Kirsty Rawden Veterinary Physiotherapy

13/03/2026

I will be making this journey on Thursday 19th March with availability. If anybody would like an appointment close to this route drop me a message.

10/03/2026

A great chat with friend and fellow professional Alana Coxhill - Human and Equine sports therapy, LM saddles consultant.

The best news is Alana only lives over the hill in Saddleworth! How lucky for us to have her right on our doorstep 🥰

This week the girls were joined by 'Yoda', their friend and colleague, Alana Coxhill - Human and Equine sports therapy, LM saddles consultant

Alana is a human and equine sports therapist in the greater Manchester area, alongside sports therapy she trained with Jemma to become an approved LM consultant.

In this episode they discuss Alana's journey in the horse industry and the importance of collaboration among professionals. Alana shares her background in equine science and how she transitioned into bodywork and saddle fitting, emphasizing the value of questioning conventional practices and trusting one's intuition. The conversation explores the challenges of working in the horse industry, including the need for professionals to support each other rather than compete, and the importance of understanding the whole system rather than focusing on isolated issues. The discussion highlights the benefits of collaboration between different disciplines, such as saddle fitting, bodywork, and farriery, to address complex horse health issues.

Listen here ⬇️
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1LSG7sHSjeTjR0lo8kji6x?si=o8czO-4KTmS0IqF0MhzD-g

08/03/2026

I did a thing yesterday!

I completed my Reiki 1 with the most beautiful human Ann from Holistic Wellbeing Yorkshire Ltd.

Such a magical day and I can't wait to integrate what I have learnt into my work.

Next step Reiki 2, so you humans can also benefit! 💜

Anybody interested in doing their Reiki training i highly recommend this course. Even if it's just to self treat with no intention of doing it as a career!

05/03/2026

I am BUSY over the coming weeks.

This is ALL my availability until mid April.

If your horse is due or you are considering booking a first appointment please get in touch.

Those further afield please plan ahead, I cannot guarantee availability.

05/03/2026

🌷🐴 Spring is here… and suddenly our sweet horses are a little… spicy 🌶️🔥

If your normally steady partner is feeling fresh, reactive, or a bit extra right now, you’re not alone. And they’re not being “naughty.”

Spring brings a lot of change for horses, and their bodies feel it just as much as we do.

🌱 Coat Changes
Shedding season is no joke. Growing and losing that winter coat takes energy and can make their skin extra sensitive. They can feel itchy, uncomfortable, and distracted. Imagine working out in a wool sweater while someone lightly tickles your back... that’s kind of their reality right now!

🌞 Physiological & Hormonal Changes
Longer daylight hours trigger hormonal shifts. Mares can cycle more strongly. Geldings and stallions may feel more “aware.” Increased sunlight also impacts their internal rhythms, often giving them more energy overall. Their bodies are literally waking up from winter mode.

🌾 Diet & Environment Changes
Fresh grass coming through means higher sugar intake, even in small amounts. That alone can make some horses feel sharper and more reactive. Add in changing weather, windy days, fluctuating temperatures, and suddenly the world feels big and busy again.

💛 So before we label them…
Let’s remember they’re adjusting. Their bodies are recalibrating. Their brains are processing change. What looks like attitude is often just sensitivity, freshness, discomfort and communication.

This is the time to:
✨ Give them a little grace
✨ Adjust workload thoughtfully
✨ Keep routines consistent
✨ Support them with grooming and bodywork
✨ Meet the energy without punishing it

They’re not trying to give us a hard time, they’re having a hard time adjusting.

Spring doesn’t mean naughty horses.

It means changing horses. And they deserve a moment to find their balance again. ⚖️

02/03/2026

Talk about glow up, he doesn't look like the same horse 🙈

I was called to this boy as he was struggling to go forward and when he did it usually resulted in bolting.

After lots of groundwork, hacking and time his body has slowly unwound and he's learnt to trust both his body and his humans.

He is now a super happy hacker and even went jumping the other week.

You may question the stance on the first photo, this was how he chose to stand when not corrected 🙈.

Big shout out to Jenny O'Rourke for her continued support of this horse both on the ground and ridden.

If you're in the Manchester area Jenny is your girl for help with rehabbing and sympathetically schooling your horses.

02/03/2026

I watched 'I Swear' last night — a powerful story about a man living with Tourette’s. (Really good, i definitely recommend it!, obviously there's lots of swearing)

What struck me most wasn’t the condition itself… it was the reaction to it.

Tics misunderstood as bad behaviour.
Neurology punished as choice.
Difference met with discipline instead of curiosity.

And it made me think about horses (of course 😆)

How often do we label a horse as “naughty”, “stubborn” or “difficult” when they’re anxious, in pain, confused, or simply trying to cope the only way they know how? How often is behaviour punished before it’s understood?

In the film, education changed lives. When people learned what Tourette’s really was, compassion replaced correction. Outcomes improved. Suffering reduced.

It’s no different in the horse world.

When we understand pain science, stress responses, nervous system regulation and behaviour, everything changes.

Welfare improves. Performance improves. Relationships improve.

As the film says:
“...But the most powerful support is education, understanding and acceptance.”

That applies just as much in the stable as it does in society.

28/02/2026

🤯 System overload 🤯

A horse’s body isn’t just muscles and joints, it’s a highly sensitive, deeply interconnected nervous system.

When a horse receives treatment, whether that’s bodywork, physio, chiropractic, massage, dentistry, hoof care, saddle fitting, etc. we’re not just “fixing” a muscle. We are stimulating the nervous system. We are asking the body to reorganise, release tension patterns, and build new movement strategies.

That takes energy.
That takes processing.
And that takes time.

After treatment, the horse’s nervous system begins integrating the changes. Old tension patterns may unwind. New movement options are explored. Compensation patterns start to shift.
If we immediately ride hard, add another type of treatment or travel to a lesson or competition we interrupt that integration process.

Instead of settling into balance, the system can become overloaded. Signs of overload can include:
☑️Tightness returning quickly
☑️Sensitivity or irritability
☑️Inconsistent performance
☑️Fatigue
☑️ Stalled progress

It can feel proactive to book multiple professionals at once. Dentist one day, bodyworker the next, saddle fitter later that week. But each session creates change.

Stacking too many changes too quickly can overwhelm the system. The horse doesn’t get the chance to stabilize before the next input arrives.

Think of it like updating software. You don’t install five major updates at the same time and expect smooth performance.

After a session with me, I suggest:
🔹A steady in hand walk post session
🔹Turnout
🔹Gentle in-hand movement
🔹Relaxed hacking
🔹No intense schooling

Not because the horse will be sore but to allow:
☑️ The nervous system to process
☑️ Muscles to reorganize
☑️ New posture to settle
☑️ The horse to show us what truly changed
Often, horses come back stronger and more balanced after proper integration time.

This also applies to what we do with our horses on a daily basis. A long ride, new exercises, emotional stress, travel, and treatment all in one day? That’s a huge load on the system.

Sometimes the most productive thing we can do for our horses is give them space to process.

Progress isn’t about how much we do.
It’s about how well the body can adapt.

24/02/2026

What a healthy back should palpate like:

☑️A good bit of 'squidge' under your fingers
☑️No pockets of muscle wastage
☑️No flinching or spasm
☑️A smooth glide over the tissue
☑️No rib angles palpable
☑️Softness through the lumbars
☑️ Even temperature throughout

Saddled by LM Saddles Ltd Horse-friendly Saddles, Holistic & Remedial Saddle-fitting

24/02/2026

23/02/2026

I heard my first Curlew today 🥰 a sure sign Spring is on its way!

That makes me almost as happy as I am in this photo.

Sunny days, shorts on and the best job in the world 🥰