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

If you’re worried your pet has any pain or restriction you need to speak with your vet and vet physio (you can email me here at zoe@fitpetphysio.com) before starting a massage programme but if your pets fit and healthy and you want to add massage to their fitness routine or just give them a little treat here’s your 5 step guide to getting started with at-home pet massage.

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.

After injury rest and controlled exercise is used to get pets moving again without causing further injury. This is especially important in the case of horse's as they require movement to effectively digest their food. Controlled exercise for horses can include lunging, long-reining and in-hand walking whereas in dogs slow lead walking is most commonly used. Hydrotherapy can be used in certain cases if it is available to you.

Massage is an effective treatment for pain and tension in muscles and subsequently aids in increasing stride length and increasing joint range of motion. Massage also aids in neurological conditions by stimulating nerve endings and their connections to the brain.

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.

Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEMF) is a form of magnetic therapy that generates a low-level electromagnetic field. This aids in re-establishing cellular voltage, as when cells are injured their cellular voltage is altered causing changes in cellular activity. This can lead to a build-up of toxins in the muscle tissues leading to pain and reduced function and length of the muscle.

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.

There are a number of different exercises used in dog rehabilitation and fitness programs. To know which ones best suit your dog and how to conduct them you should make an appointment to see your vet physio.