How can physiotherapy help your horse?
The aim of physiotherapy for horses is to improve or maintain function; essentially to enable them to comfortably take part in their daily activities. This falls into the three broad areas of performance, rehabilitation and wellbeing.
Performance
If your horse competes in any discipline e.g. showjumping, eventing, dressage, racing; physiotherapy can help them to perform at their best and cope with demands of the sport.
Rehabilitation
Does your horse have an injury, is recovering from surgery or has a specific problem e.g. stiff in one direction, difficulty with lateral movements, canter problems, knocking jumps?
Physiotherapy can help to address these and return your horse to moving and feeling well.
Wellbeing
Healthy horses who are working well can benefit from regular assessment for the early identification of issues before they become a problem.
Older horses or those with a diagnosed condition benefit from regular monitoring and treatment to keep them comfortable.
What to expect
Each horse receives a thorough assessment which includes history taking, gait assessment (including lunge and/or ridden when needed), palpation exam and joint range of movement assessment.
The treatment that follows is clinically reasoned based on assessment findings and history. It can include soft tissue techniques, manual techniques and electrotherapy such as laser.
Depending on the horses needs an exercise program may be given and can include stable, ground and ridden exercises.
Relevant advice complements the treatment given. e.g. routine changes. This is important as what happens outside of the physiotherapy session can really influence the outcome.
An ongoing treatment plan is made in conjunction with the owner/rider and takes into account the horses current needs and rider goals.
The entire assessment and treatment process is informed by current research where possible.
Whole horse approach
​Taking an approach which considers the whole horse is very important in getting a good outcome. The horses body, routine and factors such as equipment and feed are very interlinked and so all the relevant elements need to be considered and addressed where needed.
Teeth, saddle fit and hoof health are the most common areas that need addressing and they have a huge influence on overall health, comfort and ability to be a willing athlete.
Other important factors are any underlying medical conditions or diagnosed musculoskeletal problems. The horses daily routine especially in relation to posture, rest and stress are influential.
Being able to refer onto other professionals such as vet, dentist, farrier, saddle fitter, behaviourist, coach and nutritionist ensures that these areas can be addressed by the appropriate person.
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