Pessoa training aid is one of the most common training aid and the only training aid I have ever seen a vet recommend. The Pessoa works on a pulley system that connects the hindlimbs to the head and can be used with either poll, bit or girth attachments or a combination of all 3.

But what if you could know you were fully prepared and ready to go competing? Wouldn’t that save you a tonne of time and worry?

So here are my top 5 tips for preventing injuries in your dogs: Core conditioning and fitness planning Avoid high impact exercises Don’t push your puppy too soon Warm-up and cool-down routines Home changes

Why does my horse trip/stumble all the time and how can I stop my horse tripping? And why does my dog keep tripping on walks? These are questions I get asked all the time, perhaps you’ve even asked them yourself?

I remember just looking at my pup and thinking 'I don't know what to do?' I knew I wanted to do agility but how do you get started? When do you get started? Have I waited too long?

Under British Dressage rules any horse and rider combination wishing to compete must be fit and competent. So that’s exactly where we are going to start, making sure your horse is fit to train and compete as the British Dressage rules also state that your horse should only undergo training that they are physically capable of.

When something isn’t quite right we as pet owners always know, right? But the hard part comes when we have to make a decision, how are we going to fix them? Or more acutely who do we want to fix them or who is the best person to fix them?

Core strengthening and conditioning is a key part of any dog or horse's life and it is so often overlooked.

Why vet physio isn’t just for injured or sick dogs and horse's but for the fit and healthy ones too!

5 best small low-calorie training treats

As agility handlers, we spend a huge portion of our time taking care of and training our dogs. Buying them the best food, ensuring they have the right tug and even buying them the best beds and coats. But we often forget the importance of a good warm-up and cool down.

The fitness exercises you choose will depend on your pet, either dog or horse and whether you want to focus on muscle building, strength or range of motion.

Can horse's have vet physio? And should they? YES and YES! I’m a firm believer that all pets should receive regular vet and vet physio sessions to keep them happy and healthy. But why?

Can we cure back pain and can Veterinary Physiotherapy help? So the short answer is yes! But if you’d like to know more about the causes and specific treatments used, keep reading and you’ll discover the 2 leading causes of back pain in dogs and horses and the best treatment.

Problems in these muscles, due to their size, can be tricky for pet owners to notice so are often missed until they become larger more debilitating issues. But knowing where these muscles are and what they do can help you notice small changes sooner.

Unlike in humans the quads in our dogs and horse's are set deeper than in humans, meaning that it’s often hard to assess their true muscle mass. This is particularly important if your pet has stifle issues as the quad and stifle are directly linked as you’ll see in a moment!

Weight shifting is a remedial exercise used in both dogs and horses to improve even weight bearing on all limbs, increase core strength and proprioception.

What's the Longissimus Dorsi and Why do we find muscle spasms there?

Pole work exercises can be used in both dogs and horse's to improve their core strength, muscle mass, joint range of motion and proprioception.

Over 30% of sporting dogs suffer an injury at some point in their sporting career. These injuries are most commonly occur in the limbs, back and neck. Some of these injuries can be mild such as a cut to a pad or a cracked nail. These injuries cause only minor discomfort to our dogs and can be quickly treated (find out more in our laser blog). However, some injuries can be more serious and lead to a prolonged recovery for our dogs.