Equine aftercare

Slow and easy

After physiotherapy treatments, ensure that your horse remains as calm and sedate as possible. You will be advised how soon following treatment you may resume riding, but usually at least one days rest is recommended.

Before the first ride after treatment, it can be beneficial to walk your horse around in hand for a few minutes before mounting. Whenever possible you should use a mounting block to mount your horse as research has shown this reduces adverse strains to the horses back.

You may also be given schooling exercises to incorporate into your riding session, these may focus on stretching the horse in straight lines, working over poles or introducing gentle bends. They will be specific to your horses' need and form an important part of the rehabilitation.

If your horse shows any adverse symptoms post treatment such as a cold back, stiffness or lameness which sometimes may happen, please let me know as soon as possible.

Care and attention

Please do not have your horses teeth rasped or feet shod for at least 3 days following treatment.

At all times encourage your horse to feed from lower surfaces, and avoid the use of hay racks or nets.

If your horse has a habit of pulling back, please avoid this at all costs.

If your horse becomes cast or falls in the field in the next couple of weeks, please inform me sooner rather than later, as the effects of treatment may have been disturbed.

After effects

Following a treatment, many horse owners and riders report that their horses feel freer, more balanced and relaxed in their back and shoulder.

You may notice more elevation in the stride and more power in the paces too.

Core stability

Core stability and strength is important for horses. Engaging specific spinal, pelvic and abdominal muscles in the correct balance will enhance static and dynamic posture. This allows the horse to adjust to external pressures, such as tack and rider, and respond to challenging athletic disciplines without causing back pain or injury. There are many exercises that can be performed from the ground or ridden to improve core stability. Additional benefits can be gained by using a variety of training aids. One example is the Pro-Core Trainer, a numnah plus 2 bands that stimulate receptors in the hair and skin to recruit underlying muscles. This improves engagement of the core muscles and aids equal hindquarter muscle development, and thereby encourages spinal flexion and better posture through the back.

See the band in use in this short video clip. (62 seconds)

If you would like to learn more about this training system please get in touch.