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
Equine Physiotherapy Practitioner Course
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 equine physiotherapy course aims to give you the knowledge, confidence and clinical reasoning skills enabling you to become a safe, competent and professional equine 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 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 anatomy systems, the fundamentals of therapy and the therapy process, together with a comprehensive range of therapy and rehabilitation techniques encompassing –
Work experience is essential as part of the equine physiotherapy training program –
It is likely to be voluntary and the chosen venue 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 “equine” 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. Equine physiotherapy techniques can effectively help with many musculoskeletal problems, especially when there are performance and behaviour changes that may be an indication of discomfort. For example -
Some of the most common areas where physiotherapy can be used are:
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 equine physiotherapy course aims to give you the knowledge, confidence and clinical reasoning skills enabling you to become a safe, competent and professional equine 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 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 anatomy systems, the fundamentals of therapy and the therapy process, together with a comprehensive range of therapy and rehabilitation techniques encompassing –
- 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 equine physiotherapy training program –
It is likely to be voluntary and the chosen venue 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 “equine” 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. Equine physiotherapy techniques can effectively help with many musculoskeletal problems, especially when there are performance and behaviour changes that may be an indication of discomfort. For example -
- 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.
- 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.
Some of the most common areas where physiotherapy can be used are:
- Helping to enhance the quality of life for horses 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 to help reduce the formation of scar tissue.
- Maintenance therapy to help maintain the horses 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.
- Sore/bruised muscles and muscle and tendon strain and tension
- Muscle asymmetry through helping to improve the balance in muscle tone and both enhance and maintain joint range of movement
- Routine checks and maintenance