Equine physiotherapists Hannah Foley and Laura De’Ath tell Natasha Baluchi how childhood experiences shaped their career ambitions and why education is at the heart of their roles
HAVE you ever noticed an animal behaving differently and thought that something is not quite right?
While many owners may only notice obvious signs of discomfort, Hannah Foley and Laura De’Ath are among Jersey’s small number of equine physiotherapists. Their experience of identifying the smallest changes in an animal’s posture, movement and behaviour helps them to keep horses comfortable and performing at their best.
Horse welfare has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years, with owners, trainers and governing bodies placing greater emphasis on the importance of understanding horses’ physical and behavioural needs.
Laura qualified as a veterinary physiotherapist in 2018 and was inspired to start a career within the industry after her childhood horse had a lot of issues.
“My horse, Reba, had a lot of muscular, skeletal and reproductive issues. She went under a lot of investigation and a lot of rehabilitation, so I was inspired at a young age,” she reflected.
“I saw how many different professionals it took to help one horse. It wasn’t just a vet. There were physiotherapists, saddlers, trainers and other specialists. I knew I wanted to be part of that team.”
After working in the UK, Laura relocated to Jersey and opened her business, Laura Jane Vet Physio.
“I take on a holistic and whole-horse body approach by identifying areas that need help, whether they have diagnosed issues or whether it’s for maintenance or performance,” she explained.
Hannah’s story is slightly different. She worked as a human physiotherapist after qualifying in 2013 and after gaining experience dealing with people, she completed a master’s degree in veterinary physiotherapy, before starting her business, Hannah Foley ACPAT Chartered Physiotherapist.
Similarly to Laura, Hannah’s route into equine physiotherapy was inspired by her own horse, Rory. He had several issues and received regular physiotherapy, allowing her to see the difference such treatment made to him.
“That really inspired me because I could see how much it improved his comfort, function and performance,” she said.
Although they run their businesses independently, Laura and Hannah have found value in working as a team and sharing their knowledge.
“Self-employment can be a bit lonely, so it’s nice to be part of a little team with the same goal,” Hannah said. “It’s good to get two brains on things.”
Hannah believes her background in human physiotherapy gives her a broader perspective, as “both horse and rider influence each other”.
“Human and veterinary physiotherapy link together,” Hannah explained. “We’re looking at the rider too because they both influence each other.”
Yet, unlike humans, horses do not have the ability to voice how they are feeling. Instead, they often mask their emotions as a survival instinct, the pair say.
“Horses are prey animals and they’re very stoic,” continued Hannah. “They hide their pain the best way they can, so they will often suffer in silence.”
That is why, she says, “looking out for subtle behavioural indicators” has vast importance in understanding how a horse is feeling.
“A lot of it is actually education,” stated Hannah, “because sometimes it might just be that [the owner] doesn’t know how their horse is feeling.”
Every appointment begins with a comprehensive assessment. Each horse is assessed statically, with the women looking at its posture, muscle balance and muscle symmetry, before watching how it moves.
Hands-on examinations then allow them to identify areas of tension, reduced mobility and muscular compensation that could otherwise develop into more significant issues.
“We’re looking at things like posture, muscle symmetry and how they’re moving and putting all of those pieces together to understand how the horse is compensating,” Laura said.
The aim for both physiotherapists is not just to treat existing problems but to prevent injuries and discomfort from developing in the first place.
“Horses aren’t designed to be ridden,” Hannah explained. “Our job is to give them the best chance to be as comfortable and as strong as possible in the right places, so they are able to carry the weight of the rider.”
The pair regularly work alongside other medical professionals, including vets, saddlers and trainers to provide a “holistic approach to horse care”.
“It takes a village to help a horse be as comfortable as possible,” Hannah said.
The collaborative approach was recently highlighted during a series of clinics in Jersey with internationally recognised horse trainer and author Simon Cocozza.
“Part of my job is watching which part of the body should be moving but isn’t,” he said.
Rather than focusing solely on riding techniques, the clinics brought together physiotherapy, training methods and rehabilitation with the aim of improving each horse’s movement and overall wellbeing.
“The whole ethos of the sport is changing,” Simon explained. “Old methods are now being seen as unacceptable as people are watching it from a perspective of ethics too. That means the horse has to have good body workers.
“It requires a deep understanding of the nature of the horse, both physiologically and psychologically.”
He believes physiotherapists are playing an important role in that.
“What I’m seeing is that their work can prevent veterinary problems from escalating to the point where the horse needs medical intervention,” Simon said.
“The better [the physios are] at their job, the healthier horses stay, so they don’t have to go to the vet or they don’t need surgery,” he added.
For Laura and Hannah, the clinics helped to reinforce the message that successful rehabilitation is about collaborating as a community.
“We can treat a horse, but it also needs correct training afterwards,” Laura said. “Otherwise, we’re constantly treating the same problems.”
The response from the local equestrian community has been very positive, they say, with owners of all ages attending the clinics.
“Many said they left equipped with more knowledge about how their horses move and practical exercises,” Laura said. “They have guidance and they have a plan now.”
“The attendees of the clinic have been amazed by the transformations that Simon has achieved,” Hannah exclaimed.
And further transformations are likely, as the profession continues to evolve.
Advances in diagnostics, a greater understanding of equine biomechanics and a growing awareness of welfare are all shaping the future of horse care.
While access to specialist equipment is limited in the Island, Hannah and Laura believe that education and preventative treatment can reduce the number of horses that will need such tools.
“The welfare will continue to be strengthened by collaborative working,” Laura said.
“Also, technology means that diagnostics are getting so much better. We have things like MRI and nuclear scintigraphy, which really helps us locate where a horse has got a problem, and then we can directly treat it,” Simon added.
Looking ahead, Laura and Hannah hope to expand rehabilitation opportunities, and continue to collaborate with other veterinary professionals and offer support to horses and riders around the Island.
“It’s such a rewarding job. I love being able to rehabilitate my horse, Enzo, and having the skills to be able to rehabilitate his lameness to get him back to being a happy ridden horse,” said Hannah with a smile.
“Seeing horses progress and enjoying the work makes it worth it,” Laura added.
Despite their ambitions, they both remain motivated by the same goal that first inspired them to join the profession: improving the lives of horses.
Whether that is simply being there for the horse, directing it into better health or using their professional experience to educate owners, everything has welfare at its centre.
And as awareness of equine welfare continues to grow, both physiotherapists hope owners will become more confident in recognising subtle changes before they develop into more serious problems.
“Understanding your horse is the first step towards safeguarding its welfare,” Laura summed up.
