Welcome to AB Physiotherapy 4 horses and riders
AB Physiotherapy Services 4 horses and riders is all about improving equine welfare by helping you and your horse to move well.
It's not just a quick fix, to achieve long lasting results I look at all aspects of you and your horse's management, to restore and maintain your ability to be happy athletes.
Physiotherapy 4 Riders
Whether you are a rider, farrier, groom or coach, AB Physiotherapy Services will take the time to provide you with professional care and advice.
Providing assessment of back pain, neck pain, sports injuries/ performance issues, arthritic conditions, posture, range of movement, joint play, movement patterns, motor control, strength, balance, nerve pain, pelvic floor ...
Physiotherapy includes identifying the true stressor, densensitising tissues, and coaching you through graded exposure exercises to build up resilience. Treatment plans include: education, stretching, taping, electrotherapy (ultrasound, TENS, E-Stim, PEMF), dry needling, ergonomic/ preventative advice, and specific home exercise programs to help you to return to your equestrian role (this may include ridden exercises). Following a rehabilitation plan helps avoid common pitfalls on the road to recovery, and not just returning to sport, but achieving your goals.
Telehealth and in-person appointments available.
Physiotherapy 4 Horses
Horses need Physios too!
Physiotherapy for animals utilises many of the same assessment and treatment techniques to identify and treat problems which are causing pain or loss of function. Whilst it isn't necessary to have a referral from your Veterinarian, I do like to have your Vets' contact details so that I can liaise with them as needed.
Rehabilitation from injury helps prevent complications and restore function to optimise recovery and performance. Regular Physiotherapy can treat the inevitable niggles that all performance horses get, preventing compensatory habits settling into undesirable movement patterns and enabling horses to continue competing happily into older age.
A Physiotherapy consultation is a 1 hour+ detailed assessment checking your horse nose to tail. Being thorough often reveals all sorts of things. Most dysfunctions develop over time, horses compensate (hide the problem) until they no longer can and we notice lameness or a change in behaviour. So several consults and a management plan will be required to undo the layers of adaptation and identify the true stressors, to get things back on track. For acute injuries that may require daily care I can liaise with your vet, you and your team to deliver therapy in between physio appointments. If you already use a massage therapist or equissage etc. your animal is very lucky. Physiotherapy can complement these services to enhance what you or your team are already doing.
Horses and riders often reflect each other's stiffness/ aches and pains, with qualifications in Physiotherapy and Veterinary Physiotherapy I can help both horse and rider to move well.
I suggest regular reviews for you and your horse to ensure old habits aren't creeping back in, to check that self managment strategies are still working well for you or to help you progress to the next level of training.
Working dogs, farm dogs, sporting dogs, companion animals and pets, Physiotherapy can help keep them in top shape.
Physiotherapy for dogs, cats and other animals
Boost performance for agility or sheep trials.
Maintain limb and spinal range of movement and muscle strength in older arthritic animals so they can remain active. Why not book an appointment for you and your dog!
Enhance recovery from sports injury/ trauma/ surgery (muscle strains, hip surgery, cruciate repairs, fractures ...) Cage rest followed by letting them loose is not ideal and can lead to you having to pay for a second expensive surgery. Lack of rehabilitation allows poor movement patterns to develop setting your pet up for long term pain and dysfunction. I can assess your dog so that appropriate exercises are performed at each stage of recovery. Physiotherapy can enhance healing, manage pain, promote symmetry and reduce complications which means your dog will walk with a better pattern sooner, will get more benefit from their on-lead walking during rehab and be back playing with their usual enthusiasm.
And much more. Ask me about other animals: cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, sheep, stud rams, pet lambs, ...
My area of expertise is horses and riders. I'm happy to assist with farm animals and straight forward issues such as sports injury, post surgery rehab, maintaining mobility in older pets etc. If it is something more complex (eg. severe spinal injury/paraplegia) please phone me to discuss, there are other Physios (mostly based in Perth) who's area of
expertise is dogs. We may be able to arrange a plan where you see them several times and
liaise with me for a few follow-up appointments to help reduce the number of times you
have to travel to Perth.
About me
Annette Bowen
BSc. Phys. Dist., MSc. Vet. Phys. (University of Liverpool), APAM. PhD Student CSU.
Since 2008 I have been working in rural private practice, starting AB Physiotherapy Services in 2012. I have previously been on the Animal Physiotherapy Group (APG) committee for 9 years and was involved in the development of training and presenting for Physiotherapists to work with animals, planning the biannual conference and advocating for animal Physiotherapy on various policy and legislation issues. I'm an amateur rider and professional physiotherapist. I currently have five horses and two cats. Each animal/ client teaches you something and I am always learning. During 2014/15 I undertook a project researching myofascial trigger points in equine pectoral muscles, which was accepted for publication in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science http://www.j-evs.com/article/S0737-0806(15)30060-5/abstract. I am currently doing my PhD on assessment movement quality in horses. Research answers more questions not just to help solve a problem for me/ my horses/ clients but research benefits the whole industry with the capacity to improve animal welfare and puts the evidence behind what we do.
Victoria Farm, North Doodlakine, Central Wheatbelt, Western Australia. No referral necessary.
Please note if you are just after a quick fix, wanting a massage, or aren't committed to undertaking several weeks of an exercise program then this service is not for you.
Please note I am currently doing my PhD, so a limited number of consults are available by appointment only.
Phone me to discuss you individual Physiotherapy needs
mob.0407 300 402
