Dog shoulder anatomy: Superficially we have the trapezius, deltoids, triceps and bracialis with the rhomboids, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres major/minor and biceps sitting deeper as you can see in the 2 images below.

We hear a lot about the risks in dog agility and what not to do but how about we take a look at the positives too?

Did you know there are 3 different types of weaving we can use with our dogs? Which do you use? Dog agility pole weaving Dog leg weaving Dog conditioning weaving

An anatomical bridle is designed to avoid the infraorbital and mental foramen and the temporomandibular joint. But what are these things?

SO what are the 3 BEST horse riding routes in Yorkshire?

Always wanted to get started with pole work with your pets but confused by all the conflicting information out there so you just do nothing?

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.

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?

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.

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?

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.

One of the most common things I hear from equestrians is ‘How do I increase my horse's (insert body area here)?’. And my answer is almost always hacking with different surfaces and hills. This type of work is a full body work out and can be done ridden or in hand so really is suitable for all horses. This type of work increases joint motion, muscle mass and strength, core strength and stride length. What doesn’t it do right?!

The biceps brachii muscle in our pets lies down the front of the forelimb as shown in this video. In the dog the bicep brachii starts just below the shoulder joint at the supraglenoid tubercle of the scapula and proceeds down the front of the forelimb to the radial tuberosity and proximedial ulna which is just before the elbow joint.

This is the muscle that allows our dogs to lift their limb up to go upstairs or over objects on the ground such as cavaletti or roots in the woods. The brachialis is a small muscle but has a huge function in the movement of the forelimbs in both our dogs and horses.

So the Tricep is the main antigravity muscle of the forelimb, this means that its responsible for keeping our pets upright and keeping their forelimb underneath them.