioning

Every day is different! But after 20 years of doing this, every day is still a learning day ❤️

Now signing off for the weekend x

23/04/2024

Congratulations to client and friend, Alexandra Hardwick !!! Fantastic news

Joie is going to be an International horse 🥳🥳

We have been selected to compete at in the Small tour 9th-12th May!!

So excited (and a little nervous) as I haven't competed internationally since 2019 😱

No other horse I woukd rather do it with ♥️ he truly has such a big heart and I just utterly love him.

Big big thank you to absolutely everyone who is helping along the way 😝







.farrier

22/04/2024

For those of you awaiting appointment dates, I'm doing them now! Apologies for delay x

12/04/2024

It was a Lincolnshire day today, my 15th year of visits to be precise! I've met some wonderful people over the years, and today caught up with some old and new faces...and their lovely horses.

So lovely to see you all

Now to enjoy the weekend

06/04/2024

Today I was delighted to do final physio prep to Sara Taskers, lovely coblet, Moomin, for their National Championship debut next week

Sara has been a client for 18+ years and so deserves her place at The Petplan Dressage Championships. Through hard work and coming back from injury herself, many times, as well as a demanding work role, I couldn't be prouder to be part of her back up Team......you truly deserve this

Go enjoy every minute 😍 x

02/04/2024

Prepping Santos and Joie for The British Dressage Winter National Championships, for Alexandra Hardwick ...

Santos very rarely stops moving so it's lovely that he enjoys his physio sessions.

20/03/2024

Whilst it is lovely to be well supported and busy, I am so busy at the moment it's overwhelming.

With this in mind I have taken the decision to close my books to new clients and revise in June'24.

Current clients, its business as usual, with the usual lead times.

Thanks for your continued support ❤️

15/03/2024

Signing off for the weekend, any messages will be answered next week...had a very busy and varied week seeing

* College Riding horses
* Event ponies
*Event horses
* Dressage horses
* x2 busy horse and rider clinics
* x2 veterans aged 29 and 30 yrs

Now for a little me time...have a great weekend!

10/03/2024

⁰Back to it tomorrow after a weeks study leave.

My aim was to complete the Equine Theory portion of the Post Graduate Diploma in Animal Osteopathy, which I started a year ago....mission achieved!!

That's approx ( I've lost count) 24 assessments, each one having to be passed before going onto the next.

Now for the Clinical Portion, then case studies a dissertation and final exam, before doing it all again for Canine.

Doing this between running a very busy Human, Equine and Canine Practice, juggling home and animals has been tough. But I'm loving learning new approaches, even after 20 years experience.

So today, I'm celebrating the win!!

Thanks to those who have mentored and encouraged me , your sharing of your knowledge is so valued and appreciated , especially Pauline Sell, Veterinary Surgeon....thank you 😘

04/03/2024

Hi, I'm now on Study Leave/Vacation until 11th March , so the Office is Closed and work phone off !

I will catch up with you all then

Thank you 😊

19/02/2024

My young horse is on 8 weekly saddle fit checks, with Freya from FG Saddlery . She is still growing and we hope to catch any changes and make necessary adjustments to her saddle, before we see it in adverse behaviour.

This time she has filled out a gullet size and through her frame, but not as drastic as last time ! Where she grew 2 inches in all directions.

The small adjustments made her free up her shoulders more and easier for her to move over her back. Thanks Freya ! See you in 8 weeks

As you can see, Darcey wasn't at all bothered 😀

07/02/2024

Busy morning at Alexandra Hardwick working on Santos and Joie! Very relaxed and happy horses. I see these guys monthly to help maintain muscle health, in order to support performance and aid prevention of injury, for longterm longevity and wellness.

I've been working with Alex for 12 yrs now, how time flies !

08/01/2024

First day back, busy checking event horses, followed by riding school ponies.

Some were still in bed!

05/01/2024

Freya Has done a far better picture of the change than I did!

‼️What a difference 9 weeks can make!!‼️

I'm really lucky to work with owners who are aware of how much a young horse can change. We all know they do, but sometimes it can be incredibly quickly!

Laura Payne Sports Therapy has the most beautiful youngster who I had the pleasure of fitting with her first saddle as Laura's horse. Knowing how much she could change, Laura wanted to err on the side of caution and book her first check within 10 weeks.

Well, it was a good thing we did!

The turquoise line shows her shape when we fitted the saddle, and the pink her new shape 9 weeks later. Number 1 shows 2 inches behind her scapula, number 2 is 2 inches behind that, and number 3 is at T18 - her last rib. We also have number 4 showing the profile of her spine, with the location of where templates 1 and 2 are taken.

I have seen some horses change dramatically at the same age, and some taking their time and growing at a more steady rate. Both are totally normal, and it will always vary horse to horse.

Now, the thing that makes me really appreciate my customers? When Laura started to notice a change in her behaviour and isolated that the behaviour was largely based around the saddle/tacking up. She stopped. She went back to ground work 🫶 She did some gentle training to remove any negatively around tacking up, and she gave her some time off! ❤️

Considering how much she'd grown in such a short time, we can appreciate how much her body has been through.

👉 Time off for youngsters is essential for their growth and attitude towards work

👉 Ground work is ALWAYS a good thing, but can be even more important with young horses or when you think something isn't quite right with your saddle

👉 Listen to your horse. They're not behaving badly for no reason. Most of the time, they're telling you something

And finally

⭐️ I love my customers. The way you guys put your horses first, no matter what makes me proud to work with you on your individual journeys!

04/01/2024

♦️The Importance of regular saddle fit check.♦️

At the start of November my new 5 yr old was fitted for a new saddle, we tried many and Darcey chose the one she liked, literally.

We put a date in the diary for a 9 week follow up check, which was today. She had 3 weeks off before Christmas as I felt she needed down time. I knew she had grown but when Freya from FG Saddlery checked her back measurements and templated her, we discovered just how much.

In 9 weeks she had come up an inch and half on her withers, the same behind withers, across back and along spine.

She doesn't look massively different to the eye, but this explains her being a bit tetchy to put her saddle on, and the odd llama moment when ridden.

I'm hoping she doesn't keep growing at this rate!! Needless to say her next 2 saddle checks are scheduled already for 6 to 8 weeks apart.

The template photo shows the difference between behind withers from 9 weeks ago ( bottom line) to today the top one. Had we not checked she could have developed muscle soreness underdevelopment of spinalis, trapezius and long back muscles, possible ridden and behavioural issues and then the in correct utilisation of other muscle groups inorder to avoid discomfort.

My advice to my clients is don't wait until there is an issue, make regular saddle fit checks part of your health care management

22/12/2023

Well that's a wrap for this year! Thank-you for all your support and for my Christmas gifts and cards, so much appreciated

Have a very Merry Christmas from myself and the mini beasts, the grown ups didn't want to wear antlers 😊🎄

24/11/2023

This is my go to when time and light hours are limited. Ground poles in a funneled area, so they have to walk over them in order to get into a field.

Here are 5 poles which Darcey will walk over going out and coming in, she's out 7 days a week, you do the maths...its alot of poles!

This is her first time on her own doing them, she is quite confident in hand and ridden.

Alternatively, put some out on route to the field in hand, it's also good owners glute function 👍

20/11/2023

Busy day with riding school pony checks today...they receive the same care as Elite competition horse's, I don't differentiate!

17/11/2023

Another busy and varied week working with horses and riders on their symmetry and associated restrictions.

I aim is to identify restrictions and if possible the causes, reduce them and then strengthen the body to improve functionality.

I had another interesting day with Pauline Sell Veterinary Surgeon, Hatfield Heath, at my monthly Canine clinic for her. Working in collaboration for at least 12 years now, helping dogs to be pain free as best we can, increasing movement, aiding pre-hab for surgery and rehab after and learning from each other....I have to admit, it's one of my favourite days each month!

Lucky to love what I do!

14/11/2023

Busy and varied day treating dogs riders and horses at Withcham Equestrian Centre.

13/11/2023

Lots of information about me on my website!

What it doesn't say is I'm currently studying Animal Osteopathy. Striving to deliver the best care, for "pain free" movement, with over 20 years clinical experience.

Laura Payne Sports therapy - helping to restore mobility & pain free movement using sports massage, myofascial release & trigger point therapy.