Membership Number 1573
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Membership Number PO3132
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Member Code 4847
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Course accreditation and approval
Practitioner courses are accredited by LANTRA as a customised provision provider
Practitioner courses are recognised by the IAAT as acceptable for both student and practitioner association membership.
The Your4legs Training School and it’s courses have been approved by the BCMA (British Complementary Medicine Association. The BCMA holds an international register of qualified and comprehensively insured therapists, all are members of the BCMA and adhere to the BCMA Code of Ethics and Disciplinary Procedure.
The your4legs courses and the training school are fully insured through Holistic Insurance Services
Practitioner courses are accredited by LANTRA as a customised provision provider
Practitioner courses are recognised by the IAAT as acceptable for both student and practitioner association membership.
The Your4legs Training School and it’s courses have been approved by the BCMA (British Complementary Medicine Association. The BCMA holds an international register of qualified and comprehensively insured therapists, all are members of the BCMA and adhere to the BCMA Code of Ethics and Disciplinary Procedure.
The your4legs courses and the training school are fully insured through Holistic Insurance Services
Animal Physiotherapy Practitioner Course - Equine & Canine
Physiotherapy “can be defined as the treatment of pain, disease, or injury by physical means.” It can also “be defined as the profession concerned with promotion of health, with prevention of physical disabilities, with evaluation and rehabilitation of persons disabled by pain, disease, or injury, and with treatment by physical therapeutic measures as opposed to medical, surgical, or radiologic measures.” (Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012)
A key purpose of physiotherapy is to restore mobility, function and quality of life to patients through stimulation of the healing process to restore injured tissues and improve strength and balance and to stabilize body systems – such as neurological and musculoskeletal.
The animal physiotherapy course aims to give you the knowledge, confidence and clinical reasoning skills enabling you to become a safe, competent and professional equine and canine physiotherapist, with an in-depth knowledge of both therapy and rehabilitation techniques, together with the use of additional physiotherapeutic devices and training tools that can be used to compliment recovery and maintenance of the equine and canine client. You will also learn how to work confidently in conjunction with the veterinarian and the client for both rehabilitation referrals and ongoing maintenance therapy.
This course will give you the relevant training in 13 different equine and canine anatomy systems, the fundamentals of therapy and the therapy process, together with a comprehensive range of therapy and rehabilitation techniques that you will be tutored to apply appropriately to both the horse and the dog.
The techniques include –
Work experience is essential as part of the animal physiotherapy training program –
It is likely to be voluntary and the chosen equine and canine venue(s) may have an insurance policy that limits the amount of involvement the student can have, but it is an opportunity to watch people – whether they are therapists, vets or nurses – through their daily work. It is also important to ask questions to learn and be involved as much as possible.
Protected words -
In the field of human therapy the term “Physiotherapist” is protected, but this term not protected in the animal sector. Using the prefix “animal” and the words "equine and canine" clearly indicates there is no intention to treat humans as a physiotherapist.
There is currently no official register for animal related physiotherapists. A therapist who has completed a physiotherapy course related to animals will be registered or regulated with their own association(s), which is similar for many animal therapy courses. Chartered physiotherapists are registered in their capacity as a human physiotherapist and not as an animal physiotherapist.
All animal physiotherapy is carried out under veterinary referral and your4legs will happily provide evidence of the detailed training a physiotherapy student must undertake if requested by a veterinary practise. Your4legs will continue to add and amend courses to ensure that all training is maintained to the highest quality possible.
Treatment in the early stages after injury or loss of performance is essential for quick and full recovery.
Animal physiotherapy techniques can effectively help with many musculoskeletal problems in both horses and dogs, especially when there are performance and behaviour changes that may be an indication of discomfort. For example
Horses -
Some of the most common areas where physiotherapy can be used for both the horse and dog include -
A key purpose of physiotherapy is to restore mobility, function and quality of life to patients through stimulation of the healing process to restore injured tissues and improve strength and balance and to stabilize body systems – such as neurological and musculoskeletal.
The animal physiotherapy course aims to give you the knowledge, confidence and clinical reasoning skills enabling you to become a safe, competent and professional equine and canine physiotherapist, with an in-depth knowledge of both therapy and rehabilitation techniques, together with the use of additional physiotherapeutic devices and training tools that can be used to compliment recovery and maintenance of the equine and canine client. You will also learn how to work confidently in conjunction with the veterinarian and the client for both rehabilitation referrals and ongoing maintenance therapy.
This course will give you the relevant training in 13 different equine and canine anatomy systems, the fundamentals of therapy and the therapy process, together with a comprehensive range of therapy and rehabilitation techniques that you will be tutored to apply appropriately to both the horse and the dog.
The techniques include –
- Both light and deep tissue massage
- Rehabilitation techniques including –
- Joint mobilization and increasing joint range of motion
- Rehabilitation exercises and the use of training tools to help improve and maintain balance, muscle strength and proprioception
- The use of additional physiotherapeutic devices such as ultrasound and laser therapy
- Massage techniques adapted to warm up the horses’ muscles in preparation for exercise and cool down the muscles after exercise
- Light touch techniques (LTR) and soft tissue rolling (adapted by your4legs) related to trigger point and fascia release.
Work experience is essential as part of the animal physiotherapy training program –
It is likely to be voluntary and the chosen equine and canine venue(s) may have an insurance policy that limits the amount of involvement the student can have, but it is an opportunity to watch people – whether they are therapists, vets or nurses – through their daily work. It is also important to ask questions to learn and be involved as much as possible.
Protected words -
In the field of human therapy the term “Physiotherapist” is protected, but this term not protected in the animal sector. Using the prefix “animal” and the words "equine and canine" clearly indicates there is no intention to treat humans as a physiotherapist.
There is currently no official register for animal related physiotherapists. A therapist who has completed a physiotherapy course related to animals will be registered or regulated with their own association(s), which is similar for many animal therapy courses. Chartered physiotherapists are registered in their capacity as a human physiotherapist and not as an animal physiotherapist.
All animal physiotherapy is carried out under veterinary referral and your4legs will happily provide evidence of the detailed training a physiotherapy student must undertake if requested by a veterinary practise. Your4legs will continue to add and amend courses to ensure that all training is maintained to the highest quality possible.
Treatment in the early stages after injury or loss of performance is essential for quick and full recovery.
Animal physiotherapy techniques can effectively help with many musculoskeletal problems in both horses and dogs, especially when there are performance and behaviour changes that may be an indication of discomfort. For example
Horses -
- Reluctance to go forwards and / changes in their balance across the left or right rein under saddle or during groundwork, including behaviour changes like napping, bucking or rearing.
- An unexplained loss of performance or change in temperament where ther have been no changes to the horse's normal routine.
- A reluctance to be touched in certain places which were previously not sensitive, including becoming sensitive to the saddle, girth and bridle.
- Restlessness when normally the horse is quiet and relaxed – which may be an indication of pain, especially when the behaviour starts to occur after work.
- Changes in the dog's ability to play / work, due to the appearance of stiffness in movement and a reluctance to move generally.
- An unexplained change in behaviour or temperament where there have been no changes to the dog's normal routine.
- Whining or yelping when getting up, jumping or when initially lying down.
- A reluctance to be touched in certain places which were previously not sensitive.
- Panting and restlessness when normally the dog is quiet and relaxed - which may be an indication of pain, especially when the behaviour starts to occur after work or play.
- Muscle, tendon and ligament injury and post-operative rehabilitation after surgery to help ensure correct strength, balance and proprioception (within physical capabilities of the dog) and to help reduce the formation of scar tissue.
- Maintenance therapy to help maintain health and wellbeing for dogs, including those with conditions and illnesses and may be breed or age related, or due to wear and tear.
Some of the most common areas where physiotherapy can be used for both the horse and dog include -
- Helping to enhance the quality of life for horses and dogs with degenerative conditions such as arthritis, where therapy can be used to help slow the condition and manage soft tissue tensions arising from compensation.
- Muscle, tendon and ligament injury and post-operative rehabilitation after surgery to help ensure correct strength, balance and proprioception (within the physical capabilities of the horse and dog) and to help reduce the formation of scar tissue.
- Post-operative rehabilitation for horses and dogs with orthopaedic conditions, and dogs with neurological conditions.
- Maintenance therapy to help maintain the animals health and wellbeing, including those with conditions and illnesses that may be age related, or due to wear and tear.
- Performance enhancement and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries in the working or competition horse or dog.
- Sore/bruised muscles and muscle and tendon strain and tension in the horse and dog.
- Reducing muscle asymmetry in the horse and dog by helping to improve the balance in muscle tone and both enhance and maintain joint range of movement.
- Routine equine and canine checks and maintenance therapy sessions.
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