The Positive Vet Physio

19/04/2026

This is the first time Voodoo and I have had a proper play together since before I had my second baby. He hasnt done any significant work for a long time due to me having little people. He needs at least 6 weeks strengthening groundwork before I even think about sitting on him.

Today just to get his blood moving a bit and to have a play around.
Also to see how much I remember!
Recording myself is such a useful thing to do as it allows me to see, or hear the thing I AM doing wrong, not Voodoo but me.

For instance I need to clean up the clarity of my cues. I can end up just constantly chattering and I can sometimes over use my voice which dulls the clarity of my cues to Voodoo.
Some of the cues I am using here other than the tongue cluck are:
Good good good... This is a keep going cue. It means that he is doing something that is what I want and I want him to keep going.
Up - this is when he drops his head a bit lower than I would like so I'm asking him to raise and engage his thoracic sling a bit more.
VoooooDooooo - when I want him to come towards me and bring his line closer to me.
Obviously walk on and trot are self explanatory.

I'm not asking for a circle particularly, I'm more asking for him to listen and connect and allowing him to use a bigger area. Especially as he hasn't done anything for a good while. So I'm moving with him.

Doing this at liberty allows him to balance his own body and means he isn't attached to me or leaning on a lunge rein. Also he then can chose his own line as is comfortable for his body. I can work on the flexion etc at a later date or with closer in hand work still using positive reinforcement.

Voodoo and I have been using clicker training (positive reinforcement) for over 6 years now and the autonomy it has given him and the freedom to be curious about the world and not fearful of it just humbles me daily.
Voodoo hasn't done anything for so long and yet instantly remembers all he has learn and does it with complete enthusiasm and joy.

Need to find my pivo for better videos though!

16/04/2026

16/04/2026

MYTH: I have to recarpet my whole house for my arthritic dog.

Good news: you don't need to recarpet! 🛠️
Creating safe, non-slip "runways" using rubber-backed runners, interlocking foam tiles, or even yoga mats gives your dog the grip they need exactly where they walk the most.

11/04/2026

New website is up and running 🤩 Any feedback would be appreciated or if anyone sees any typos that I've missed. Thanks 😊

11/04/2026

Saw the gorgeous Griff this morning to help him by managing degenerative myelopathy. We did low level laser, myofascial release and massage. We finished with a proproceptive Kinesiology tape application and the difference was awesome to see 🤩

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06/04/2026

After a long cold wet winter I know my body is feeling the effects of pulling through the mud, carrying water buckets, bracing against wind and cold, slipping on ice or slippy mud. Shoulders held in a raised position and tense. Jaw still set a bit against the cold.

Your horse is feeling the same....and more.

After a long cold wet winter your horses rugged or rugless will have been holding a significant amount of tension through their bodies. Walking through thick deep mud, dealing with the colder winds and rain we've had.

As our fluff balls shed their coat it gives us a great excuse to give our horses body and fascia a good rub over. Grab your rubber curry comb, or if you can get one like the one pictured even better, and do firm but gentle circular motions over your horses body front to back. If you can do it with them outside in the sunshine even better. It will help release tension in the fascia, muscles and help circulation to these areas.

They will love you for it!

06/04/2026

This 👇🏻

How many times have you heard, or said, something like this?

“He’s just a bit footy.”
“She’s a bit short on the hard ground.”
“He’s always been like that.”
“She’s just a bit sore after trims.”
“He just doesn’t like gravel.”
“He’s just lazy.”

Because this is exactly how a lot of horses slip into a crisis without anyone realising how far things have progressed.

Not because the owner doesn’t care.
But because gradual change is incredibly easy to miss when you see your horse every single day.

A horse with an acute laminitis attack is obvious.
A horse with subclinical laminitis often isn’t.

They may just:
Have a shorter stride
Not want to walk or stand on hard ground
Avoid gravel
Be harder to trim
Be sore after a trim
Not want to turn tightly
Not want to move forward like they used to
Have a digital pulse when they didn’t before

And because it happens slowly, it becomes normal.

That is what catches people out.

What would be obvious to someone who saw your horse four weeks ago can be almost invisible when you are watching it happen one tiny change at a time.

The same thing happens with weight.

A horse doesn’t suddenly become overweight overnight.
But over time they get a little rounder.
A little creasier.
A little less definition over the ribs.
And because the horse world has normalised animals being overweight, people stop seeing it.

This is why prevention matters.
This is why regular checks matter.
And this is why professional eyes matter.

Often, the people who see your horse every few weeks notice more than the people who see them every day. Myself included!

So here’s your reminder:
take the photos
take the videos
watch your horse walk on a hard surface and a soft one
watch them turn
feel for digital pulses
compare them to footage from a month or two ago
and ask a professional if you are not sure

Because sometimes the biggest welfare difference you can make is noticing the problem before it becomes a crisis.

If your horse is “just a bit footy,” don’t brush it off.
Go and look again.

06/04/2026

One of my inspiration 😃 So awesome 😊

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭
One of the riders I grew up watching on YouTube!

Alycia Burton & Goldrush

They made people stop and think. Big fences, no bridle, no saddle but more importantly, no rush, no panic, no obvious force. Just a horse that understood, and a rider who listened.

They showed that performance doesn’t have to mean pressure. That communication can be quiet. That partnership can still be the foundation, not the afterthought. Not perfect, nothing with horses ever is but influential. For many of us, they were an early reminder that feel, patience, and time will always matter more than stronger tack or shortcuts.

Proof that power and softness can exist in the same stride.

And NO this isn’t AI, she is the real deal around long before AI!

06/04/2026

Being over weight is a major cause of arthritis and joint pathology in people and dogs. Keeping your dogs weight down can be a real struggle sometimes. Here are some tips to help 😊

10/10/2025

𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁…

My biggest pet peeve: winter turnout!!

Does your yard offer winter turnout?
And by that, I mean any kind…..??

all weather turnout pens, a small sacrifice paddock, a track system, or even a little grazing “pot” where your horse can stretch their legs, drop their head, roll, and just breathe.

Because let’s get one thing straight, 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐭.
Neither is ten minutes standing in a pen while someone sweeps the yard. That’s not freedom. That’s a token gesture dressed up as “care.”

𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.
𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿.
𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗲.

If your yard doesn’t provide any form of turnout through the winter, that’s not a management choice, that’s neglect. Plain and simple.

To every yard hiding behind “tradition,” “space constraints,” or “it’s too wet”…..enough.
F**k tradition when it comes at the cost of animal welfare.
If you can’t give horses the basics, then reduce your numbers or rethink your setup. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐚 “𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫” 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝 22 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫, 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬.

And to the owners….yes, you too, if your horse is standing in a box all winter, you have a responsibility to do something about it.
Hand walk before work. Hand graze after. Lunge, long rein, free school.
Make the effort. Because your horse’s sanity depends on it. “𝗧𝗼𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝘆” 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴’𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲.

To the livery yards, welfare is not optional. It’s not something you offer when the weather’s nice or when it suits your schedule.
It’s your duty as a yard owner to provide the basics: movement, space, air, light, and social contact.
𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬. 𝐄𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟.

Stop hiding behind excuses and outdated thinking.
Stop normalising cruelty because “that’s how it’s always been done.”
Horses aren’t ornaments. They aren’t there to fill boxes and balance books. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀.

So yes, this is a Thursday night thought, but it’s also a challenge:
Take a look at your yard. Take a look at your routine.
Ask yourself honestly……does your horse actually get to be a horse in winter?

𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐧𝐨𝐭, 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞. 𝐃𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫. 𝐁𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫. 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐮𝐩. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦. 𝐀𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬. 🐴

07/10/2025

22/09/2025

It's been a while since I posted and being terrible at social media is one reason but this little bundle of squish was another good reason why 😍

However, I am dying to get back to what I truly love, treating our equine, canine and feline family members so they are happy, pain free and can live their best lives and working out how to break down strength exercises for horses using positive reinforcement 😊 🫶🏻

See you very soon 😊