Eastlancsvetphysio

Eastlancsvetphysio Chartered Veterinary Physiotherapist, laser therapy & rehabilitation. East Lancashire, UK! 🐾 🐓

Injury isn’t bad luck. It’s a load vs capacity problem.When the demands placed on your horse or dog exceed what their bo...
15/04/2026

Injury isn’t bad luck. It’s a load vs capacity problem.

When the demands placed on your horse or dog exceed what their body can tolerate…
That’s when injury happens.

Box rest and time off might reduce symptoms,
but they don’t increase capacity.

That’s where physio comes in.

āœ”ļø Stronger muscles
āœ”ļø Improved movement quality
āœ”ļø Gradual, progressive loading

Because whether it’s training, competing, or just daily life…
load is unavoidable.

So instead of avoiding it, we prepare the body to handle it.

Rehab isn’t just about getting them sound again —
it’s about making them more resilient than before.

—

If your horse or dog keeps breaking down,
it’s time to stop guessing and start building capacity.

šŸ“© DM to book an assessment with East Lancs Vet Physio

13/04/2026

He stands. He eats. He doesn’t move an inch while I tack up.

That’s not just a ā€œgood horseā€ — that’s a comfortable one.

If your horse is:
– Pulling away
– Swishing the tail
– Pinning ears
– Dropping away or tensing through the back

…it’s communication, not behaviour.

Saddling should not be something they tolerate.
It should be something they’re comfortable with.

Pain, restriction, or poor saddle fit are often the underlying drivers.

Don’t ignore the small signs — they’re rarely small.

If you’re unsure, get it assessed properly.

Treatment zone updates šŸ“ Monday: helmshore & surrounding areas Wednesday: clitheroe & surrounding areas Friday: Oldham &...
31/03/2026

Treatment zone updates šŸ“

Monday: helmshore & surrounding areas

Wednesday: clitheroe & surrounding areas

Friday: Oldham & surrounding areas

Saturday: Burnley

Sunday: emergency/ post

For more information please drop me a message šŸ™šŸ½

ā€œSomething new is comingā€¦ā€Not just another treatment.A step forward in how we manage pain, performance & recovery.Watch ...
29/03/2026

ā€œSomething new is comingā€¦ā€

Not just another treatment.
A step forward in how we manage pain, performance & recovery.

Watch this space.

ā€œLast patient of the day and she’s clocked off before I have šŸ˜“ā€Fast asleep on mum mid-session šŸ’¤People think physio is al...
27/03/2026

ā€œLast patient of the day and she’s clocked off before I have šŸ˜“ā€

Fast asleep on mum mid-session šŸ’¤

People think physio is all about ā€˜fixing’…
But half the job is getting the horse relaxed enough to actually let you.

When the nervous system drops into a parasympathetic state:
– Muscle tension reduces
– Guarding switches off
– Real change can happen

This is where the magic is šŸ‘€

Next up: Equine America Buteless šŸ‘€Marketed as a ā€œnatural alternative to buteā€ā€¦ but what does the evidence say?šŸ”¬ Ingredie...
26/03/2026

Next up: Equine America Buteless šŸ‘€

Marketed as a ā€œnatural alternative to buteā€ā€¦ but what does the evidence say?

šŸ”¬ Ingredients like Boswellia, MSM & turmeric may have anti-inflammatory properties
šŸ‘‰ BUT there’s limited high-quality research in horses
šŸ‘‰ And no strong evidence it matches NSAIDs like bute

šŸ’” You might see mild improvements…
But that could be individual response or natural variation

🚩 Bottom line:
This isn’t a replacement for proper diagnosis or veterinary management.

If your horse ā€œneeds buteā€ā€¦
you need to ask why.

āø»

Want help choosing supplements that actually have evidence? Drop me a message šŸ“©

Boswellia & Limestone Flower… do they actually work? šŸ¤”First up from the question box I put out last week—one of the most...
23/03/2026

Boswellia & Limestone Flower… do they actually work? šŸ¤”

First up from the question box I put out last week—one of the most commonly fed supplements: Boswellia and limestone flower.

You’ll often see these used for:
āœ”ļø Joint support
āœ”ļø Reducing inflammation
āœ”ļø Managing stiffness—especially in older or harder-working horses

Boswellia is thought to have anti-inflammatory properties (similar pathway to some NSAIDs), which is why it’s popular in horses with arthritis or general wear and tear.

Limestone flower is essentially calcium carbonate—used more for buffering and supporting gut health rather than directly targeting joints.

But here’s the key question…

Is there actually evidence?

šŸ‘‰ There is some research suggesting Boswellia may help reduce inflammation—but most of it is limited, not equine-specific, and not strong enough to be considered gold standard.

šŸ‘‰ For limestone flower, evidence is even more limited in terms of performance or joint-specific benefits.

So what does that mean in practice?
They might help… but they’re not a magic fix—and they shouldn’t replace good management, rehab, and training.

As always:
āœ”ļø Look at the whole horse
āœ”ļø Prioritise workload, rehab & nutrition first
āœ”ļø Use supplements as an adjunct, not the solution

Got a supplement you want me to break down next? Drop it below šŸ‘‡

For those that don’t know, I’m a Chartered Physiotherapist working with both humans and animals 🐓 🐶 This week I’m out in...
17/03/2026

For those that don’t know, I’m a Chartered Physiotherapist working with both humans and animals 🐓 🐶

This week I’m out in Lithuania with the England Women’s squad for their Euro qualifiers šŸ‡±šŸ‡¹āš½ļø

So that means no clinic appointments until 25th March — but I’ll be back soon and ready to go šŸ‘ŠšŸ¼

I also had loads of responses to the supplement question box I put up the other day… so I’ll be sharing some honest reviews and thoughts over the next few days šŸ‘€

Keep your eyes peeled!

10/03/2026

Long reining — one of my favourite rehab tools.

It allows the horse to move freely without the weight of a rider, while still letting us influence posture, straightness and engagement.

From a rehab perspective it’s brilliant for:
• rebuilding strength
• improving hindlimb engagement
• encouraging better posture and thoracic lift
• working on straightness and symmetry

Because you’re positioned behind the horse you can also get a great view of how the hindlimbs are tracking and how the pelvis is moving, which helps identify and correct compensations early.

For horses that can get a little short behind, like Jango sometimes does, long reining is a staple in his programme to encourage a bigger, more even step through the hindlimbs.

It’s a simple exercise that can have huge benefits for performance and rehabilitation.

Do you use long reining with your horse? šŸŽ

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Helmshore

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Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 6pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm

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