Physiotherapy- NAVP Vs. ACPAT

Do you winter off your horse?

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I am the Director of Education for NAVP and ultimately I am responsible for the education and training of our students and members. I have been reading some of the posts to this forum with an increasingly heavy heart, particularly with regard to some of the more personal and unprofessional comments about NAVP. I don't know what our Chair, Chris Caden Parker, has done to be singled out for personal attack, but I can assure you that she is extremely highly qualified and highly thought of.

I feel that I must address the many half-truths and untruths that have been posted on this forum. As they are many I am afraid that this posting will, of necessity, be rather long. I will deal with them in order:

1. NAVP students receive instruction of neurology and neuro-physiology from Giunio Cherubini who is a European Specialist in Canine Neurology based in Newmarket, from Dr. Peter Milner of Liverpool Vet School (Equine) and from Dr. Maz Behnke of Harper Adams (Farm Animal).
2. NAVP students receive specialised instruction in the physiotherapeutic treatment of the comatose or recumbant animal.
3. I have a PhD in Equine Biomechanics from Bristol Vet School. I have made scientific studies of horse and rider biomechanics and I am published on the subject. I am also a Consultant to Bates Australia who manufacture the Bates and Wintec range of saddles. I have conducted extensive studies of saddle damage in horses. I have also made extensive studies on equine hoof/shoe/surface interface and am widely puiblished on the subject. All my knowledge in these areas is passed onto our students.
4. All NAVP members carry over £2,000,000 worth of insurance and all NAVP members are approved by the Veterinary Insurances Companies.
6. NAVP members do not just have"2 years part-time training". Acceptance onto the NAVP MSc course at Harper Adams requires a good first degree in an animal related subject, then the MSc course is 3 years. Average study time per week on the MSc is 30 hours plus weekend taught sessions. Upon completion of our post-graduate course, students are admitted as probationary members for 12 months during which they are mentored by a senior NAVP physio. So effectively they have 6 years training with animals - more if they are vets. ACPAT animal training is for 2 years only. NAVP students receive a whole year of "hands-on" clinical instruction which is unique to our MSc. We think this vitally important and why, I suspect, many vets feel that the NAVP practical instruction makes them better practitioners and less prescriptive.
7. I find the arguments that you cannot be a good vet physio unless you have first trained as a human physio to be rather spurious. If one were to follow that logic then ACPAT would consider that EquineVet01 is not qualified to treat animals because he did not qualify as a human doctor first. No wonder he is angry.
8. NAVP members are authorised by the Health Professions Council to call themselves "Veterinary Physiotherapist"
9. NAVP have offered to meet ACPAT to discuss the way forward but that offer has been rejected. NAVP, however, remain willing to meet ACPAT at any time to discuss the way forward. We have several positive proposals that we would put forward which would promote animal welfare and physiotherapy whilst maintaining the individual identities of both organisations.
10. If anyone would like accurate information about NAVP and our MSc please visit our website on www.navp.co.uk
If anyone would like to discuss any aspect of this subject with me then you can contact me via my own website www.gailwilliams.co.uk
 
Hello I have read all these entries with interest. Thank you.

I have been involved in the education of Physios for many years, and on many associated animal therapy committees.
Without doubt I would, given the choice, want to see an Animal or Vetinerary Chartered Physiotherapist and a member of ACPAT.

Why? Because that profession is the Leader in examination and rehabilitation therapies in the world.

The entry point for a Chartered ACPAT physio to examine your animal is through a rigorous and arduous BSc, at least 2 years human practice and then a Masters, and it is expected that the profession works within evidence and best practice as indeed are the Vet profession.

That doesnt mean that NAVP do not have excellent professionals as members, and if the ACPAT physio didnt help me, I would not hesitate to go to them.

However, as a first stop, for standards of practice, diagnostic abililty to find the problem and a whole batch of techniques to help rehabilitate, it would be a Chartered Physiotherapist member of ACPAT.

There is room however, for many types of professionals of good education working with animals. Although we can not "join forces", NAVP and ACPAT members can work together and learn from each other, in the same way that we do with Osteopaths, Chiropracters and Vets.

This is a good debate.

WHat I hope comes to the fore from it is a deeper understanding of both groups, the similiarities and differences.

All the best!
 
I dont agree with you. As far as I know both sides are giving their views, that is called a debate - freedom of speech being fundamental in this country.

Name and shaming is unprofessional also. I believe both organisations are merely defending themselves.

I am sure the members of the forum are finding it all fascinating........in the end we will have much more knowledge than when we started!
 
My previous comment was not intended to be a criticism of the NAVP course. But there is no comparison between several years developing therapuetic handling skills(partcicularly with neuro) and rehab planning compared to several years of animal handling. I was also only commenting on the ability to assess and treat riders, not saddles, as that is an area where NAVP and ACPAT trained physios will always differ.
 
I am obviously being dense because I cannot understand the point you are making. If you are suggesting that NAVP members are not trained in neuro cases then you are simply wrong. Vets refer neuro cases to us on a regular basis and we are perfectly capable of handling them, and instructing our students how to do so. I have completely missed the point about "animal handling skills", but I devise remedial exercise prescriptions for horses and dogs every day, again our students have substantial clinical instruction on that subject and are examined by way of OSCEs. Further NAVP members are more than capable of assessing horse and rider interactive biomechanics. It is a subject I teach so I can vouch for it.
 
This is indeed a lively debate.
I agree that NAVP and ACPAT members can learn from each other. I also think that they should form an alliance against less well-qualified, and in some cases completely unprofessional "back people", of which there are many.
I did check my horse insurance policy, and it will pay out for the services of NAVP or ACPAT members
 
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