Maintenance & Care Physiotherapy for Horses and Dogs

What is Maintenance Physiotherapy?

Maintenance physiotherapy focuses on preventing injuries and maintaining optimal musculoskeletal health in healthy horses and dogs. Unlike rehabilitation physiotherapy, which treats existing injuries or post-operative conditions, maintenance care is proactive—identifying and addressing subtle issues before they develop into serious problems.

• This preventative approach is particularly valuable for:
• Competition horses (dressage, showjumping, eventing, racing)
• Working dogs (agility, flyball, gundogs, farm dogs)
• Performance animals requiring peak physical condition
• Senior horses and dogs maintaining mobility as they age
• Active pets with demanding exercise routines
• Animals transitioning from rehabilitation to ongoing maintenance

Regular maintenance physiotherapy sessions—typically every 4-8 weeks for competition animals and 8-12 weeks for general maintenance—help keep your horse or dog comfortable, mobile, and performing at their best.

Benefits of Maintenance Physiotherapy

Injury Prevention
Maintaining your animal’s optimal physical condition through manual therapy combined with ongoing exercise programs significantly reduces injury risk. By addressing minor muscle tension, joint stiffness, and movement compensations early, we prevent these issues from developing into major problems requiring extensive rehabilitation.

Early Detection
During maintenance sessions, I identify subtle issues such as:

• Muscle imbalances that could lead to compensatory injuries
• Gait abnormalities indicating emerging problems
• Reduced flexibility in specific joints
• Areas of muscle tension or atrophy
• Early signs of joint stiffness
• Postural changes

Early detection means quicker, simpler interventions rather than waiting until your animal is visibly lame or in pain.

Enhanced Performance
Even healthy animals benefit from improved comfort, mobility, and overall performance through maintenance physiotherapy. Competition horses and working dogs performing at high levels particularly benefit from:

• Optimised muscle function and symmetry
• Maintained joint flexibility and range of motion
• Reduced muscle soreness after intense work
• Improved recovery between training sessions or competitions
• Enhanced body awareness and proprioception

Extended Active Years
Regular maintenance care helps horses and dogs remain comfortable and active longer, particularly important for:

• Senior animals experiencing age-related stiffness
• Breeds prone to joint problems (Labradors, German Shepherds, large horse breeds)
• Animals with previous injuries that have fully healed
• Retired competition animals transitioning to lighter work

Who Benefits from Maintenance Physiotherapy?

Competition Horses

Dressage, showjumping, eventing, and racing horses benefit from regular maintenance to:

• Maintain suppleness and flexibility required for performance
• Prevent muscle strains from repetitive movements
• Optimise recovery between competitions
• Identify compensations from shoeing or tack issues
• Support demanding training schedules

Many competition yards schedule regular maintenance sessions during both competition and off-season periods.

Working and Sporting Dogs

Agility dogs, flyball competitors, working gundogs, performing physically demanding activities need regular maintenance for:

• Injury prevention from high-impact movements
• Maintaining flexibility for jumps and turns
• Managing repetitive strain from breed-specific work
• Supporting intensive training programs
• Optimising performance and consistency

Active Family Pets

Dogs enjoying regular long walks, running, hiking, or beach activities benefit from maintenance care to:

• Stay comfortable during and after exercise
• Prevent age-related stiffness
• Maintain quality of life
• Address minor issues before veterinary intervention is needed

Senior Animals

Older horses and dogs experiencing normal age-related changes benefit from maintenance physiotherapy every 8-12 weeks to:

• Maintain mobility and independence
• Manage early arthritis symptoms
• Reduce stiffness and discomfort
• Slow the progression of degenerative changes
• Improve quality of life in their golden years

Post-Rehabilitation Maintenance

Animals that have completed rehabilitation physiotherapy following injury or surgery often benefit from transitioning to maintenance care to:

• Prevent re-injury
• Maintain gains achieved during rehabilitation
• Monitor for early signs of compensation
• Support ongoing exercise programs

What Happens During a Maintenance Session?

Each mobile maintenance physiotherapy appointment in Lancashire and surrounding areas includes:

• Comprehensive Assessment (15-20 minutes)
• Review of your animal’s activity level since the last session
• Discussion of any concerns or changes you’ve noticed
• Gait analysis watching your horse or dog move to identify abnormalities
• Postural assessment evaluating standing posture and weight distribution
• Palpation hands-on assessment of muscle tone, symmetry, and areas of tension

Manual Therapy Treatment (30-40 minutes)
Hands-on therapy tailored to your animal’s needs, which may include:

• Therapeutic massage to relieve muscle tension and improve circulation
• Myofascial release addressing fascial restrictions
• Trigger point therapy for specific areas of muscle tightness
• Stretching to maintain flexibility and range of motion
• Joint mobilisation ensuring optimal joint movement
• Soft tissue mobilisation promoting tissue health

Exercise Recommendations (10-15 minutes)

• Demonstration of home exercises to maintain treatment benefits
• Activity modifications if needed
• Discussion of training or exercise program adjustments
• Guidance for exercises you can do at home (accessed via your client portal)

Documentation and Communication

• Detailed treatment notes recorded in your personal client portal
• Communication with your vet to inform them of findings (as required)
• Scheduling recommendations for next maintenance session

Session duration

Equine appointments typically last 60-90 minutes; Canine appointments 60-75 minutes.

Veterinary Referral Requirements for Maintenance Care

Following RCVS guidance released in November 2020 (Chapter 19 of the Code of Professional Conduct), veterinary referral is not required for maintenance physiotherapy on healthy animals.

However:

• If your animal is currently under veterinary care for an ongoing condition, a veterinary referral will be needed before treatment can begin – this would be [rehabilitation physiotherapy]
• Your horse or dog must be registered with a veterinary practice
• I will contact your vet to inform them prior to your appointment

This approach ensures coordinated care and professional oversight while allowing you to access preventative maintenance for healthy animals without unnecessary barriers.

Maintenance Physiotherapy Across Lancashire and Northwest England

I provide mobile maintenance physiotherapy services throughout:

• Lancashire: Accrington, Preston, Blackburn, Burnley, Lancaster, Chorley, Leyland, Ormskirk
• Greater Manchester: Manchester, Bolton, Bury, Rochdale, Oldham, Salford, Stockport, Wigan
• Cheshire: Warrington, Widnes, Runcorn, Northwich, Knutsford
• North Yorkshire: Skipton, Harrogate, Settle
• West Yorkshire: Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield, Halifax, Keighley

I travel to your home, yard, or stable, allowing me to assess your animal in their familiar environment and see how they move in their usual surroundings.

Pricing for Maintenance Physiotherapy

Equine Maintenance Physiotherapy: Initial £60 per session follow up £55
– Time onsite: 60-90 minutes
– Travel included within 17 miles of BB5 (Accrington)

Canine Maintenance Physiotherapy: Initial £50 per session follow up £45
– Time onsite: 60-75 minutes
– Travel included within 17 miles of BB5 (Accrington)

Travel: An added charge per mile maybe be added for appointments beyond 17-mile radius, this will be discussed when booking.

Discounts available for:
– Multiple horses treated at the same yard
– Block bookings (6+ sessions)
– Regular scheduled appointments

[Contact me] to discuss package rates for your competition yard or multiple animals.

Recommended Maintenance Frequency

Competition and working animals: Every 4-8 weeks during active season, every 8-12 weeks off-season

Active adult animals: Every 8-12 weeks

Senior animals: Every 6-10 weeks depending on individual needs

Post-rehabilitation: Initially every 4-6 weeks, spacing out as condition stabilises

I’ll discuss the optimal schedule for your horse or dog during your initial assessment.

Book Your Maintenance Physiotherapy Appointment

Keep your horse or dog in peak condition with regular maintenance physiotherapy.

New clients: [Register with OP Vet Physio] to create your personal client portal or contact me.

Existing clients: [Book your appointment] through your client portal

Have questions?

[Contact me] via phone, WhatsApp, or email

Not sure which pathway is right for your animal?

Visit our [Frequently Asked Questions] page or [contact me] to discuss your horse or dog’s needs.

If your animal is recovering from injury or surgery, see our [Rehabilitation Physiotherapy]page.

Olivia Prior Animal Physiotherapy Ltd | Olivia Prior BSc (Hons) Veterinary Physiotherapy
Mobile veterinary physiotherapy for horses and dogs
Serving Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Cheshire, and Yorkshire
IRVAP Registered | Fully Insured