Engage Physiotherapy - Becky Gilmartin Chartered Physio & Veterinary Physio

**The therapeutic benefits of the WALK**
Often you may be asked to complete walk exercises with your horse as part of their physiotherapy home exercise programme. This can seem slow and perhaps not the most interesting but there are some great benefits from working in walk!
Walk is the only pace that doesn't have a "moment of suspension", this means that the horse uses a lot more muscle activity to lift the limbs than in the other paces, where energy can be stored and release...d as "elastic" energy. This means that the walk is great for strength training.
During the walk the horses have to lift their legs and stand on the remaining legs for a longer period of time. This means they have to stabilise themselves on their limbs for a greater period of time.
When adding in poles or raised poles this focuses all of these elements into some great strength, stability and joint range of movement exercise!!
This type of exercise is great as a stand alone therapy session, or as part of your wider schooling work, and is great for more advanced horses to work on too, as well as those recovering from injury.
As with any training programme, new types of exercise should be introduced gradually and progressively increased to prevent injury or overload. Horses can find this hard work, so in some horses 10-15 minutes initially may be enough to fatigue them!
Over the next few weeks we will share some ideas for pole exercises you can do with just 4 poles! Of course they can be extended or made more creative if you have more poles or as your horse progresses.
Here is the good old staple of poles in a straight line. When raising poles they can be done on the same ends, alternate, random, just the start/end - get creative! And don’t forget you can work between the poles to perfect your straightness!
Please talk to your ACPAT Chartered Physiotherapist for tailored home exercises programmes for your horse or on suitable progression for your individual circumstances.
Happy walk poles!!! :)
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Brilliant ūüėāūüėā

Well done Charlotte Chadwick Equestrian on your two wins at the weekend!!! Endurance horse to showjumper!

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‚≠źÔłŹ Core strength for riders? ‚≠źÔłŹ
A great example here! At Engage Physiotherapy we LOVE getting creative with our rider specific training exercises! ūüí™ūüŹľūüí™ūüŹľūüŹáūüŹá

This is a very interesting lecture presentation on the importance of core stability and muscular development training in horses. It explains very well the importance of the exercises that are given to you in an exercise plan by your ACPAT Chartered Physiotherapist. Well worth 15 minutes.
As the video states, assessment and advice from your physiotherapist to ensure safe use of therapeutic exercises can be beneficial.
https://youtu.be/jO1jDpJ1u0Q

40! And still performing the Levade at 26! A testament to correct and progressive training!

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#TrueStory ūüėāūü§£ūüėāūüŹá

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**NEW BLOG POST**
When it doesn't go to plan!!!!
https://www.engage-physiotherapy.com/…/ change-the-plan-not-…

Rehab started in earnest this morning! . LASER to the haematoma. . 15 min in hand walk:... - raised poles x 3 in each direction - Large figures: figure 8 on both reins and 20m circles . Grazing muzzle not so successful! Off within 5 minutes!!! ūüôąūüôąūüôą . Aiming for another in hand session tonight and need to find my Greenguard muzzle ASAP. . #rehab #trainingday #physio #physiotherapy #physiotherapist #equinephysio #choosechartered #horse #horsesofinstagram #laser #therapy #injured #acpat #engagephysiotherapy
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Fantastic philosophy here on the mentality of winning!

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Love this!!!

Horses, Riders, dogs, your normal Physiotherapy for aches, pains and injury. We offer it all ‚ėļÔłŹūüĎćūüŹľūüŹáūüźēūüźéūüßė‚Äć‚ôÄÔłŹūü §łūüŹĹ‚Äć‚ôÄÔłŹūüŹÉ‚Äć‚ôāÔłŹūüŹÉ‚Äć‚ôÄÔł Ź

When it's time to not only talk the talk!!!
https://www.engage-physiotherapy.com/…/ practising-what-you-…

Many thanks to Becky for treating my boy who had been diagnosed with hock arthritis, muscle soreness from behind,back and through his shoulders due to compensating for his hocks.

After steroid injections and Teldrin,Rascal went into rehab with Becky who treated all his aches and pains, She gave me work to do with Rascal on the ground for his rehabilitation,correcting the way he moves, engaging the core and working more freely stretching his back out to help him move from behind.

After 4 weeks Rascal was moving in a much more positive way and feeling better, Also went to his first show!!!

Massive thank you to Becky for understanding my horses needs and making a tailored rehabilitation program for Rascal and myself to follow!!!

Excellent - really good professional service. Treated a range of ongoing issues with great improvement. Fab advice and support.