It’s officially been 5 years! Time for a re-introduction…
Hi, I’m Emily, a Doctor of Physical Therapy, (although you’re more likely to refer to me as ‘a physio’ when chatting at the barn) and I’m the person behind Physio Equine Solutions.
Ridden performance less than ideal?
As a rider, it’s inevitable that at some point in your journey you’re going to face physical difficulties that stop you from performing at your best in the saddle.
Whilst experiencing pain is often what causes people to reach out to me as a physiotherapist, it’s not always the case. It’s more common than you’d think to find you have a physical issue that’s affecting your riding but isn’t presenting any pain symptoms at all.
Riding pain free doesn’t necessarily mean you’re riding correctly. As a rider you know the alignment of your body has a huge impact on your horse which is where physical therapy can have an enormous impact on you and your horse’s performance.
If you’re struggling with your horse stumbling, it could be due to the uneven way you sit. The frustration of trying to get the correct lead or teach that new dressage move could be due to the way you hold your leg or twist your pelvis. These can be asymmetric and/or biomechanical issues that might not be presenting you with pain but are holding you back in your riding.
Being a problem solver
I became a Doctor of Physical Therapy because I love solving problems. Obviously, I don’t love that you have a problem with your riding, but I get so much satisfaction working with clients to find the underlying cause of what’s holding them back and working with them to resolve the issue. Peak performance is the ultimate aim.
Over the years I’ve refined my services into three main packages for clients. They’re all designed to cater for your needs regardless of whether you’re a pleasure rider or a 5* eventer. They all have the same aim which is for you to become the best partner for your horse.
Why Physical Therapy
That good old saying ‘prevention is better than cure’ has some truth in it. By addressing your muscle, joint and pain issues, you are more able to reduce the risk of future injuries. Not only that but you’re better equipped to avoid compensatory injuries and associated habits forming.
Through understanding your biomechanics and uncovering your riding strengths and limitations, you can then improve your skills and be able to influence your horse more effectively and efficiently.
Your Injuries Don’t Just Affect You
I understand how it feels to have injuries and hit a brick wall. I rode competitively in the hunter jumper world and sustained injury after injury. My coach at the time always got me back on and we would continue to practice until we got things right. But as we rose through the ranks of the competition world, it became clear the injuries I’d sustained were not only affecting me but my horse’s performance as well.
You may have experienced similar to what I was finding at that time. My coach could ride my horse with little or no issue but when I rode, she would trip and fall in on turns, something my previous horse had also struggled with. And that’s when it dawned on me that I was the problem. Those old injuries weren’t necessarily causing me pain, but they were affecting my riding.
Physical therapy isn’t just about riding pain free. It’s about enhancing your performance in the saddle so you can be the best rider and partner for your horse.
My Journey
Before becoming an equestrian Doctor of Physical Therapy, I was a successful physical therapist, working at a large urban level 1 trauma unit teaching hospital, where I specialized in the cardiac and critical care population.
It was when attending a conference and choosing which session to take to continue my physical therapy development that the following session caught my eye: “Olympic Equestrian Show Jumping: Physical Therapy Assessment, Conditioning, and Rehabilitation of Horse and Rider,” presented by Sharon Classon, PT and Mark Revenaugh, DVM.
And that is essentially what started my adventure of becoming a physical therapist skilled in the assessment and rehabilitation treatments of horse, humans and the equestrian team. It’s what sowed the seed of what is now Physio Equine Solutions.
How I Work
Offering a mobile service in Maryland means I can travel to you and your horse. I can also travel to you if you live outside of Maryland, just contact me for travel information. I also have facilities to hold assessments as my boarding barn in Maryland.
As a qualified and licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy I’ll help you understand your biomechanics and how you can improve any limitations through personalized exercises and training plans.
Here are the three programs (more information about how to work with me coming!) I’ve created for clients, ranging from knowing there’s a problem but not what the problem is, all the way through to assisting with recovery from surgery or injury.
Realign
This is my signature package where we start with an in person biomechanics assessment combining a joint and muscle examination on the ground alongside a mounted video. I use these to objectively study the movement of your body.
During the analysis I identify any problems you’re experiencing (often unaware of) and provide a personalized exercise training program which I monitor with you over several sessions to ensure your performance is optimized.
Reset
Getting you to peak performance is the main objective of physical therapy. This program looks at optimizing your movement to enable you to perform at your best. Co-ordination, balance and flexibility are just a few of the areas we look at.
Restore
If you’ve been unlucky enough to have had surgery, it may not come as a surprise to learn your biomechanics can change.
This strength and stability program is aimed at getting you back to your peak performance after surgery or sustaining an injury. It includes hands on physio to improve tissue extensibility, joint range of motion and increase relaxation as part of your recovery process.
Final Thoughts
Experiencing pain, anything from a small niggle to a full blown injury is normally the main reason people reach out to a physiotherapist. It’s clear in these instances what the problem is, and what needs to be done to fix it.
But if you’re finding it difficult to perform a particular skill or your ridden performance is less than you’d like it to be, a physiotherapist should be one of the first people on your list to consult.
The main purpose of physical therapy is to get you riding at your very best. It’s time that physical therapy is seen as the advantageous preventative measure rather than just something to be used during rehabilitation.
If you’re riding performance has been less than you’d like it to be, book a call with me today.
https://physioequinesolutions.com/contact-us/
