Physiotherapist
How I make it work: Both my partner and my mum assist with the childcare
WORK HORSE balance
The physiotherapist, who treats horses, dogs and humans, runs her own business and confesses to being motivated by making a difference to how her patients feel
My job…
I’m a self-employed physiotherapist, specialising in equine physiotherapy, although I do treat some dogs and humans. In the past, I’ve also worked on a rabbit, a goat and a cow. I’m based in Gloucestershire and work with a range of horses, from racehorses and dressage and event horses to happy hackers and non-ridden family pets. In the last 12 months the smallest horse I’ve treated was a miniature who was 26in tall and the largest an 18.3hh Shire. They all have very different issues, which I love. I wouldn’t want to specialise and see the same group of problems over and over.
My human patients are a mixture, too, from horse riders who are stiff or have had an injury to those with awkward jobs involving a lot of bending, such as farmers and builders, and also a few older people who have had knee or hip replacements. Sometimes I do home visits, while on other occasions patients come to my house.
I think my human, canine and equine clients are always glad to see me. The horses can be reluctant at first, though, because they are feeling stiff and sore, but once I get them moving and feeling better I can see them relax.
How I got here…
Working with horses hadn’t been my original intention. I studied physiotherapy at the University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol and graduated in 2010. One of my lecturers knew that I loved horses and told me about the new equine physiotherapy masters degree that was starting the following year. It seemed like a natural progression and so I applied. I then studied part time while working as a physiotherapist for the NHS.
I qualified in 2012 and then my working life became a bit crazy. I worked full time for the NHS within Gloucestershire Health & Social Care and spent my evenings and weekends doing private veterinary physiotherapy to build up a client base. I worked at a small animal veterinary practice on Saturday mornings and then went out visiting horses. I was working until 10pm most nights. After two years I went part time with the NHS, and in 2015 handed in my notice. The other girls in the physio office wondered how I was going to manage without a regular salary, but my bookings diary filled up overnight. I was able to cut back on my evening and weekend work, too, but my partner, Tim, still recalls that when we met in 2018 I would be out by 7am and not back until 7pm.
My horses…
My most
