The Vet Physio - SBVP

It’s was a busy yard line up yesterday with exercise prescription sessions, personalised PRO pole sessions and physio ….. we cater tailored sessions across the above for any discipline.

Get in touch to find out how we can help you and your animal 🐴 🐶

📞 07974263285

My boy is back from his hols 😁 and straight into his stretches with this diva …. Think it’s now programmed into both of them 😂

Doing Your Homework Pays Off! 🐴🔍

Equine practitioners work tirelessly to keep our horses healthy and performing their best (they invest in education, continued professional development events, are assigned to a professional membership voluntarily, take the time to understand you, your animal and your goals, do not mind taking questions etc)—but are YOU doing your homework when it comes to choosing the right one? (Here she goes again- read until the end 🙏)

Just like with this curious cow (pic from a walk today for attention), it’s all about asking the right questions and finding the perfect match! 🐄

It is YOUR responsibility to do YOUR homework 🧐- dive in to the details, ask the right questions and truly make sure the person you employ on behalf of your animal is fit for the job ✅ Do their qualifications and experience stand up. What are their principles, motives and investment. It’s not always you pay for what you get.

Whether it’s nutrition, health care, or training, make sure your horse is in expert hands. Keep your animals happy and healthy by staying informed and choosing wisely.

This post is brought to you off the back of some social media posts that have got my 🐐 tonight 😡 😤 😱. Posts that proclaim to provide a service or outcome that is just not evidenced! Before you send your horse to an under water treadmill- read the evidence behind what this can achieve, no protocol fits all, research is there to justify use to support or disprove the effect associated with pathology. Before you assign a body worker - know the laws behind what they can legally practice and understand their scope of practise before believing they can diagnose - this is vet territory! I will eat my hat the day a practitioner can physically put their hand within a joint capsule - it is impossible!

Raggghhhhhhhh ….. ranty post complete. Just do your due diligence guys. There’s business people out there 🤑🤑🤑🤑 and there’s those that are genuinely invested for the welfare of your animal and you 🥰 🫶 your hardest task is to differentiate between them 🙄 ready to take the reins and level up your know?

What happens next …?

Head, shoulders, knees and toes …. What why when how?

The physios brain is a bundle of questions - analysing all the information seen and felt. Attempting to make the links between clinical presentation and optimal function. Mind mapping the connections of soft tissues/bones/joints/tendons and ligaments.

We admire your animals and your dedication and hold conversation all the while with the cogs running at 100mph to best understand your animal to then be able to make a smart plan forward to achieve the goals, the dreams and sometimes make them more realistic in a timely manner for the best interests of your animal.

The vet physios brain is a busy one. Packed full of rich knowledge and reflection of previous industry experience. To trust it you must test it so run your questions and gain further insight to how we formulate our plan.

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🌟 The Importance of Equine Posture in Horse Health & Performance🌟

Equine posture is EVERYTHING when it comes to a horse’s well-being and performance! 🐴 Poor posture can lead to pain, tension, and even long-term injury, affecting the horse’s gait and ability to perform. That’s where vet physios come in! 👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️

Veterinary physiotherapists use a range of techniques—manual therapies, exercise regimens, and advanced tools like laser therapy or kinesiology taping—to assess and correct postural imbalances. They work on improving muscle strength, flexibility, and overall alignment, ensuring that the horse moves efficiently and pain-free. 💪✨

A well-programmed equine posture means healthier, happier horses with a greater capacity to thrive in training and competition. 🏇

Photo credit here to at our last session where Oreo and I have developed our working relationship and we are one step ahead of each other! Always a pleasure Oreo 🦄 🌟 💪

🌟 Practice perfecting posture 🌟

From the perfected square halt comes the timely transitions.
From the base of stability comes the balanced sequence.
From the relentless practice comes the consistent success.

Practice achieves the bigger picture, practice achieves the long term results, practice to get there.

Research of a global population suggests 50-70% of people give up on difficult goals or challenges for one reason or another (inclusive motivation, support systems and personality). Are you in that population or do you push on, climb the mountains, jump the hurdles and get there in the end?!

Cute factor 🥇 Rudi 💕

It’s 10pm on a Saturday night.

Here I am reflecting on today’s cases. Will I ever get bored of my career …. No, I truly believe I will not.

Who would I be, where would I be had horses not entered my life?

Todays take away - embrace the everyday little things, live boldly, and savor every moment

Happy bank holiday 🤍

Beautiful pictures and a talented camera man 📸 head over to the page to get your entry in 👍

It's time for a horse giveaway! 🐴

As mentioned in my previous giveaway post, in honour of Sheeba and my 60th birthday this year I've decided to host some giveaways...

To enter yourself into this horse giveaway, for the chance to win a free photo session with me, you only have to do the 3 following things:

1) Like this post
2) Comment the name of your horse/tag someone else you think would be interested in the giveaway
3) Share this post

This horse photo-session giveaway is specifically aimed at older or veteran horses. However, any horse owner is welcome to enter!

I will reveal the winners shortly in a separate post on my feed... Good Luck!🍀

Can you ever have too many 📸 of that one very special heart horse though?

In hand pole work complete. Time out time 🧘‍♀️

How are you spending your bank holiday weekend?

🐎 🤎 🥰

Don’t forget to do your equine baited stretches! 🐴 These targeted stretches are backed by research, improving flexibility, core strength, and muscle development in your horse. Studies show that regular baited stretches can enhance range of motion, support posture, and even help reduce injury risk. Keep your horse feeling their best with this simple, effective practice!

New dates for rest of 2024 soon to be released for PRO POLES - be quick to reserve your place. Very limited. Watch this space 😊

Any requests for certain exercises, other events please do comment below or DM me!


Here are 10 hashtags you can use for a social media post on equine pole work:

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Sometimes static and dynamic observations teamed with owner descriptions tell a story that merry up perfectly with a cause.

I am so passionate about the horses comfort ultimately and that has a knock on effect to be able to do the job AKA perform.

Love working as a multi disciplinary team and proactive owners. A number of cogs are responsible for ultimate equine welfare.

Thank you for the tag and thank you for acting on clinical presentations 🐎

Happy horse, happy owner, happy physio, happy saddler ….. win win

Stability pads are beneficial for cranial-loading and arthritic ponies by improving balance, comfort, and proprioception. Cranial-loading ponies, who carry more weight on their front end, often experience strain on their forelimbs and joints. Stability pads can help redistribute this weight, encouraging the pony to shift balance more evenly across all four feet.

For arthritic ponies, the pads offer a soft, cushioned surface that relieves pressure on painful joints and encourages relaxation. The pads also stimulate neural pathways, improving the pony’s body awareness and promoting better posture and movement.

Rocky gave them 10/10 🦄 👍

🐎 💧🌊 Harnessing the power of water to unlock optimal horse biomechanics! 🐎💪 Whether it’s enhancing muscle strength, improving joint range, overall flexibility/suppleness/strength or boosting recovery, aquatic training takes equine performance to the next level. 🌟

*The assessment of movement on a stable surface with a suitably qualified professional for function is absolute priority before you ask more of your horse to avoid possible injury/fatigue* 📞 your veterinary physiotherapist for your check *
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Mastering dynamic assessment evening demo Mastering dynamic assessment evening demo opens on 6th August 2024. This South West based horse event will take place at Brackenhurst Equestrian Centre, , Nottingham Trent University, Southwell, NG25 0QF.

🫵 Are you a horse owner?
👀 Do you want to better understand what to look for during a trot up?
🐎 Do you have interest in biomechanics / movement?
💪 Do you want to improve function, comfort and longevity for your horse?
🏆 Do you want to influence and optimise performance of your horse?
🦄 Do you love showjumping?

If the answer is yes to any of the questions above you need to click on the link below to secure your place on an exclusive new demo evening hosted by Sam Bardill from . We guarantee there will be something for everyone to learn, take away and apply to enable you to know your horse better and have more confidence in advocating for them. Exclusive showjumping demo included.

Mastering dynamic assessment evening demo Mastering dynamic assessment evening demo opens on 6th August 2024. This South West based horse event will take place at Brackenhurst Equestrian Centre, , Nottingham Trent University, Southwell, NG25 0QF.

The battle of temptation and restraint … not worth temptation. Happy Wednesday 😊

⚠️Hard Ground!!⚠️
With the high temperatures this week the ground is starting to harden up! Please be aware as tempting as it can be, cantering/galloping your horses on the hard ground can lead to lameness. The concussion horses experience from the hard ground puts a great strain on their tendons and ligaments. Injuries such as splints, bruised soles, fractured pedal bones, strains and ligament damage are often seen as a result of the hard ground.
We hope you enjoy the nicer weather and the freshly cut stubble/open fields but please do take into consideration the surfaces and conditions before allowing your horse to have a good blast! 🏇🏇🏇

Summer serenity 🤎 a piece of calm in the chaos of a fast paced life. Thank you Roo 🫶

☀️ mood

This article is written with first hand compassion and love and will help probably more people than Jim Connolly Photography knows. I would like it to reach far and wide so pet owners please pass it on. Thank you Jim Connolly Photography for this piece, it couldn’t have been easy to write especially with lovely Sheebas beautiful mudshot being the face of it. She was a very special and loved dog. Sending you , Becky and family love x

It's been over a week now since we lost our beloved family dog, Sheeba. She was a loyal companion for close to 7.5 years since we adopted her at age 6, and she brought much joy into our lives...

When we bring a dog or horse into our lives, we open our hearts to an unspoken bond, a relationship that speaks in barks, neighs, and silent companionship. These cherished animals become more than pets; they become family. The love they give is unconditional, and their loyalty is steadfast. Yet, this profound connection also means facing one of life’s most poignant experiences: grief.

I've written a special blog post about navigating the heartache and grief of losing a beloved pet, which you can read on the blog section of my website or through this link: https://www.jimconnollyphotography.com/blog/bp/navigating-the-heartache-understanding-anticipator

It's never easy, but it's important that we learn how to manage the pain and cherish the memories of our animals.

Rest well Sheeba 🕊