Does my horse really need treatment?

Keeping your horse in top condition is a difficult task. Whatever they are used for, be it hacking, endurance, racing, eventing, show jumping, dressage or hunting they do an amazing job carrying us as riders. What we sometimes forget is that they were not built to carry a load on their backs especially whilst galloping, jumping or performing schooling exercises quite apart from the injuries they can do to themselves in the field or stable. It is certainly no surprise that they develop muscular soreness, soft tissue and joint problems.

Common problems which occur in horses which can be helped by physiotherapy are:

• Sore and stiff back
• Muscle damage, weakness or atrophy
• Tendon/ligament damage
• Lameness and gait abnormalities
• Wounds: non-healing and acute
• Compensatory problems
• Osteoarthritis
• Kissing spines
• Fractures