HVP - Helen Vaughan PhysioVet

15/07/2024

These boys are flying at the moment 💪

23/05/2024

Really good conference with so many incredibly knowledgeable lecturers and a fabulous team running it. I’ve learnt so much to help keep your arthritic pets happy and healthy. Can’t wait to help out again next year.

I’ve been away for a few days helping out at VOACON 2024. 😊

Run by the Veterinary Osteoarthritis Alliance, it’s a huge networking and CPD event where we share the latest research and ideas in OA management.

I have had an absolute blast with some good Bet Physio friends Tace Allen Sports Injury & Veterinary Physiotherapy, HVP - Helen Vaughan PhysioVet, Becca Vet Physio, MB Veterinary Physiotherapy ~ thanks for making it such fun! 🍸💃👩‍🎓🐾👌🤣

Normal clinic days and service (replying to messages being top of the list 🙈) will resume tomorrow!

19/04/2024

If anyone, anywhere tells you to pull the horses head down (or uses leverage and gadgets to do so) they have no knowledge of healthy horse biomechanics or of correct training.
The horse's nose must always lead, with the poll highest and the gullet open. The base of the ears mustn't be lower than the withers. The jaw must be mobile. If the horse cannot chew and swallow, the hindlegs cannot operate correctly. If the hindlegs cannot operate correctly, the horse will not be able to jump, or stay off the forehand, or stay sound.
"Don’t be obsessed with the head and neck, learn to feel what the hindquarters are doing." ~ Glenys Shandley

16/10/2023

Cracking combo heading for great things. Love treating Ghost & being part of their team

⭐ HVP - Helen Vaughan PhysioVet Sponsored Rider Update! ⭐

"Alex's horse, Ghost (Talishla), is an honest and fun mare and they have a very special relationship. They are having a great first year eventing at 90cm and they have qualified for the Horse Events 90cm Eventing Championships which is a great achievement. After having an incident at Howick back in July, Helen treated Ghost shortly afterwards and was given the all clear to event again, they then came 8th in their come back event! We are so grateful to Helen for all her support and getting Ghost back in tip top condition!"

07/10/2023

This handsome boy is Hamish 💙 Last year he had a very sore back and came for some clinical massage. There was a big improvement after only one session - he was able to lie down and get up with greater ease; was able to posture to go to the toilet much easier; and he was able to run like a crazy hound on the beach again.

Fast forward a few months (plus lots of shenanigans), and his back problem became troublesome again. Assuming there was some spinal arthritis, he had some xrays, but his spine was clear of any arthritic changes.

He returned for clinical massage, and after one session he was like a completely different dog - much more comfortable and back to his happy self.

We must not underestimate how immensely debilitating tight, sore, and hypertonic muscle can be. It can lead to lots of discomfort, altered posture and movement, as well as changes in activities of daily living.

Do get in contact if you’d like to discuss if Clinical Massage can help your dog.

01/09/2023

So today we completed the paperwork for Fiona Griffiths Golden Castle Riding Stables to travel to the European endurance championships as part of the British Team. We wish them so much luck and look forward to hearing of their success Sam Owen

10/05/2023

Helen's sponsored rider, Alex, and her pony Ghost, have been working on their dressage and showjumping over the Winter, ready for the eventing season. They have been competing at 90cm/100cm with the aim to do some 110cm classes.

They have had recent success at the Pony Club Spring Festival, where they finished 24th out of 90 competitors in the 1m class.

Ghost has just finished her short holiday, has received some physiotherapy sessions off Helen and is now looking forward to starting eventing!

10/04/2023

It seems a scary fact that a large majority of horse owners don’t understand Strangles, what to look out for, how it is treated or even really what it is. Although, there is still a massive stigma around it. Learn how to check your horse and therefore protect others…if you are unsure, check with your vet 🩺

We are supporting Strangles Awareness Week and helping spread the message. It is a huge privilege and responsibility owning horses and ponies (in fact any animal) so make sure you are informed on the best way of keeping their welfare and health at the forefront of anything you do with them.

28/03/2023

This week we're talking all things physio! 🐴

Regular physiotherapy is an essential part of any horse’s management. It can help support competition fitness, as well as happy hackers and retirees, it can aid maintenance of ongoing conditions, but is also important in rehabilitation following injury or a surgical procedure.

Maintenance physiotherapy focuses on posture, suppleness, balance and range of motion. By improving all these it allows the horse to activate and engage the right muscles, building strength and improving performance. It can also help prevent injury through identification of changes before they become a problem. Where there is an ongoing condition, such as osteoarthritis, regular physio aims to support and strengthen the muscles associated with the affected joints, as well as address compensations in other areas of the body. It can improve joint range of motion and also help alleviate pain related to the arthritis.

Rehabilitation physiotherapy following surgery or injury aims to gradually reintroduce work in a safe and controlled manner, while addressing pain and compensations to preserve a happy, balanced and strong horse. These programmes are generally of an extended duration but are tailored specifically to the individual.

Our very own vet, Helen Vaughan, is a qualified physiotherapist, if you would like to get your horse booked in then CALL the clinic on 01873 840069.

03/03/2023

A question… off the back of yet another ‘vet checked and everything is fine BUT…’ post I saw on Facebook this morning…

What CAN your horse do to tell you he is unhappy?

Not a trick question, and I genuinely want answers. How can your horse communicate to you that he is unhappy? How can he let you know he is in pain?
More specifically, how can he let you know that he is unhappy, or in pain whilst being ridden?

I ask because all of the posts I see describe pain behaviours being exhibited quite clearly, with the human usually claiming that the horse is ‘taking the p*ss/being sassy/being an idiot’. So clearly people are not seeing pain behaviours for what they are (despite usually being self proclaimed horse experts)… which begs the question… if your horse is bucking/rearing/bolting/yawing/exhibiting any other behaviour that you don’t like, and you DONT think it’s pain… what CAN they do to let you know?

25/02/2023

Far too many self proclaimed behaviourists don’t seem to get this distinction

Far too many horse people believe that desensitization and flooding are the same things, whether they admit that themselves or not.

Flooding is a mechanism of training in which the trainer seeks to try to desensitize the animal from a fear provoking stimulus by applying that stimulus at full intensity and continuing to do so until the animal stops reacting.

It is damaging to welfare because of the high stress nature of it and the fact that it actually doesn’t do anything to target the underlying fear, it just teaches the horse that they have absolutely no option of escape so should just cease to react.

The problem with this is that it can create a horse who is essentially a ticking time bomb. They mask their stress and go into frozen states around fearful stimuli, at which point they could explode into a frenzied reaction when the stress finally hits a threshold that is too uncomfortable to manage in a frozen state.

These are then the horses who explode “out of nowhere” or react to stimuli with a reaction that seems too big and out of character for what caused it. This is due to them masking such fear and stress for extended periods of time and then needing to release all of that energy when they are finally sent far enough over threshold that they need to physically release said energy with a flight response.

Desensitization, on the other hand, is introducing a fear provoking stimulus in small and palatable approximations so that you’re not inducing a fear response in the first place. You slowly build on the intensity of the stimulus as the horse gets more comfortable, so by the time you touch them with it, they’ve already let down most of their fear and can respond to that without reactivity.

Desensitization and flooding are not the same.

Systematic desensitization is all about remaining within the animal’s threshold of tolerance and not inducing a fear response in the first place.

Flooding is all about inducing that fear response and continuing to do it until the horse stops reacting.

Flooding is not necessary, productive, safe or ethical.

Systematic desensitization is necessary, productive, safe and ethical along with long lasting when it’s approached correctly.

Far too many self proclaimed professionals use flooding as a method of desensitization and try to frame their work as not being flooding, all the while using their perceived expertise as a professional to justify it.

I’m here to tell you that very few horse trainers in the professional field have the necessary behavioural education to make the sweeping claims they do.

It’s easy to claim you’re not flooding when you don’t have the faintest grasp of learning theory and behavioural science. You can’t understand something you’ve made no effort to learn, meaning it’s easy to deny the damage you’re doing when you don’t understand it.

We cannot blindly believe horse professionals’ perceptions of things simply because they’re professionals.

A lot of professionals are merely horse people who are paid to ride — they have no other credentials.

This is fine because even without other credentials, you can still do your homework and learn all of these things — but since they’re not required, many don’t.

So, the term “professional” on its own is not enough to claim someone knows what they’re talking about.

Until a firm grasp of learning theory and behavioural science is required to practice as a professional, we have to watch what trainers show us of their skills and training practices and judge their expertise off of that.

A trainer who cannot tell the difference between desensitization and flooding will never be someone who understands the science behind training.

We can all do better and be on a constant journey of self betterment but it starts with learning to recognize shortcomings.

29/01/2023

My 2 fabulous sponsors out winning again! A fabulous win for Darcy in the 70cm & Alex qualifying in PC intermediate dressage. Super proud 🥰

23/01/2023

15/01/2023

CPD (continuing professional development) is a compulsory and important part of being both a vet and a physio. Plus I love it! It’s a chance to learn more about the areas you are interested in. Friday saw me learning more about fascia and how to use a specially developed tool to treat restrictions and trigger points…I’ve already been practicing on my horse & Phoebe Nicholson Eventing’s super jumper Romeo 🤩🤓

12/01/2023

Another fab result. Flying

12/01/2023

We’ve had a lot of questions recently about body harnesses and which one to choose for your dog so we have summarized the pro’s and con’s of the harness designs to help you in your decision.

Unfortunately, not all harnesses are appropriate as they aren’t ergonomically designed for your dog’s skeleton, and some designs can be painful to your dog should they pull. In this post we shall discuss the several types you may encounter.

So which harness do we recommend?

The best style of harness is a Y-shaped harness. These harnesses have a strap that comes up between the front legs and then the V shape of the Y goes either side of the dog’s neck. Leaving the shoulders blades completely free to move comfortably.
The base of the V should sit on the dog’s sternum (breastbone) so there is no pressure on the neck area. The lead should be attached to the D ring on the dog’s back. Clip fastenings on the chest should be avoided as this pulls the dog off balance and can lead to chronic mobility complaints.

Which designs don’t we recommend?

One design feature that we would never recommend is a harness that has a strap across the chest. There are two types of this style: the saddle harness and the step-in figure of 8. These harnesses restrict the movement of the dog’s front legs as the strap go across and around the shoulder blades. This restrictive shoulder movement can lead to / or worsen joint and mobility conditions.

Furthermore, correctional harnesses have a rope or webbing that create two loops that are placed around the dog’s legs. If the dog pulls, the loops tighten around the under arm of the dog, causing pain and potentially damaging the skin and lymph nodes. Both above named harnesses can influence the dog’s behaviour and lead to increase reactivity on exercise. They can start to associate this discomfort with whatever they are reacting to, this results in the perception that the scary thing = pain, therefore promoting a more severe reaction next time.

In the video below the difference between the range of motion whilst wearing the different types of harnesses is clearly visible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc8tHqIZJC4

The most important take home message is that a harness is simply a piece of safety equipment. A harness does not increase nor decrease pulling behaviour. Dogs should be positively trained on how to wear, use and walk with a harness. Training your dog to walk on a loose leash is the best way to prevent against pulling behaviour.

If you wish to learn more about appropriate harness use, please speak to or book a nurse consultation with one of our RVN, Zoë.

05/01/2023

Alex and Ghost doing their thing again 💪. What a team…this season is going to be mega

21/12/2022

Darcy has been out killing it in SJ with super pony Indie, winning the 70cm at Smugglers Christmas show & 2nd in the dash for cash 💪

31/10/2022

First time providing event support to one of my sponsors, Darcy Amanda Harris, showjumping at Broomes on the weekend. Really fun day & fantastic Halloween costume!!

31/10/2022

First time providing event support to one of my sponsors, Darcy Amanda Harris, showjumping at Broomes on the weekend. Really fun day & fantastic Halloween costume!!

25/10/2022

Love this mare

23/10/2022

This gorgeous little man giving me some perfect sits today 🥰

22/10/2022

Mulan loved her neck treatment 😴🥰 Phoebe Nicholson Eventing Phoebe Nicholson

22/10/2022

Good morning from me & the beautiful Mulan Phoebe Nicholson Eventing Phoebe Nicholson

12/10/2022

Another 2 exciting sponsors!

Abbey Equine Clinic in conjunction with HVP - Helen Vaughan PhysioVet are pleased to announce both Darcy Harris and Alex Powell as our young rider sponsors! 🌟

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody that took the time to enter the competition - we were overwhelmed by the response.

It is safe to say that the future of equestrian sport is looking bright with our local young riders🐴

23/09/2022

A little last minute as always, but finally submitted & MSc done (as long as I pass!! 🙈🤣). What a rollercoaster but thank you to everyone that helped me so much along the way…particularly you girlies at Venetia’s 😘

17/09/2022

Doing our duty at Monmouth HT on a very beautiful, frosty Saturday morning

05/05/2022

I love this…horses can’t be naughty, they are just trying to communicate something to us in the only way they know how

I DON’T KNOW YOUR HORSE…
…But I do know horses. Here are a few things I’ve learned that should help most horses, most of the time, with whatever problem you may be having.

DO LESS:
Whatever it is, just do less. Expect less. React less. Use less strength. Less contact. Less pressure down the rein/rope. Less pressure from the leg. Less driving from the seat. Less noise…

GIVE MORE:
More patience. More time. More benefit of the doubt. More rest breaks. More reward. More still. More quiet. More variety. More length to the neck…

DITCH YOUR EGO & LET STUFF SLIDE:
Your horse isn’t trying to get one over on you, (or if he is, ask yourself why he feels the need to). What you think is naughty behaviour is usually just an attempt to communicate something: Discomfort, distrust, uncertainty, anxiety, fear, none of which require ‘telling off’…

COUNT TO TEN:
Be in control of your own emotions before you try and control your horse’s emotions. Once you let your emotions change, the whole dialogue upon which your training is based, changes…

IT TAKES TWO TO ARGUE:
So rather than asking for something that goes against your horse, start by asking for things you’re already pretty sure the horse is going to give, and go from there. (This one takes a little figuring out but is totally worth it!) N.B.: Common sense required!…

EVERYTHING IS MADE UP OF THE BASICS:
More advanced work is simply an arrangement of the basics taken care of simultaneously…

NEVER DISCOUNT PAIN:
You can never truly ‘rule out pain’ as a cause of unwanted behaviour. No matter how much money you spend, or how good your vet is…

REST DAYS ARE AS IMPORTANT AS TRAINING DAYS: Overtraining can be just as damaging as under preparing. Horses only have so many jumps/steps in them - use them sparingly…

BREAK IT DOWN:
Most issues can be solved by taking a step back, breaking the issue down into smaller chunks, and taking care of those chunks one by one…

TAKE YOUR TIME:
You’ll get there much quicker if you do. Cutting a corner will only come back to bite you in the ass sooner or later…

ONE FINAL THING…
Horse training is subject to the same laws of physics as everything else. You can’t argue with either anatomy or physics, no matter how many medals you’ve won. Train with this in mind, because there isn’t a single instance where an unyielding or strong rein contact will benefit your training, or your horse…

27/04/2022

This lovely boy arrived with Phoebe & Shane at EEP last November having suffered a tendon injury months prior. He is a good racehorse and they thought he deserved another chance at his racing career.
He was a in a bit of a state (first picture) with suspected gastric ulcers as well as muscle soreness virtually everywhere. He was an unhappy, angry boy just at being touched.

5 months on & he is a new horse (second pic). With regular physio from me, along with hard work & TLC from EEP he is well & truly on the road to recovery and actually enjoys his physio now (as well as a cuddle). Can’t wait to see him & Shane back on the track. Elite Equine Performance Phoebe Nicholson

04/04/2022

This is so overlooked. If you love your fitness then you will understand…& there’s absolutely no reason why horses dont get DOMS too

A majorly overlooked physiological occurrence in the equine field- WHY is it not being discussed!

All too often I hear “he’s had his back checked, all OK so it’s not that”- especially now spring is on the horizon. People are riding more and pushing their horses ready for competing all summer. Especially since a lot of us in the UK have had to use our wheelbarrows as boats to do our horses recently- we are really catching up on lost time! But, following on from my post about why horse’s cant fake pain, there is something that I am still not seeing being put out there when there are behavioural shifts in a horse’s work mentality.
First, let me give you a scenario:
Day 1- horse is generally happy and does his best and you are very pleased.
Day 2- Horse has cracked it today and you are a very happy rider.
Day 3- Horse wasn’t too keen on being ridden today so he got a stern telling and told to get on because he was a tad behind the leg.
Day 4- Horse WILL NOT do as he is told and you end up getting off annoyed and a bit confused.
Day 5- Horse is given a 2-3 day break
Day 7 – Horse is ridden and back to being OK again

This happens repeatedly until you end up concerned.

So what could it be? Firstly, we need to know how muscles are made.

The muscular system is composed of specialised cells called muscle fibres. They encompass every muscle in the body, from the tiny ones responsible for ear movement, to the biggest muscle in the body (gluteus maximus), they ALL are made up the same way. Their predominant function (for skeletal muscles) is contractility. Muscles, attached to bones or internal organs and blood vessels, are responsible for movement. Nearly all movement in the body is the result of muscle contraction; other than a few focused exceptions of course. The integrated action of joints, bones, and skeletal muscles produce obvious movements such as walking and running. They are live and have nerve endings, they can break, and they are extremely sensitive to exercise- ESPECIALLY in a new athletic regime.

For this reason, delayed onset muscle soreness (D.O.M.S) is so immensely overlooked in the working horse in 2020.

D.O.M.S is that feeling that most of us have experienced usually 24-48 hours after a hard workout and usually lasts for up to 2-4 days. It’s that feeling of acute aching pain, tenderness, and stiffness. The severity of the soreness that we experience is a direct result of a number of factors, including familiarity with the exercises used during a workout, the intensity of exercise, loading of the muscles, how much a muscle has been stretched under resistance, preparation/ warming up and the angle of muscle contraction. It is caused by a number of small myofibril tears (what muscle fibres are made of!). The micro trauma results in an inflammatory response with intramuscular fluid and electrolyte shifts (also known as lactic acid build up, a by-product of muscular contractions). When not acknowledged and treated accordingly, the DOMS can continue to grow and more tears occur creating more pain and stiffness and the muscle becomes susceptible to genuine injury. DOMS should be treated initially with active rest (light work) and anti-inflammatory measures such as ice.. Gentle massage (this is where i come in!) and pressure garments have been shown in research studies to provide a reduction in the duration and severity of DOMS. However, deep tissue massage should be avoided during the first 24 hours. Excessive muscle stretching in this early phase should also be avoided due to ease of furthering muscle ruptures.

This is the key to this post, though-
You should avoid aggressive exercise during the recovery phase. This is due to muscles reduced capacity to cope with shock absorption, coordination, altered muscle recruitment patterns, reduced strength balance and contraction intensity. (Zainuddin et al 2005) In less words, when suffering the DOMS, your horse will struggle to perform basic tasks he was doing the day before because he could well potentially be aching from his nose to his toes! Therefore, he is not naughty, he is not confused, he is aching and cannot perform what is being asked.
So-
1. Take it slow and gradually build up the amount of exercise you do in your program – remember that Rome wasn't built in a day.
2. Be aware of the amount of high intensity exercises you are including in your rides without breaks between to allow the muscles to relax.
3. Ensure you do a thorough cool down following your workout – many of us would have seen sportspeople doing gentle running and cool down drills after their games – this is one of the reasons why.

Photo to show muscle fibres under microscope which really highlights the delicacy of this tissue!

(Black et al 2008, Cleak et al 1992, Bleakley et al 2012, MacIntyre et al 2001, Cheung et al 2003, Valle et al 2014, Hill et al 2013, Nelson N. 2014, Dutto and Braun 2004, Paschalis 2007).