E.R.S. Events & News

Myhre Equine Clinic is proud to announce the addition of Jennifer Brooks PT, CERP (Certified Equine Rehabilitation Practitioner) and proprietor of Equine Rehabilitation Services, LLC, to the clinic staff. Ms. Brooks brings many years of experience and skill not only as an educated, licensed human physical therapist but also as an educated equine physical therapist. Therefore she is qualified to provide the highest-quality rehabilitation methods and the widest range of modalities to our equine patients.

Until recently, there have been large gaps in the rehabilitation options offered to equines as compared to humans. The idea of animal rehabilitation and physical therapy has been catching on in the United States. Physical therapy on animals is an emerging profession, represented by qualified physical therapists who are employing their physical therapy skills for the benefit of animals. Countries such as Belgium, Australia, England, Canada, and France have been treating animals with physical therapy for twenty years with positive results. The most common domestic mammals (dogs, cats, and horses) have connective-tissue physiology similar to humans; therefore, the same tissue-healing principles commonly used in human physical therapy can be applied to them. Animals, like people, whether working or domestic pets, become injured, undergo surgery, and have the same potential to heal.

Physical therapy is a dynamic profession with an established theoretical and scientific base, with widespread clinical applications in the restoration, maintenance, and promotion of optimal physical function. Equine rehabilitation is the application of physical-therapy treatment protocols with proven efficacy in the human field adapted specifically to horses: facilitating the healing process, restoring soft tissue flexibility, restoring muscular strength, and restoring the functional mobility skills of coordination and balance, all with the goal of returning the horse back to his pre-existing level of optimal performance prior to his injury, illness, or surgery.

The role of the equine physical therapist is one of a trans-interdisciplinary approach, just as it has been practiced for years in human medicine. This involves the therapist working with the veterinarian, the trainer, the farrier, other adjunct practitioners, and most importantly the owner, with the common objective of rehabilitating the horse. The specific goals are to alleviate impairment, reduce disability, and improve function. These approaches complement one another to achieve the ideal of total health, returning the horse to full recovery, faster. This not only encompasses both orthopedic and neuromuscular principles, but also incorporates exercise physiology, biomechanics, and performance enhancement.

Physical therapy provides a unique role by employing a variety of tissue healing modalities, by using skilled manual techniques, and by incorporating neuro-muscular exercise training, all to regain optimal functional outcomes essential for the equine to return to the previous level of performance.

It is skill and knowledge, combined with experience, and complemented by the use of modalities, that make physical therapy a profession of excellence when addressing your horse's rehabilitation. Modalities often complement the actual treatment, such as when ultrasound is employed to heat deeper tissues prior to stretching. PT treatments seldom focus on the use of just one modality without the skill of manual therapy and a regimen of subsequent specific exercises. Using a combination of a variety of manual therapies, modalities, and prescribed exercise, along with owner education and veterinary medicine, enhances the healing process to return the horse to functional work quicker and more efficiently than "stall rest" alone.

Myhre Equine Clinic is dedicated to providing you and your horse the most up-to-date treatment, based on your horse's needs. Below is a list of PT services we now provide to enhance healing and promote a faster recovery from illness, injury, or surgical intervention.

• PT Consultation: viewing and discussion of the horse's clinical scenario to determine if the horse is a candidate for PT services.
• PT Evaluation: a full body examination to determine what deficits are present to address with treatment.
• PT Plan of Care: a detailed evaluation write-up, listing the problems to be addressed and the manner in which treatment will be carried out, is provided to each owner prior to treatment.
• Modalities: therapeutic ultrasound, LASER, heat, cold, Game-Ready compression pump, electrical stimulation, iontopharesis, phonopharesis, etc.
• Manual Therapy: joint mobilization, cross friction massage, stretching of restricted tissues, soft-tissue mobilization, a variety of massage techniques, etc.
• Prescribed Exercise Programs: passive range of motion, stretching programs, hand-walking progression, stifle rehabilitation protocols, core stability strengthening, post-partum and colic rehabilitation, tendon and ligament recovery protocols, etc.
• Lay-up Massage: Horses can benefit from full or partial body massage to reduce pain, increase circulation, and reduce anxiety and stiffness while recovering from surgery or while on lay-up.
• Rider Evaluation: Often, the rider can contribute to many physical ailments, imposing injury or imbalances on the horse. Mounted and unmounted rider evaluations are important in identifying the rider's asymmetries, with the goal of preventing interference with the horse's normal movement patterns.

How do I get PT for My Horse?