I started my
work placement at Moulton College Equestrian Centre in January this year as
part of my undergraduate degree in veterinary physio therapy at Harper Adams
University. I am currently in my third year and have really enjoyed my time at university
learning a combination of both the theory and practical aspects of veterinary
physiotherapy.
As part of my four year degree I am required to undertake a
44 week work placement with both horses and dogs to give me the opportunity to
develop new skills working within the industry alongside my academic study. Having
already completed my canine placement, I am now at Moulton College Equestrian Centre
for 22 weeks of equine experience primarily working in the equine therapy centre.
My first few
weeks here has been great and I have already seen so much. I have been able to shadow
in the equine therapy centre and have observed lots of different horses on the
aqua- treadmill from a miniature Shetland pony to showjumpers and eventers. I
have learnt about the different modes of hydrotherapy, how to prepare a horse
for exercise on the aqua-treadmill and learnt about all the maintenance
required to keep the therapy centre up and running.
I have
helped with the care of the therapy inpatients, learning about the daily
routine and helping with general yard duties. I have also met the resident
college horses and am looking forward to learning more about the college yard.
I am excited
for the rest of my time here. I am looking forward to seeing the pool and spa in
use and meeting new horses and clients along with getting more hands on
experience to help me to develop new skills to help me with my degree.
Black Pirate has had an
impressive career winning a point to point as a four year old and running in three
competitive Bumpers winning at Wetherby and Ayr in 2018.
He
then returned to Ayr for the Scottish Champion Bumper where he came second only
beaten by 3.5 lengths. Following a setback, Black Pirate stayed at the Equine
Therapy Centre for three months at the end of 2018 where he followed a
programme designed by Dr Jessica York. Pirate’s hydrotherapy programme consisted
of both swimming and Aqua-Treadmill exercise to enable him to increase his
cardiovascular fitness and stamina along with improving his core strength and
muscle tone. After three months rehabilitative exercise with us, Pirate was
looking amazing and returned home to start his work back under saddle. Unfortunately
when Pirate returned home in November he had a knock in the field and the
decision was made for him to have some time off to fully recover.
TREATMENT:
Pirate Returned to us in
June 2019 for another six week stay with the hope that we would be able to get
him to a level of strength and fitness for him to be able to return to full
work and with the aim for him to start his hurdling career in the coming
season.
Swimming is a great fittening tool as
it is a cardiovascular workout. So it is
important that horses that have been out of work are introduced to swimming
gradually. As Pirate had not been in work for such a long time it was important
to create a programme to allow him to slowly build up
his fitness and strength. Pirate was first worked on the aqua-treadmill
and over the first couple of weeks we gradually increased the length of his
sessions and the depth of water, eventually adding tack and allowing a few
minutes of trot to make sure that we were working on developing his core
strength and targeting specific muscle groups.
Clearly Pirate remembered his previous
stay as he seemed very happy to be with us again by being relaxed in his stable,
he settled in to his paddock and loaded straight away on to the aqua-treadmill.
After a few weeks Pirate was ready to start swimming.
Again, Pirate had
remembered his previous swimming experience with us and dove straight into the
pool with no hesitation! As with the
aqua-treadmill exercise, it was important to build him up gradually. When
horses swim with us, we closely monitor their heart rates as an indicator of
fitness by recording their heart rate at rest and then checking it regularly
throughout the swim session. This helps us to observe progression and adjust
their training programmes accordingly.
Pirate has an exceptionally
relaxed temperament and was incredibly laid back with us in the Therapy Centre,
subsequently his resting heart rate was extremely low. We kept him on the same
programme for 5 days in order to have a direct comparison of his heart rates
week on week, this enabled us to assess how much to increase his programme.
Pirate was a fantastic swimmer and maintained a very straight position in the
pool indicating that his previous injury had no adverse effects on his way of
going, and so he was able to develop his cardiovascular fitness without any
detriment to his body.
By the end of Pirate’s
stay his fitness had reached a level that he was completing 50 lengths of the
pool. This incorporated straight warm up lengths, back to back lengths and
sprint lengths. We also utilised the jets within the pool, to intensify the
work-out by creating a current that the he had to swim against.
Pirate was also working on
the aqua-treadmill with a roller and bungee for 45 minutes. This incorporated
trotting for up to 12 minutes in shallower water and deep water walking for 10
minutes.
RESULTS:
Pirate’s recovery rate
when swimming was exceptionally quick; quicker than most fit event horses that
we train. This indicated that by the end of his stay he was definitely fit
enough to go home and start some faster work over ground under saddle His
recovery rate was also likely related to his relaxed demeanour and possibly
also why he had previously been so successful as a racehorse. Pirate’s work on
the aqua-treadmill kept him strong in his core and over his back. Have a look
at these before and after pictures, we think he’s looking brilliant.
Pirate on the day of his arrival.
Pirate six weeks later. Pirate was a lovely horse
to have on the Therapy Yard.He was a
real pleasure to work with and to just have around.We enjoyed taking care of him and are really looking forward to following his Hurdling
career and wish him and his team every success.
Hopefully we will see him again one day!
Tom was diagnosed with kissing spine
after diagnostic tests were carried out when Tom’s behaviour started to
deteriorate. It was found that Tom had impingement of three of the dorsal-spinous processes in the thoracic region and the decision was made for him to
undergo interspinous ligament desmotomy surgery.
Tom initially started his treatment at
home with two weeks box rest and half an hour walking in-hand twice daily. Tom
then had his stitches taken out and arrived at Moulton Therapy Centre in March
2019 where we met him for the first time and were given the lowdown on his
wound and how he had recovered so far.
He also had his very first session walking on the aqua-treadmill just
for ten minutes, and he took to it really well.
Tom continued to walk on the aqua
treadmill for a few days a week following a programme designed by our Hydrotherapist Dr Jessica York where the duration and water depth were
gradually increased as Tom’s strength and stamina improved. Two weeks into Tom’s rehabilitation programme
a bridle and roller was introduced; there was clearly no negative
association to wearing tack on the aqua-treadmill or on the lunge, therefore to
create a soft and elastic contact a bungee was added encouraging him to work
long and low and help build up the correct muscles. Tom was walked in large
circles over poles on the lunge every day and small paddock turnout was also
introduced for limited periods of time.
Six weeks post-surgery Tom started
trotting on the aqua-treadmill for a few minutes in a low depth of water, which
was built up over the next week to a total of ten minutes. It was clear that
Tom was stronger and more balanced and took it all in his stride; he was
forward and relaxed and clearly enjoyed his work.
The use of the aqua-treadmill has been very
beneficial in Tom’s rehabilitation as it has allowed Tom to work symmetrically
under supervised and controlled conditions. It effectively works as a full body
workout and improves suppleness through the back. As the water is made deeper,
stride length is increased and stride frequency is decreased therefore allowing
a greater range of motion enabling muscle tone and core strength to be
improved.
After a four week stay at Moulton Therapy Centre Tom returned to his owner to continue his rehabilitation programme, he settled back in at home immediately and was assessed by his Vet who was happy with his progress and how well the wound site had healed. Tom can now resume work on the lunge walking and trotting over raised poles, and a saddle can now be introduced and work under saddle can begin. He will also look forward to enjoying full day’s turnout. We look forward to hearing about Tom’s progress and are excited for his future!
Normally fit and well but over the last few months, performance at
basic routine tasks has deteriorated.Some abnormal behaviour has presented itself, mainly in the form of moaning.The moans describe a consistent burning
pain but worse with added pressure or twisting.Picking hooves is particularly painful,
giving a sharper more unbearable pain.Lifting a lot of weight or applying a lot of pressure also results in
a sharper pain.
Initial issue, reason for
visiting Therapy
Luckily, Jessica is here at the Equine Therapy Centre every day, so
really should be making use of the cold water saline spa.
Diagnostics
No official diagnosis.Just repetitive moaning about how sore the
wrist has become.And the pain has
increased over a time period of a few months.
Treatment
COLD WATER SALINE SPA!
Results
Less pain!
Those of you that have been to the Equine Therapy
Centre with your horse over the last few months may have had the ‘pleasure’ of
hearing me complain about the pain in my wrist!It seemed to be getting progressively worse too, starting as an
intermittent dull ache leading to a pretty much permanent pain that was incredibly
sharp on any lifting, twisting and particularly in tasks that require applying
pressure such as picking feet.It
occurred to me that perhaps I should try submerging my wrist through the hatch
into the freezing salty water of the spa to see if it would make it any
better.So, one lunch time, a couple of
weeks ago now, I made the time and plunged my right arm through the hatch into
the icy water, down to my elbow.In all
honestly, I thought that it might sting a bit for a second or two but that I
would easily be able to brave it out for ten minutes or so!How wrong was I?!!!Wow!It was really cold!It was
agony!I could only manage 20 seconds or
so at a time before yanking my arm back out again.I could feel the cold blood going back up my
arm into my shoulder and over my back and it was surprisingly painful!But I persevered and kept dunking it back in,
all the time keeping an eye on a stopwatch to see how long I could hold it under
for the next time.After about two
minutes of intermittent dunking and yanking back out, my arm went numb and it
became bearable so I could keep it there for ten minutes or so.
Afterwards, I made sure to wash the salt off my now
bright red arm, and went back into the office with it stinging just a little as
it slowly started to warm up.That same
afternoon, the pain was noticeably improved.I mean, dramatically improved.It
had got to the point that my wrist was burning and aching at rest, but instantly
after the cold water spa, the pain was much much less.So I persevered with the cold therapy over a
few days (whenever I got time), and I can honestly say the pain has more or
less gone.
Obviously, there has been no official diagnosis, no
sophisticated scan images to be able to make any comparisons and no scientific
element to this study at all!But at
least I can give a first-hand account of the dramatic change in the level of
pain that I have felt.I am sure the
ideal would have been a prescribed period of rest however in my job it is
simply not possible for me to be able to rest my dominant arm!But this has been a really interesting and
valuable experience to be able to feel first-hand how well the cold water spa
has worked to reduce the pain.I am sure
that if I was more consistent with using the spa and more frequent with it too,
the pain and soreness would be completely eliminated.
One of our previous blogs talks about the benefits
of the cold water saline spa for horses.Have a look http://mcequinehydrotherapy.blogspot.com/2017/09/cold-water-hydrotherapy-spa.html.But when it comes to horses, it’s important to
remember that not all horses will tolerate it!It is probably the most risky of all our hydrotherapies if the horse
takes a dislike to it.But, if tolerated
and used correctly, it certainly has excellent healing properties and produces
tremendous results.
Here is a throwback to
September when Bailey had his taster swim.
After a few
minutes of gentle persuasion and coaxing, Bailey took his first steps onto the
ramp and into the pool. We closely monitored Bailey's recovery after the first few
lengths by measuring his heart rate and then regularly checked it throughout
the session, this enables us to have a good understanding of how fit Bailey is
and allowing him to fully recover after his session. Bailey completed 10
lengths in total and as you can see he is a fantastic swimmer and took it all
in his stride.
We will now be able to create a training programme tailored to improve Baileys
cardio vascular fitness and stamina and to work all of his muscles evenly. We are looking forward to the warmer weather in the spring when we can re-open the pool.
HISTORY: Chelsie and Spirit were
part of a very successful national mounted games team winning several major
competitions. In 2017 Chelsie and Spirit were crowned individual British
Champions; however the duo’s highlight came in 2018 when they were picked to
represent England at the Royal Windsor Horse Show. The pair continued their
success, as in the same year they were also crowned champions at the individual
European Championships.
Unfortunately while the duo
were competing at HOYS 2018 Spirit sustained an injury to her shoulder after
colliding with another of the fastest ponies on the team. The video can be seen below and is not for the faint
of heart!
Spirit was immediately lame
and her owner was distraught given her condition, however the onsite vets were
exceptional, treating her immediately and investigating her injuries. Spirit
had a full work up including X-rays and ultra-sound which confirmed that
although there was no fracture present she had sustained significant brachial
nerve damage.
TREATMENT:
Spirit’s initial treatment
consisted of 3 weeks box rest; thereafter the vets advised that she could start
gentle exercise, physiotherapy and turnout. Unfortunately it was apparent after
Spirit’s first ride under saddle that she wasn’t fully recovered and therefore the
vets recommended that hydrotherapy would be the best means of rehabilitation before
Spirit was brought back into ridden work.
Spirit arrived at Moulton
Therapy in December 2018, two months after the initial injury. After Spirit’s
initial assessment on arrival, it was decided that she should remain with us to
continue her rehabilitation work utilising the aqua-treadmill as much as
possible to improve her core strength under controlled and supervised
conditions; allowing her to work symmetrically to reduce her muscle atrophy.
A program specifically
tailored to Spirit’s needs was developed by our Hydrotherapist Dr Jessica York,
which included working on the aqua-treadmill five days a week starting in walk
with a low water depth, gradually increasing the depth over time as well as the
duration of exercise.The introduction
of a bridle and bungee was also to be part of her program in order to create a
contact to enable Spirit to work correctly. The video of Spirit on the Aqua Treadmill can be seen here:
RESULTS:
It was clear in just over a
week how much stronger Spirit was becoming as her stride length increased and
muscle tone developed.After just 10
days Spirit’s owner came to ride her in the arena and her rehabilitation
progress was clearly evident and Spirit had a spring in her step!
Over the course of the three
weeks that Spirit stayed with us, her strength and stamina developed
significantly allowing her to return home to continue her ridden work with her
owner.
We wish Chelsie and Spirit
the best of luck for the future and hope to see the duo back competing soon. FURTHER UPDATES: We are so pleased to see the lovely Spirit doing so well now. Thank you for the update Lynda & Chelsie. We love keeping up to date with how well all our clients are doing! Here is the video of Spirits first competition after rehabilitation.
" Hello Jessica just to keep you informed Spirit did her 1st
Comp today and was in fine form And had an easy win She has come back into work
better than ever xx Thank you and your staff so much for everything x "
Unfortunately while Lottie was
out on loan she became tangled in barbed wire and sustained a
large soft tissue injury to her nearside hind leg. Luckily there was no damage to the joint or underlying tendon and ligament structures.
TREATMENT:
Treatment in the first
instance was to immobilise the limb and clean it. This was done at the yard by
the local vet. The wound was then dressed and monitored by the vet every 3
days while Lottie was on a long term course of antibiotics and pain relief.
Lottie arrived at Moulton Therapy Centre on
the 14th April, five weeks after injury. The dressing was
removed after a couple of days and we started to cold hose and hand walk Lottie three times per day; as well as liberally applying Vulketan cream. Over time, her course of
antibiotics and pain relief was tapered, ensuring that she was always as comfortable as possible.
RESULTS:
Treatment of Lottie’s
wound is still ongoing however by the 4th week of Lottie’s stay with
us the wound had nearly halved in size (photo from May 23rd ) and continued to heal extremely well.
From week 5, Lottie was able to be have all day turnout and was far more
comfortable since the swelling had reduced significantly and was much more
localised to the site of injury.
Lottie returned home last weekend and is now back to
being turned out with her friends.
Once the wound has fully closed Lottie’s owner intends to
bring her back to stay with us, so that she can use the aqua treadmill in order
to regain strength and condition before returning to ridden work.
As a yard favourite and given her fantastic rate of progress we are very much looking forward to
seeing Lottie soon!
