The use of training aids in this industry is a very taboo subject. Some people love them, and some hate them. I wanted to write this peiece to explore what the aims of each training aid was and the potential drawbacks of them in general and when they are not used approriatly. The biggest question is how useful are they and could they potentially replace the need for a remedial exercise plan? 

Canine remedial exercise prescription is very versatile, with each exercise having a range of progressions to suit both injury recovery and performance enhancement. However, compared with horses, dogs can often be more strong-willed and, in my experience, if they do not want to do an exercise, they simply will not do it!

Equine remedial exercise prescription can be made up of various different exercises, some can be conducted in the stable, some can be conducted while riding and some may involve ground work. My overall aim when prescribing exercises is to ensure we work towards our end goals and create a well rounded balanced horse. 

Remedial exercise prescription... The part of physio everyone dreads. I know we do as humans from my own personal experiences: casually forgetting and blowing it off with a "there's always tomorrow". So when there is the added effort of not only completing your own remedial exercise prescription but also completing your animal's exercises, it can feel very overwhelming, and I completely resonate with that. 

Throughout my education, I was taught that manual therapies are the superior modality and are often the most effective treatment option available. During my clinical placements and as I progressed into professional practice, I began to appreciate this more fully, consistently observing the difference in tissue quality, movement and comfort before and after the application of manual therapy.