Physiotherapy - what made you try it for your horse?

BethanT

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My horses both have sports massages from a very well trained therapist (who coincidentally is a good friend of mine).

Shes pretty good at spotting an issue before it actually surfaces - like with my gelding two years ago she picked up soreness over his SI and when we push the vet to investigate he turned out to have an SI ligament tear. He wasn't clinically lame either so without her eye and feel I don't think I would have ever picked it up. I also do notice a big difference in them after a treatment, so I know it is working. As well as this, as she is a good friend we often talk about massage and how it can help, and why etc, and I understand why it helps . Which is why I get my horses treated as a matter of routine. My gelding more so than my mare.

But I also know a good veterinary physiotherapist, and I am wondering if I also get her on board. She uses the kinesiology tape when needed. But I don't really know much about it or the benefits of physio vs massage. If there is more a physio can do over a massage therapist.

But would I be crossing paths and wasting money as such? I don't have a bottomless pit of money (as no one does), but at the same time I want to make sure my horse is comfortable at all times and sometimes different methods combined can help.

I will be trying to do some research into the benefits of physio. But personal experiences would also be good if people can offer them. Does anyone else use both a physio and sports massage therapist.
 

j1ffy

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I used a massage therapist as there was one based at my old yard. She really helped my horses and it gave a feel-good factor (certainly for me knowing my horses were getting a massage, and hopefully for the horses too).

However I now have a vet physio and it's another level of treatment. The training they go through is far far more extensive - the full vet physio qualification is the equivalent of a Masters I believe - including more detailed anatomy, more hands-on (pardon the pun!) training and shadowing of qualified physios. A fully qualified physio will also be able to use various electro-therapies, plus they have to do CPD. My physio can do the taping, plus uses Bowen and cranio-sacral therapy as well, all of which counted as CPD. This means that if she finds an issue, she can use various therapies to treat it - e.g. she can apply red-light therapy or ultrasound or TENS for deeper issues. She'll also work with the vet (and if appropriate, farrier) to support rehab or to diagnose, and with my saddler. All in all it's a pretty awesome service!

Do make sure they are properly qualified though, there are a lot of so-called 'vet physios' who don't have the full qualification (in fact I was parked next to one earlier today when I took some rugs in for cleaning...). Make sure they are registered with an official body too, such as NAVP, and that they ask for your vet's permission before treating (otherwise their, and your, insurance is invalid - the same goes for any complementary therapist that you use).
 

ozpoz

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How do you understand they are properly qualified when there are over 12 organisations ? I am boggled trying to keep up with it. I don't ask my vets permission unless the horse has had an extensive work up - otherwise what is the point? I am perfectly aware from my horses behaviour that he feels the benefit from a session with a variety of practitioners, all qualified. Mine has mostly massage, sometimes physio, and occasionally chiro.
 

Auslander

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How do you understand they are properly qualified when there are over 12 organisations ? I am boggled trying to keep up with it. I don't ask my vets permission unless the horse has had an extensive work up - otherwise what is the point?.

It's am industry which is wide open to dodgy practitioners, unfortunately. The term "Veterinary Physiotherapist" isn't protected by law, so anyone can do a weekend course and then call themselves a vet physio. I prefer to use ACPAT physios, as they have to qualify as human physios before they can train in animal physiotherapy, so for me, they are the group that inspire most confidence that they are who say they are.
It's the law that bodyworkers must not work on an animal without permission from the animals own vet. If you use a bodyworker who isn't a member of ACPAT/AN Other recognised association, and who doesn't have permission from the treating vet-you won't be covered if anything goes wrong
 

Goldenstar

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I only use acpat qualified Physiotherapists you simply can’t compare a massage person with a fully qualified health professional like a Physio .
 

rara007

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I stick with ACPAT. If they didn't ask for permission from my vet I wouldn't use them- that part is the law regardless of qualification.
 

WellyBaggins

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How do you understand they are properly qualified when there are over 12 organisations ? I am boggled trying to keep up with it. I don't ask my vets permission unless the horse has had an extensive work up - otherwise what is the point? I am perfectly aware from my horses behaviour that he feels the benefit from a session with a variety of practitioners, all qualified. Mine has mostly massage, sometimes physio, and occasionally chiro.

The RAMP register was launched to try and simplify this. http://www.rampregister.org/ I am non-human trained, I DO seek veterinary consent and am on the RAMP register.
 
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