Should Equine 'Physios' be Regulated?

P

Parkranger

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 May 2006
Messages
10,546
Visit site
Since deciding to take up a degree in Osteopathy it's got me thinking about the fact that there is absolutely no regulation in this country with regards to treating animals.

I'm going to have to study for 4 years to be a qualified Osteo and the same for a Chiro but there seem to be alot of people out there who call themselves 'therapists' and are not properly qualified.

I'd personally like to see this regulated so that anyone who wants to deal with horses has to complete a masters or such like so they're actually qualified to a recognised standard.

Anyone have any thoughts on this? How many of you ask to see your back person's credentials before using them?
 
Other point to make is that people seem quite cynical towards equine treatment now due to the amount of 'cowboys' out there!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Since deciding to take up a degree in Osteopathy it's got me thinking about the fact that there is absolutely no regulation in this country with regards to treating animals.

I'm going to have to study for 4 years to be a qualified Osteo and the same for a Chiro but there seem to be alot of people out there who call themselves 'therapists' and are not properly qualified.

I'd personally like to see this regulated so that anyone who wants to deal with horses has to complete a masters or such like so they're actually qualified to a recognised standard.

Anyone have any thoughts on this? How many of you ask to see your back person's credentials before using them?

[/ QUOTE ]

There are various routes to qualification - McTimony....and a lot of human osteos do a top up post-grad, I believe.
My sources tell me there may be new courses springing up in just this very field....
And under animal health law, you are only allowed to use a therapist of any (qualified) kind by veterinary referral, I believe.
S
grin.gif
 
I definitely think they should be, but then there are cowboys in all areas arent there? How many EDTs are actually properly qualified??!!
 
I don't use any sort of manipulative therapist (which for me is chiro/physio and osteo) unless the horse has a problem that has been diagnosed by a vet, and said vet also thinks that physio/chiro/osteo would be beneficial. I would be wary about a chiro for a horse full stop actually, as I know from personal experience the feedback required for a good chiro treatment with minimal pain, but my horse can't talk!

For 'back people', ie for more maintenance-type treatments I go for a qualification and then recommendations from people I trust to have a brain and horse-sense.

I wouldn't rule out having a sports massage therapist or a Bowen therapist out to see my horse just because they didn't have a masters though! Provided the person has the qualifications required for their profession's governing body and are experienced, knowledgable horse people then I am satisfied - far better that than someone straight out of their course with little working knowledge of horses.
 
Yes, I've always had people that I've been referred to but that doesn't seem to stop some people!

There still isn't a full degree in Animal Osteopathy - believe me I looked for one.

I wouldn't want to train as a chiro - I feel the results are too short lived as they don't tend to treat underlying causes - just personal opinion though. I also know two people who have been injured by Chiro's!

What I'm saying is that you can do a massage course and call yourself an equine masseuse (sp) there are quite a few if you google.....just a scary thought
 
Megan - it doesn't take long to become a 'Sports massage therapist' so surely they couldn't possibly have the expertise of someone who has studied for alot longer? Not being antagonistic, just asking.....
 
Absolutely they should, you would insist on it for yourself or one of your family. They could be worse than useless otherwise and may even cause damage. Good luck with your degree xx
 
Anyone that is a genuine physiotherapist treating horses should be registered on http://acpat.org/ and I did check my physio on there before using them and they were recommended by my vet. Doesn't include Chiro's or Oesteo's though.
The other thing to check is that they get permission from your vet before treatment- anyone that doesn't is 'dodgy'!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Megan - it doesn't take long to become a 'Sports massage therapist' so surely they couldn't possibly have the expertise of someone who has studied for alot longer? Not being antagonistic, just asking.....

[/ QUOTE ]

See for me, expertise doesn't automatically come with the length of qualification - someone can do something wrong for a long time
wink.gif
Obviously someone training for a 4 year full-time course will have a greater understanding of the therapy they are studying for than someone doing a part-time 2 year course for instance. However, given that the initial degrees are for humans and not horses, I wouldn't say that holding such a degree automatically means that said degree holder has more expertise of 'how to make horses better' than someone with say a BHS stage IV and several years of working with horses.

The wider understanding of anatomy, physiology and biomechanics will of course be there though.

My one rule for therapists of any variety though is that anyone who says a horse has 'put their pelvis out and they [the therapist] have put it back into place' is not so much as allowed to stroke His Highness on the nose
wink.gif
grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Anyone that is a genuine physiotherapist treating horses should be registered on http://acpat.org/ and I did check my physio on there before using them and they were recommended by my vet. Doesn't include Chiro's or Oesteo's though.
The other thing to check is that they get permission from your vet before treatment- anyone that doesn't is 'dodgy'!

[/ QUOTE ]

To call yourself an Osteo you have to do a 4/5 year degree and register with the Osteopathic Council....I beleive chiro's are the same
grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]




My one rule for therapists of any variety though is that anyone who says a horse has 'put their pelvis out and they [the therapist] have put it back into place' is not so much as allowed to stroke His Highness on the nose
wink.gif
grin.gif


[/ QUOTE ] hee hee couldn't agree more....
grin.gif


Agree about the Osteo comment - that's why I think people should do extra training to qualify before working with horses....
 
[ QUOTE ]

To call yourself an Osteo you have to do a 4/5 year degree and register with the Osteopathic Council....I beleive chiro's are the same
grin.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

I didn't mean that to sound like I thought Osteo's or Chiro's were in any way less qualified, just that they aren't regulated by that particular association- hope it didn't come across wrongly
smile.gif
 
um, physios are regulated. the term "physio" is protected and only allowed to be used by people who have done a degree in physiotherapy. they then have to do 2yrs in human physio before doing further training in equine stuff. they are all registered and have letters after their name and can be checked up on easily.

no-one should touch your horse without a vet referral anyway and i'll only use a physio because i know what sort of training they've done and have worked with lots of them.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

To call yourself an Osteo you have to do a 4/5 year degree and register with the Osteopathic Council....I beleive chiro's are the same
grin.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

I didn't mean that to sound like I thought Osteo's or Chiro's were in any way less qualified, just that they aren't regulated by that particular association- hope it didn't come across wrongly
smile.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

Yes they are - both are regulated and study for longer than a physio!
grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
um, physios are regulated. the term "physio" is protected and only allowed to be used by people who have done a degree in physiotherapy. they then have to do 2yrs in human physio before doing further training in equine stuff. they are all registered and have letters after their name and can be checked up on easily.

no-one should touch your horse without a vet referral anyway and i'll only use a physio because i know what sort of training they've done and have worked with lots of them.

[/ QUOTE ]

I should have titled the post 'therapists' and not used the word physio - I know they are regulated.....
 
Clearly I am still not making sense- I meant Chiro's & Osteo's are not regulated by the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy (because obviously they are not chartered physiotherapists, lol).
As you say, they have their own governing body (which I know next to nothing about, hence why I didn't mention it in my original post!)
grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Just thought I'd add - I have my BHS Stage IV.
Line your horses up for me, and I'll give it a bash!
S
grin.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

Only if you can realign my horses pelvis though
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Just thought I'd add - I have my BHS Stage IV.
Line your horses up for me, and I'll give it a bash!
S
grin.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

Only if you can realign my horses pelvis though

[/ QUOTE ]

I can. Was taught how to by a vet and a physio.....
S
grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Just thought I'd add - I have my BHS Stage IV.
Line your horses up for me, and I'll give it a bash!
S
grin.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

Only if you can realign my horses pelvis though

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll give you a hand shils, maybe we can "pop" that mis aligned vertebrae back into place too...... with our bear hands!
grin.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top