HVP - Helen Vaughan PhysioVet

12/11/2024

My little superstar swimmer 🥰

18/09/2024

In my latest certificate I learned that the week before a competition it is actually more beneficial to rest your horse than to keep “practising” for the event ahead

“GIVE YOUR HARD WORKING HORSE TIME TO RECOVER!

Horses replenish their muscle fuel (glycogen) stores more slowly than humans, and working them hard on consecutive days will gradually result in impaired performance due to a lack of muscle fuel.

Fit horses should not be worked hard 5 or 6 days a week, and an easy day should always follow a hard day.

These rest (nil or easy work) days aren’t just key for muscle fuel stores, but also for muscle strength and stamina. Muscles break down during work, then build up in the rest period after work!

Performance horses should have their work tapered back in the run up to an event, to ensure optimal muscle glycogen levels and to ensure full recovery from the last bout of hard exercise.

Good hydration including adequate electrolyte intake is also important in optimal muscle glycogen replenishment.” - Clare MacLeod MSc RNutr Independent Equine Nutritionist

Something to think about…

(Give Clare’s page a like and follow. She puts out great stuff!)

11/09/2024

I couldn’t agree more

The “problem horse” 🐴

There is such a recurring theme in the clients I’m seeing that I really feel the need to talk about this more. Time and time again I am seeing horses displaying significant signs of pain, who have been to the vet to have some diagnostics and been told there is nothing wrong, the horse definitely isn’t in pain and they need to send the horse to a trainer. It is incredibly frustrating and upsetting as an owner when you really feel something isn’t right but are being told by professionals that the issue is you and you’re overthinking it or being soft.

The idea that a problem is purely behavioural is a fallacy in and of itself. Behaviour is a manifestation of how the horse is experiencing life, whether that be pain/discomfort in the body, the environment, the people, the training, the diet, trauma, past experiences etc. It is unfortunately not packed into two neat little boxes of either pain or behaviour and, even if it was, the idea that we could easily rule out pain with the limited diagnostics available is unrealistic.

When we have a horse that is displaying concerning behaviour, beyond the usual joint, back x-rays and scoping for ulcers, we need to consider hind gut issues, liver issues, hormonal issues, muscle myopathies, congenital defects, old injuries, compensatory patterns, the list goes on. Often we do find pathology, medicate it and declare the horse pain-free and ready to crack on without considering the other factors at play.

I cannot emphasise enough the role of environmental factors. Sometimes we are chasing pathology, buying expensive supplements, paying every professional under the sun to fit our horse’s tack, train them, give them bodywork and hoof care while entirely missing the fact the horse’s basic needs are not being met. If your horse is stressed in his living environment you are setting yourselves up to fail. Horses that are living in a chronic state of stress and have very little ability to down-regulate their nervous system are unable to thrive and develop healthy bodies.

So many horses have poor posture which is causing tension and soreness in their bodies, it is so normalised that it seems to be rarely recognised as an issue as horses can still perform at high levels even when their bodies are compromised, we’re used to seeing horses with poor muscle development. Winning trophies does not necessarily mean the horse is comfortable, it means the horse is compliant. A lot of training views compliance as the main measure of success without really seeing how the horse is feeling both emotionally and physically, with the training itself often contributing to more tension, stress and strain on the body.

All of these things together create the “problem horse”.

I feel really strongly that we need to start looking at things differently if we want to train ethically and also increase longevity for our horses. What if instead of just medicating the horse then sending the horse to the trainer to be “fixed”, we took a step back and really looked at the whole horse and maybe why this happened in the first place.

I genuinely think we’d have much more long term success if we took the pressure off, made sure their living environment was the best we could get it, learned to help our horses down-regulate their nervous system and train at the horse’s pace in an environment they’re comfortable in. In doing so we can really help their bodies and support them as best we can with their issues.

Watching horses find relaxation in their bodies, find peace around people and start to find joy in movement through slow, low-pressure training doesn’t make very exciting videos but it does transform horse’s (and people’s) lives.

If you take anything away from this just know that you absolutely CAN train pain, people are doing it every day and getting 100k views on their reels, so don’t disregard your horse’s voice just because he is somewhat compliant or someone told you to. Behaviour is communication, not something to be fixed. There are people out here who will help you and your horse and not dismiss your concerns. 🐴

www.lshorsemanship.co.uk

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