How to Become an Equine Physical Therapist

When you become an equine physical therapist you will treat a variety of horse-related muscular and skeletal ailments and injuries. After an injury or surgery, an equine physical therapist helps a horse get back to normal. It's important to know how to massage and stretch a horse to improve its health and well-being.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Make sure you meet the prerequisites needed to become an equine physical therapist. Most students of an equine rehabilitation program must be a veterinarian, physical therapist, assistant veterinary technician, certified athletic trainer or are in the process of studying one of these fields.

2. Provide the school where you will study to become an equine physical therapist with a signed statement that you have the required amount of equine experience. An instructor has the right to drop you from attending further classes if they decide you do not have adequate skills.

3. Learn from the perspective of physical therapists and veterinarians. There is a lot you will be required to learn including basic equine anatomy, gait analysis, lameness evaluation and neurological examination.

4. Apply rehabilitation techniques including heat and cold therapy, therapeutic ultrasound, electrical stimulation and pain control. Learn about the physiological basics for therapeutic exercise including evaluation of post surgical rehabilitation.

Tips & Warnings

• Many of the treatment techniques you learn as an equine therapist are meant to be used as preventive measures to prevent injury rather than treating an injury when it occurs.

Who Can Help Sponsored

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