Loicia Rehabilitation Specialist

05/01/2026

05/01/2026

⭐️⭐️⭐️Sunday Groom Vacancy⭐️⭐️⭐️

This role would be ideal for a student studying an equine qualification to get industry experience or for someone looking to earn an extra wage alongside their current job. We could potentially take on a freelance groom although it would be through PAYE. Availability for ad-hoc cover work would also be a bonus.

The position consists of carrying out all usual yard duties such as...
- bringing in/turning out
- mucking out to a high standard
- poo picking
- sweeping

Current experience with horses is a must along with reliability and not being afraid of hard work! Working on a yard at this time of the year is not always fun (who likes freezing cold weather, harsh winds, heavy rain, mud and not much sunlight?!) so you must have a passion for horses.
If you are still interested, please email arc@arrowridingcentre.com to come in for an informal chat.

23/12/2025

I’m sorry you’ve been lied to.

There no such thing as a “low maintenance horse”. They’re all just maintenance, from TB to Shetland, from mucking out everyday to needing their back checked. They’re just a life of commitment and in exchange we get the best love know to man.

(I know his feathers are muddy and it’s not a good look but its winter and who’s actually bathing feathers everyday).

22/12/2025

As animal physiotherapists, our goal isn’t just to help your animal move, but to help them move well, efficiently, and pain-free. One of the most effective ways we do that is by combining Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS) at the same time as Dynamic Movement Exercises (DMEs) - and the benefits are powerful

What is EMS?

EMS uses gentle electrical impulses to stimulate targeted muscles, encouraging them to contract. This helps:
✔️ Improve muscle activation
✔️ Re-educate muscles that have been neuromuscularly inhibited due to pain or injury
✔️ Increase strength without overloading joints
✔️ Improve circulation and neuromuscular control

🐕‍🦺 What are DMEs?

DMEs are controlled, purposeful movements designed to improve:
✔️ Strength
✔️ Stability
✔️ Coordination
✔️ Balance
✔️ Functional movement patterns

Think of your carrot stretches

🔥 Why use EMS during DMEs?

This is where the magic happens ✨

When EMS is applied while your animal is actively moving, we get the best of both worlds:

🧠 Improved brain–muscle connection
The electrical stimulation helps the nervous system retrain the correct muscles while the animal is actively performing a movement. This improves motor learning and retrains proper movement patterns faster.

💪 Greater muscle recruitment
EMS helps activate deeper or weaker muscles that your animal may struggle to use on their own - especially common after surgery, injury, or prolonged pain.

⚖️ Better symmetry and control
During movement, EMS can encourage equal loading and muscle engagement, helping reduce compensation patterns that often lead to re-injury.

⏱️ More effective sessions
By layering EMS onto DMEs, we increase the intensity and effectiveness of exercises without increasing impact or stress on joints - ideal for rehab, seniors, or animals returning to sport.

🐾 Functional strength, not just muscle bulk
This combination trains muscles to work how they’re meant to work in real life, not just in isolation.

🩺 When is this especially beneficial?

✔️ Post-operative rehabilitation
✔️ Neurological conditions
✔️ Muscle atrophy or weakness
✔️ Performance and sporting animals
✔️ Chronic compensations or recurring injuries
✔️ Older animals needing support without overload

❤️ What this means for your animal

Using EMS alongside DMEs allows us to create smarter, safer, and more targeted rehab programs, tailored specifically to your animal’s needs - not just the injury, but the way they move as a whole.

Rehab isn’t about doing more - it’s about doing things better.

💬 Have you seen EMS used during movement before?
👍 Drop a like if you love learning how physio supports long-term soundness
📩 Message us if you’d like to know whether this approach would benefit your animal

21/12/2025

We did it! The shortest day!

20/12/2025

19/12/2025

Another year insurance renewal with Balens Insurance 😊

19/12/2025

Feeling very optimistic today after our lovely visit yesterday!

For Jessie to identify anxiety in Fudge was really validating. I’ve been concerned for a while that he struggles with certain situations and then isn’t open to learning and I want him to be happy and confident!

Jessie is helping us finds way to help fudge self regulate and progressively become more relaxed.

This was a really informative and eye opening experience for me yesterday, there are so many things that we are out of touch with regarding our horse’s behaviour and what our next steps should be. When we have a horse that is undergoing rehab from a possibility traumatic experience resulting in injury, we do need to take a step back and be better at reading the horse going through rehab. It’s not enough to rehab the body when the mind can’t move forward.

You can think it’s all woo woo but the science speaks for itself, please pop Animal Behaviour and Trauma Recovery Service UK a follow to keep up with her work and fudges progress!

19/12/2025

It’s really important to keep up to date on new research coming out. Some of these studies will challenge your biases and that’s good!

Be open to adapting for the benefit of your horse ❤️

**2025 SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS**

Below is a list of publications published in 2025. It’s a privallage and honour to collaborate with world renowned co-authors and projects leads 🤓. As always doing research is a team effort. Massive thank you to Hartpury University for all their support. Thanks to all of the venues, riders, owners, horses and research assistants, without them these projects are not possible. Thank you also to our funders, who have supported the various projects, their help is invaluable🙏

Lots more projects on the go, which will hopefully be out in 2026/7.

All articles are Open Access meaning you can read without subscription 🤓🤓

🐴International Survey Exploring Rider-Perceived Sidedness of the Horse. MacKechnie-Guire, R.; Clayton, H.; Byström, A.; Marlin, D.; Haussler, K.; Latif, S.; Blum, N.; le Jeune, S.S.; Wanless, M.; Egenvall, A. Animals 2025, 15, 1956. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/13/1956

🐴Effects of a 6-week dynamic mobilisation exercise program on thoracolumbosacral kinematics in sports horses. V. Walker, R. MacKechnie-Guire, C. Leedham, G. Tabor, I. Deckers, J. Paddison, C. Maddock https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/eve.70013

🐴 Comparison of Rein Forces and Pressure Beneath the Noseband and Headpiece of a Snaffle Bridle and a Double Bridle. MacKechnie-Guire, R.; Clayton, H.; Williams, J.; Marlin, D.; Fisher, M.; Fisher, D.; Walker, V.; Murray, R.C. Animals 2025, 15, 1058. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15071058 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/7/1058

🐴Measuring Noseband Tightness on the Lateral Aspect of the Horse’s Face. MacKechnie-Guire, R.; Clayton, H.; Williams, J.; Marlin, D.; Fisher, M.; Fisher, D.; Walker, V.; Murray, R. Animals 2025, 15, 537. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15040537 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/4/537

🐴Challenge of Defining Laterality in Horses: Is It Laterality or Just Asymmetry? Haussler, K.K.; le Jeune, S.S.; MacKechnie-Guire, R.; Latif, S.N.; Clayton, H.M. The Animals 2025, 15, 288. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15030288 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/3/288

🐴Response to comments on ‘Facial pressure beneath a cavesson noseband adjusted to different tightness levels during standing and chewing’ H. M. Clayton, R. C. Murray, J. M. Williams, V. Walker, M. Fisher, D. Fisher, J. Nixon, R. MacKechnie‐Guire https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/evj.70087

🐴Response to comments on: Noseband type and tightness level affect pressure on the horse's face at trot MacKechnie-Guire, R; Murray, R; Williams, J M; Nixon, J; Fisher, M; Fisher, D; Walker, V; Pierard, M; Clayton, H M https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/evj.70085

🐴Horses Using Water Treadmill Exercise as Part of a Long-Term Training Programme Differ from That of Horses Not Using Water Treadmill Exercise? Tranquille, C.; Nankervis, K.; Tacey, J.; Hopkins, E.; Deckers, I.; Walker, V.; MacKechnie-Guire, R.; Newton, R.; Murray, R. Does Muscle Development of Sport Animals 2025, 15, 2426. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15162426 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/16/2426

🐴Does bridle type influence frequency of occurrence of conflict behaviours in high-level dressage horses? R. MacKechnie-Guire, C. Hole, D. Marlin, H. Clayton, M. Fisher, D. Fisher, V. Walker, J. Williams, M. Pierard and R. Murray. 2025. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement (British Equine Veterinary Association Congress) https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/evj.70032?af=R

🐴Relationship between noseband tightness and noseband pressures in novice horses and riders: Implications for guidance to support horse welfare. R. MacKechnie-Guire, D. Marlin, H. Clayton, M. Fisher, D. Fisher, V. Walker, J. Williams and R. Murray. 2025. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement (British Equine Veterinary Association Congress)https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/evj.70033

🐴Does ridden exercise influence tongue colour: A standardised photographic approach D. Marlin, R. MacKechnie-Guire and R. Murray. 2025.. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement (British Equine Veterinary Association Congress)https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/evj.70031?af=R

🐴How does trotting over ground and raised poles alter equine spinal kinematics? V. Walker, R. Zhu, R. MacKechnie-Guire, I. Deckers, N. te Moller, G. Tabor, J. Winfield, R. Murray and C. Maddock. 2025. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement (British Equine Veterinary Association Congress). https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/evj.70029?af=R

18/12/2025

We had a very exciting visit from Animal Behaviour and Trauma Recovery Service UK today.

Post coming soon!