Horse Physio - What qualifications/associations should I look for?

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Debbieloveshorses

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Hello,

So I'm looking to get my mare seen by a 'back person' or horse physio, to check over some problems. I've returned to riding after a 20 year break so this is all new to me.

I'm trying to look for a quality physio to look her over and don't mind spending well, but as there's several different associations i'm not sure what they need to be registered with to guarantee top service.

I've heard from people on my yard ACPAT is the main one. However my cousin recommended a local physio, that is not registered with ACPAT. Should I rule them out based on this?

Any insight would be appreciated

Debbie
 
Some people are of the opinion that physios need to be ACAPT and be fully qualified in human physio.

I personally dont hold that opinion. I've used lots of physios and the best/most effective have been veterinary physios.

I don't expect my vet to be a qualified doctor before studying animals so I'm unsure why so many people think it is necessary for physios.

FWIW when I was on the McTimmoney-Corley training course there was a human physio there too as well as a human osteo. They both said that they only studied their subjects to ultimately treat animals but once they qualified and actually looked into the animal course they found them lacking. That's why they investigated other options and ended up doing what they did. That was 2008 so the courses may have changed.

Word of mouth is generally the best way but ensure whoever you use is registered to a governing body, qualified and fully insured. They should ask for vets permission to be obtained and if they dont I'd be wary as that is a legal requirement.
 
It's so much down to personal preference, local recommendations, there are indeed vet physios and ACPAT, but I personally like osteopaths, some McTimoney chiros, and soft tissue workers who work on the fascia, I know one fantastic physio, so there are always exceptions, hence going on recommendations locally and then looking the person up more widely online for qualifications and comments on here for example. You do need the vet say so for most of them to treat your horse.
 
Chartered equine physio every time. The vet physio qualification is nothing like that of an equine physio. It takes years to train and gain such an in-depth knowledge.
The term physio is not protected, but it should be, so that clients can make an informed choice. It seems crazy that people pay the same price for someone with a fraction of the training.
 
Undergraduate veterinary physiotherapist degree course (Hons) = 4yrs

Undergrad human physiotherapist degree course (Hons) = 4yrs

Human physios need to do a post grad veterinary physiotherapy degree to treat animals.

If you have a degree in a different field you can also apply to do a postgrad veterinary physiotherapy degree.

If you dont have human physio degree you will "only" be a veterinary physiotherapist. That's plenty good enough for me.

People need to check their facts (and course syllabus). The post grad is the same course and the undergrad is very bit as detailed for veterinary as it is human. I dont see why you have to rub humans as a gateway to working in the fiels that you actually want to work in.

The "extra" training is in human physiotherapy. Treating animals is very different to treating humans and much more nuanced given that animals can't talk. Hence there is no need for a vet to be a qualified doctor first (it's been a long time since I checked but getting into vet school was harder than medicine back in my day).
 
TPO said:
I dont see why you have to rub humans as a gateway to working in the fiels that you actually want to work in.
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My ACPAT physio only ever wanted to work with animals, but she found training first on patients who can talk to be an invaluable part of the learning process :).

She made sure that she didn’t mention wanting to work with animals at her uni interview though, they can be a bit sniffy about that apparently.
 
Tiddlypom said:
My ACPAT physio only ever wanted to work with animals, but she found training first on patients who can talk to be an invaluable part of the learning process :).

She made sure that she didn’t mention wanting to work with animals at her uni interview though, they can be a bit sniffy about that apparently.
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And that's grand if that worked for her ?

Like I said I've been on training courses for different types of animal therapy and there wants a human physio and an oste who both regretted doing the human courses as they ultimately didnt rate the animal post grad courses so went on different paths

Horses for courses!

Nothing against ACAPT at all just fed up of veterinary physio being dismissed when its pretty clear theres no understanding of what's involved to attain that qualification
 
My physio is NAVP - I believe this is the one where you qualify solely on animals?

There are 2 terrible ACPAT physios near to me (purely coincidentally I'm sure) - and I personally can't see any benefit to being human qualified unless you're treating both horse & rider, which isn't a service I've come across.
 
I’m training to be a Veterinary Physiotherapist at the moment. I am on the MSc Veterinary Physiotherapy course run by Nottingham Vet School. We have vets, ACPAT physios and MSc educated physios teaching us and they are all amazing! Obviously everyone has natural strengths and weaknesses anyway but I haven’t noticed any obvious differences in their quality or skill. I will say though, it is really useful to have the ACPAT physios translate issues from animals to humans so that we can try to understand how it would feel/compromise us! I guess that would be useful for clients too!

There are several bodies trying to regulate the profession as it’s currently perfectly legal to do a 10 day course and call yourself a vet physio, unfortunately.

RAMP, ACPAT, NAVP and IRVAP are probably the most reputable. Being registered with these bodies requires you to have minimum qualifications, for a Vet Physio that means at least an undergraduate degree and regulated hours of CPD per year. Being registered with these also means clients can claim treatment costs through their insurance company as you are a registered professional.

As with any profession you get good and bad examples of everything! I would ask your vet for recommendations. I also know of several fantastic Vet Physios all over the UK due to placements so you could give a vague area and you may get some good suggestions on here?
 
WHWMo said:
I’m training to be a Veterinary Physiotherapist at the moment. I am on the MSc Veterinary Physiotherapy course run by Nottingham Vet School. We have vets, ACPAT physios and MSc educated physios teaching us and they are all amazing! Obviously everyone has natural strengths and weaknesses anyway but I haven’t noticed any obvious differences in their quality or skill. I will say though, it is really useful to have the ACPAT physios translate issues from animals to humans so that we can try to understand how it would feel/compromise us! I guess that would be useful for clients too!

There are several bodies trying to regulate the profession as it’s currently perfectly legal to do a 10 day course and call yourself a vet physio, unfortunately.

RAMP, ACPAT, NAVP and IRVAP are probably the most reputable. Being registered with these bodies requires you to have minimum qualifications, for a Vet Physio that means at least an undergraduate degree and regulated hours of CPD per year. Being registered with these also means clients can claim treatment costs through their insurance company as you are a registered professional.

As with any profession you get good and bad examples of everything! I would ask your vet for recommendations. I also know of several fantastic Vet Physios all over the UK due to placements so you could give a vague area and you may get some good suggestions on here?
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Thank you so much for your reply. Based Derbyshire area
 
mustardsmum said:
Vet recommendation? I always thought a legit physio wouldn’t treat unless a vet seen horse first? Maybe not?
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You're correct. No-one except a vet is allowed to treat an animal unless they have the vet's permission, although this doesn't stop a lot of them! Most good practitioners will ask to speak to your vet before they treat them the first time, so I think unless you have someone recommended to you, your best course of action is to ask your vet for recommendations.
 
Mel Haines is an ACPAT physio in your area. She leans more towards small animals but also does horses and would be able to point you in the right direction if you’re not in her practice radius. I would trust whoever she recommends.
Also, Becky Black covers Manchester side so it would depend on whereabouts you were as to whether or not you fell into her practice radius. She is more equine based but does small animal too.
 
Debbieloveshorses said:
Hello,

So I'm looking to get my mare seen by a 'back person' or horse physio, to check over some problems. I've returned to riding after a 20 year break so this is all new to me.

I'm trying to look for a quality physio to look her over and don't mind spending well, but as there's several different associations i'm not sure what they need to be registered with to guarantee top service.

I've heard from people on my yard ACPAT is the main one. However my cousin recommended a local physio, that is not registered with ACPAT. Should I rule them out based on this?

Any insight would be appreciated

Debbie
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Not just qualifications, look for good reviews as well as word of mouth. What area are you, as might help for those in your area.
 
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