The new book “Horse Movement: Structure, Function and Rehabilitation” has been through the final stages of editing and is now with the designer.  Had an email from Hilary Clayton this morning (she is going to write the foreword) saying she is really looking forward to reading it.  Make sure you have it on your list for when it becomes available in March.  I must admit that there has been an incredible amount of interest in it pre-publication, so my co-author, Lex, and I are really looking towards doing all the promo stuff.  Will be in my California practice in March and some of my clients are going to put on special events to mark the book launch, so really looking forward to that.  Particularly looking forward to some California sun.

Another project that I have on the go is the International Symposium in Animal Musculoskeletal Practice which will take place at Warwick Conference Centre on 28-30th November 2014 www.isamp.org.  Some of my ASSVAP colleagues and I are arranging it all.  We have attracted some of the very best international speakers, including Hilary Clayton, for 3 days of some of the most interesting animal therapy research and practice in the world.  Book early to avoid disappointment.  This will be a great year for ASSVAP, not only because of the conference, but because I have made it plain in the new book that ASSVAP members are just the very best practitioners in the veterinary physiotherapy sector, so we will be getting a lot of attention worldwide, and ASSVAP members will get the recognition they deserve.

On top of all this I am a member of the committee discussing the regulation of veterinary physiotherapists.  I must admit that as we have not yet discussed the minimum education requirements required to practice, I am hoping that there will not be too many students who will be disappointed that the standard of their education will not meet up to our requirements.

Off to the Chiropractor now for some treatment on my poor old back……………………..

Over 6 months ago I terminated my involvement with an animal college in the provision of a BSc in vet physio.  I did so because I was told that there was no way that they would teach what I feel is the vital part of any vet physio course, anatomy, to the level and depth that I required, and I was told that “veterinary physiotherapists do not need to know anatomy, they only need to know the points of the horse or dog”!!  So horrified was I about the complete lack of interest in quality tuition and high-level content, I had hoped that removal of my support would be an end of it.    However, I was very concerned to be told that another veterinary physiotherapy association has decided to back this course.  One can only shudder at the quality of the so called “veterinary physiotherapists” that will graduate from this and other courses.   I also understand that a number of other colleges are planning vet physio degrees.  The lure of “bums on seats for £9000 per year” would appear to override the profession’s need for highly skilled physios to build on what I and a number of other vet physios have struggled for years to achieve.  What will be the standard of these graduates’ skill and professionalism?  With dozens of these poorly trained graduates flooding onto the market every year, how are we to maintain standards of animal welfare?  Hashing up a Vet Nurse degree to superficially look like a vet physio degree will not cut it in my professional opinion.  Down that path lies grave danger.

I know that many students and potential students of vet physio read my blog, and contact me by email asking for my opinion of certain “courses”.  Safe to say that I tell them exactly what my opinion is.  I would be happy to publish on this blog the views of others who may have a different opinion.

There are others that I need to thank:

Amber and Naomi Franklin of the Lazy Acres Event Team

Sarah Stretton of Stretton Event Team

Russell Guire of Centaur Biomechanics

Helen Morrell of Surrey Vet Physio

Well, better get back to writing, watch this space for more news.  Gail

ASSVAP have received a lot of press interest and I have been giving a number of press interviews.  Because of my role as an accredited, independent spokesperson for the Science Media Centre (www.sciencemediacentre.org) I am usually the first person that journalists contact.  As a result hits on the ASSVAP website (and on my website) have gone through the roof with people wanting to find out more information.  The downside is that the ASSVAP website has been hit by spammers, and we have had to take it down to clean it up.  There are obviously some very sad people in the world with nothing better to do with their time.

On top of all this is the writing of the new book – working title “Equine Locomotion; Form, Function and Rehabilitation”.  The deadline is for the end of June (panic!!!) and my co-author and ace illustrator Lex McKenna and I are working very hard.  Our Publishers, Allen’s, are very excited by it and you will see it being promo’ed shortly.

Then, last but not least, is the BSc in Veterinary Physiotherapy that I am writing for delivery by ASSVAP and our university partners, from September 2013.  Again, watch the press and internet for details.

Well better stop wasting my time blogging – better get back to work.  Gail

Next day I awoke to beautiful California sunshine, picked up my hire car and drove 2 hours up the Ventura Highway to Santa Ynez.

Nicole with Beake (one of her advanced horses) and Smoochie, her Australian Heeler dog.

Got to the fabulous Freestyle Farm (my base for the next week) run by Brad and Nicole Chastain Price.  Brad trains and competes “cow horses” – reining, cutting etc., and Nicole is highly respected dressage trainer and rider.  Go to her website at www,nicolechastain.com.

Brad and Nicole run the tightest ship I have ever seen.  Everything is spotlessly clean, tack cleaned after every use, horses in great condition, all set in the most spectacular scenery.

I was in the “guest suite” which was perfect for my needs, with a small kitchen, bedroom/sitting room and bathroom.  I unpacked my stuff and then headed down to the fantastic El Rancho Supermarket, deli and coffee shop, to stock up for my stay.

Next day was a big day – a demonstration clinic for local vets, riders/trainers at Freestyle Farm.  Los Angeles equine vet, David Burgermeister, hauled three horses up to SYV in his massive pick up and trailer, for me to examine.

David’s wife, Jenifer, is one of California’s top dressage riders and she has some beautiful horses, two of which were in my clinic, the fabulous Grand Prix horse, Andy, and her just backed three year old Colt, DJ, both big black warmbloods with bags of presence and power.

This is how they transport horses in California – David’s trailer.

DJ was a bit of a handful for a demo clinic, but we managed!  The other horse that David and Jenifer brought to the clinic was another Grand Prix dressage horse, Dante, who had retired from competition and now used as a schoolmaster, by one of Jenifer’s pupils.  Dante was an excellent demo horse, as he had a number of issues that would be expected in a horse who has been worked at a high level, and I was able to give his owner some good advice on rehab schooling and massage, and I demonstrated the use of the H-wave for lumbo-sacral mobilisation.

I also saw a western Quarter horse.  Most of the western ridden horses are quarter horses, and they do work them very hard from a very early age.  For example, one of the high speed sliding stops, is expected from a 4 yo and as a consequence they suffer many hock and back issues.  This particular horse was lame, but I demonstrated how to help him until a full lameness workup could be arranged with the owner’s vet.

It was a long and tiring day but it didn’t stop there.  Unfortunately one of my other referring vets, Lex McKenna, who keeps her horse Reo at Freestyle Farm, discovered him lame in the field.  He presented with a wound on the medial right fetlock, and with a temperature of 105F.  Our concern was immediate because they have a nasty virus called “Dryland” in California, which causes high temperature and abscesses, some of which can be in the abdominal cavity and fatal.  Lex managed to clean up the wound and give him antibiotics, just in case it was an infection from a cut.  Poor Reo then had a bad reaction to the antibiotics and his heart rate and respiration went through the roof.  After about 30 mins of worrying, his HR started to drop and he looked a lot better.  We decided that there was nothing else that we could do, so we bandaged the wound, put him in a quiet stable, and David, Jenifer, Lex, Brad, Nicole and I all went for dinner at a fabulous Mexican restaurant, with the best Margaritas I have ever tasted.  When we got back to Freestyle Farm, Reo’s temperature had dropped a little and his HR and resp were normal.

Massive “Dryland” abscess erupting on poor Reo’s shoulder

Unfortunately, as we later discovered, Reo did have Dryland, and developed a massive abscess on his shoulder (see pic).  Reo was rushed to the nearest Equine Hospital for scans which thankfully showed no abdominal abscesses but he was spiking a very high fever again.  As of now (3 weeks later) Reo is still very poorly with the abscess working its way down his leg and his temperature going up and down.  He is still eating and being very brave and we are all hoping that he recovers.  Sending hugs and kisses Reo xx

The next 7 day were just full out home visits, to treat some lovely horses for some fabulous owners.  I saw some beautiful top class dressage horses that belong to a former USA Olympic Dressage Champion (who is now a USA selector) and who has some wonderful liveries for pupils and professional riders.

I was also lucky enough to see and treat “Duek”, who was Antonio Banderas’ horse in the film “Zorro”.  Duek is now 18 (he was 3 in the film) and he has been a little poorly recently, with liver problems, but he is on the road to recovery.

Me and Duek

When I got to his stable he wasn’t there (he apparently has free range all over the ranch where he lives with his owner and trainer Kristi Ullman).   Kristi, opened his stable door, put her fingers in her mouth and whistled.  About 15 seconds later there was the sound of galloping hooves, and Duek did a handbrake turn around the corner of the stable block, trotted into his stable, turned around, shut the door with his teeth and slid the bolt on using his lips!!!!  Amazing – I have never seen anything like it.  Of course the down side is that he can let himself out just as easily which is why he free ranges.  He showed me some more of his tricks, he bowed to me, you can give him a number between 1 and 10 and he will stamp the number you give him with his front foot and lots of other tricks.  He still appears regularly in Film and Television roles, and was most recently seen in CSI.  He is also still regularly seen on the local dressage circuit, of which he is a former Champion.

Duek’s own label!!

Kristi also gave me a bottle of wine from their own vineyard, with an image of Duek on the label.  Kristi offered me their fantastic guest house for my next trip, so hopefully will see more of Duek and his friends.

After a whirlwind week, of treating horses in fabulous ranches in SYV, it was time all too soon to leave the warm Californian sunshine and return to the cold and damp UK!  Can’t wait to go back in March.  Big thanks to Lex McKenna for all her hard work arranging it, and Catherine Gallegos for doing all the PR.  See you all soon.