Equine Athletes Veterinary Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation

19/01/2026

Send help please- Carlos has been attacked by his hood and can’t escape 🤦‍♀️. Absolute eejit, the only good thing being that he didn’t panic. He just stood still and waited for me to rescue him!

18/01/2026

Sunday Round Up: lots of fun was had this week as most of the horses gain fitness and are able to do more! Austin and Carlos are getting their jumping fitness up, Sersha and Annie are stepping up their work in the school, Queen B excelled on her BS debut, Sammy is working on suppleness, Georgia and Wally are practicing their canter rhythm and Carlos and I are venturing further afield with our solo hacking.

16/01/2026

I want to give a shout out to my awesome sister Sophie Hunt today- she and her gorgeous horse, B, went to their 1st ever BS show today.
We were trying to remember the last time either of us did any affiliated SJ and we think it was several decades ago!
B is a very special family member- she does things in her own way and is all the better for it.
She absolutely loves to jump so today was her perfect outing- no boring flatwork to get through first!
It was great to see them doing their thing with smiles on their faces proving that a middle aged amateur (sorry Soph) and a less than flashy horse (sorry B ) can hold their own.

15/01/2026

For various reasons (several horses requiring days off post vet treatment) this has been a relatively quiet week in terms of ridden work.

So, instead, we have used the time to treat the horses with manual therapy. Sometimes we are so busy getting everything worked that this can get forgotten.

Having the time to spend with a horse, not asking anything from them just giving them some undivided attention, physical contact and relief from muscular tension is a great privilege and a way to give something back to these incredibly generous animals.

It helps the horses physically but also emotionally as it helps them feel calm, safe and comfortable- which is important for their mental wellbeing.

Because the team at Equine Athletes are all either fully trained or currently training Vet Physios we can include manual therapy into the horses programmes. This works really well alongside targeted exercise programmes to ensure horses get the most out of their stay with us.

12/01/2026

Got to play with my boys today, started with canter poles and worked up to a single spread, focus on finding a good canter rhythm and then not interfering with it!!

11/01/2026

Sunday Round Up: Sersha is getting stronger, Carlos is getting bendier, winter struck , and new arrival Jay is finding his way around both his new field and his new surroundings!

09/01/2026

I meant to post this on January 1st but forgot! Our very special Bunny is 21 this year 🥳 (TBs share an official birthday of Jan 1st each year to make the paperwork simpler).

He has been with us since he was a yearling and is a much loved part of the family at North Lodge. He has been semi retired for some years now but still loves his hacking around the farm regularly.

He had some time off while Chris was recovering from his hip replacement surgery and has just come back into work. He is as spooky and keen to take any opportunity to buck, spin or run as ever!!

I picked this photo because it captured perfectly just how impressed both Chris and Bunny were when I made them pose for a photo with the rest of the team 🤣🤣.

06/01/2026

Carlos and I have been working on suppleness through his neck and back and I feel it is starting to pay off 😊.

He was already a very well educated horse who carried himself well and had a consistent rhythm in all his paces- all I wanted to change was the tension through his back, neck and thoracic sling.

This tension made it difficult for him to really soften his frame and create a nice swing in his stride. So we have worked at suppling and coordination work until he felt more confident to relax in his work and allow more controlled movement through his spine.

This type of change doesn’t happen overnight but after 3 months of gentle, consistent work he is beginning to understand and feel the benefits!

05/01/2026

Starting 2026 as we mean to go on- Stan, Sersha and Austin getting off to a good start with their New Year fitness goals on a beautiful but chilly Monday morning.

01/01/2026

A good friend of mine is setting up a new business this year- she is reliable, competent and definitely someone I would trust. Give her page a follow if you might be interested in her grooming, dog walking or house sitting services!

Professional Freelance Groom, Residential Pet Sitter, and House Sitter. Providing high-standard care tailored to your routine. Fully insured & reliable. Covering Grantham & surrounding areas. DM for bookings! 🐴🐾

31/12/2025

Happy New Year to you all- here are: Carlos, Wally, Austin, B and Stan jumping happily into 2026! 🥂🍾

30/12/2025

If you have ever wondered what a Myofascial release treatment on a horse looks like here is a video I made of a recent treatment session. It is speeded up and shortened to make it easier to watch!
MFR (myofascial release) is a very gentle treatment but it can have powerful effects.
Fascia is the connective tissue which surrounds muscles, organs and nerves.
After MSK injury anywhere in the body the fascia can become tight and, over time, cause movement restrictions which can lead to MSK dysfunction and eventually chronic pain.
MFR techniques have been shown (in humans) to reduce pain and improve mobility and I believe it can have similar effects in horses.
It is certainly a treatment modality that horses respond well too- this is a lovely older pony and you can see him becoming increasingly relaxed throughout treatment until he goes into an almost trancelike state!
I have had this form of treatment on myself to see how it felt and I can say that it has a similar effect on me in the short term 😴😴. In the mid to long term I have found that the reduction in pain and improvement in functional mobility is longer lasting.