Polgreen Physiotherapy - Meg Lane - RAMP

23/02/2026

🚨 Massage Pads research 🚨

I’m often asked about massage pads and so far the research has been limited but a very interesting paper has just been published carried out by physiotherapists at Hartpury.

Key findings showed no significant effects during short term use, HOWEVER when used 6 days a week for 4 weeks (45 minute sessions with thermal and massage setting) the research found significant INCREASES IN STRIDE LENGTH DURING TROT as well as increased forelimb retraction (FORWARD MOVEMENT), hindlimb protraction (BACKWARD MOVEMENT), and retraction!

Now we know 🤓

Have a looking more detail, link below 👇
https://doi.org/10.64292/ijes.201

📞 07933287321
📧 megan@polgreenphysio.co.uk
🛜 www.polgreenphysio.co.uk

📍 Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, East Herefordshire, West Oxfordshire

20/12/2025

🎄 Merry Christmas 🎄

It’s been a great year with lots of change. Namely taking on my southern client base back in August. I know clients are being cared for brilliantly and wish every single one of you and Alice the very best going forwards into 2026.

It’s continued to be busy and I am so grateful to all my loyal clients who have been with me for years and all the new ones I’ve met this year. Thank you for trusting me with your four legged steeds, it’s been a pleasure to look after them and see such positive improvements.

Have a lovely festive season and happy new year (the year of the horse!)🐴 ☃️

📞 07933287321
📧 megan@polgreenphysio.co.uk
🛜 www.polgreenphysio.co.uk

📍 Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, East Herefordshire, West Oxfordshire

25/09/2025

Admin post 💪

I’ve started using Xero accounting software to send invoices! Many clients will know I’m rubbish at all things computer and admin related so any issues please do get in touch 😅

📞 07933287321
📧 megan@polgreenphysio.co.uk
🛜 www.polgreenphysio.co.uk

📍 Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, East Herefordshire, West Oxfordshire

07/08/2025

🚨 South Clients 🚨

Alice’s number has changed.

Here’s her new one to save to your phone:

07960 929237

01/08/2025

📌 South client news 📌

Many of you will have had my email by now 🙂
We’re having some big changes for my southern clients. Many of you will have met Alice as she has been working with me for nearly two years. Alice has become a very valued part of the Polgreen Physio team keeping the ‘south’ part of the business running while I moved slightly further afield and started a family.

Following several discussions and much heart felt thought, I have made the big decision to sell my southern part of Polgreen Physiotherapy to Alice. Having worked with Alice and watched her grow in experience and knowledge I know clients will be safe in her hands going forwards.

As part of a smooth handover I will be transferring notes and contact details to Alice. There should be little to no disruption to clients during this period. The only changes will be Alice’s contact number and where the invoices will be coming from.

I will continue to come down to Dorset on an ad-hoc basis to support Alice in this transition period and into the future. Any appointments already booked will remain the same.

If anyone has any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to get in touch with myself or Alice.

Contact detail changes:
Alice’s direct number: 07960 929237
Email: alice@apphysiotherapy.co.uk
Website: https://www.apphysiotherapy.co.uk/

I am excited to have the privilege of seeing my clients in Alice’s capable hands continue to go from strength to strength.

My best wishes to everyone,

Meg

03/07/2025

Exciting opportunity 💪

WE ARE HIRING!
🐴 Yard Manager (residential). We are seeking someone with specialist equine experience and relevant up to date knowledge of practices within a yard setting.
Closing Date: 23.07.25
For further information and to apply please visit our website: https://hubs.li/Q03vB7Nf0

Leweston School

21/06/2025

For those at the back of the room 🤦‍♀️ - please follow the science and have a read for Dr David Marlins post!

🏇British Horseracing Authority Gives Poor & Wrong Advice Yet Again!🏇

Why is it the BHA never seems to get it right when it comes to heat? I guess they have their own experts! Not once has the BHA come to me to ask about cooling advice, despite the fact I've worked on every hot Olympics since Barcelona 1992 and we have not had one single case of heatstroke in a horse since then - despite quite a few human cases!

🏇BHA COMMENT: "The most important thing to realise is that horses are very able to acclimatise to hot weather." Sally Taylor, BHA Head of Equine Regulation, Safety and Welfare.

RESPONSE: Yes, its true, horses are able to acclimatise to hot weather - IF TRAINED IN THE HEAT. Almost all racehorses are trained early in the morning when it’s cool and then raced in the heat of the day so they are not heat acclimatised! And it take around 10-14 days of training for heat acclimatisation to take effect. I've never seen the BHA advise trainers of this!

🏇BHA COMMENT: "Cooling is most effectively achieved by steady application of water over the horse’s neck and trunk” and “focus on the large muscle groups” and "Alternate pouring water onto the horse, especially over shoulders and quarters, and scraping this off after 30 seconds"

COMMENT: All these pieces of advice are wrong. Effective cooling is achieved by application of cool/cold water over ALL the horses body and NOT concentrating on specific areas and WITHOUT SCRAPING.

British Horseracing Authority I've contacted you in the past a number of times and offered to provide the correct information for you but you have ignored me! That offer still stands!

EDIT - I've been challenged over my sources of information so here are the quotes and the source.....

https://www.britishhorseracing.com/regulation/making-horseracing-safer/?fbclid=IwY2xjawLDVJlleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETByc2ZNREVKN1pJeWNxOHdCAR5udP9pnTl0N2qQSwrqNIYXBbsIyjsnkg4AhPg4gprbgEORURBx25tBYEAXxQ_aem_9wqNa2MymEAkhEU3coa2FQ

"Remove the excess water by scraping after each application after allowing the water to absorb heat for around 30 seconds." (Current best practice is not to scrape)

"Keep the horse standing to facilitate cooling." (Current best practice is to keep horse moving if possible to avoid risk of collapse)

"Alternate pouring water onto the horse, especially over shoulders and quarters, and scraping this off after 30 seconds, with periods of walking in the shade. Cool for 30 seconds and then walk for 30 seconds before repeating the process." (Current best practice is to cool all over and NOT focus on specific areas; again NO SCRAPING).

"....ice packs applied to the jugular vein may be beneficial." (This has ZERO benefit and is a relic from cooling in the 1940's)

20/06/2025

It was a toastie one (🥵) but a fabulous day seeing wonderful clients all day with Alice. It’s great to have two pairs of eyes and hands assessing and treating together, learning new techniques and evolving as practitioners for the greater good of the horse 💪🙌☀️

Thank you to everyone who laced us with much needed squash! 🥤

18/06/2025

Gorgeous horses and ponies at Leweston lucky to have great facilities and care. They’ll be enjoying some physio tomorrow to keep them on top form for their riders ☺️

29/05/2025

A team day a couple of weeks ago with Meg and Alice out as a double, seeing our lovely clients in the sunshine ☀️

📞 07933287321
📧 megan@polgreenphysio.co.uk
🛜 www.polgreenphysio.co.uk
📍 Dorset, Somerset, East Devon, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, East Herefordshire, West Oxfordshire

21/04/2025

🥕 CARROT ‘STRETCHES’ 🥕

Dynamic mobilisation exercises, aka carrot or baited stretches are often used by therapists and given to owners to do at home as part of a rehabilitation plan, and FOR VERY GOOD REASON..!

Let’s delve a little deeper….

The commonly used term, carrot ‘stretch’, is slightly misleading as it suggests it’s just used for stretching or in fact is stretching, BUT it is more commonly used for range of movement, posture and muscle development.

Several studies over the years have looked into these exercises as a means to aid horses in IMPROVING MUSCLE DEVELOPMENT, and POSTURE 💪

Below are just a couple of fab studies showing an INCREASE IN SIZE AND SYMMETRY of multifidus (Stubbs et al, 2011), (very important muscle found deep along the spine) and STRIDE LENGTH (de Oliveira K et al, 2015) when carried out regularly.

As a side note, although mainly used for activation and muscle development it should be noted that stretches can be beneficial when used appropriately. In human studies there is NO EVIDENCE that stretches cause muscles to weaken when held for less than 45 seconds (Anthony D. Kay et al, 2012).

Like all exercises you need to get them right. If we want core activation and back lift to help posture we need our horses to be doing just that - often I give these exercises wide and low and/or until I see the desirable frame and muscle activation. Check you’re doing these correctly with your therapist for maximum benefit to your horse 🧠

It might seem that everyone is giving these exercises out w***y nilly, but rest assured they’re doing so because it’s BACKED BY SCIENCE and as long as carried out correctly and given appropriately on a case by case basis, they can benefit horses at any level.

Kindly demonstrated here by Gillian Tabor and her horse, taken from one of her papers with permission 💪

Papers in comments for those who love to dive down a rabbit hole 🐇 (Easter pun intended).

📞 07933287321
📧 megan@polgreenphysio.co.uk
🛜 www.polgreenphysio.co.uk
📍 Dorset, Somerset, East Devon, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, East Herefordshire, West Oxfordshire

14/04/2025

Could not have got further down south if I tried today ☺️ No sun though!

📞 07933287321
📧 megan@polgreenphysio.co.uk
🛜 www.polgreenphysio.co.uk
📍 Dorset, Somerset, East Devon, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, East Herefordshire, West Oxfordshire