Page 546 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse

In the past it has been difficult for horse owners to find out the qualifications and experience

of the plethora of therapists offering treatment for horses with back pain. In order to clarify
VetBooks.ir the situation The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons established the Veterinary Surgeons
(Exemptions) Order 2015 to allow the treatment of an animal by physiotherapy, chiropractic

and osteopathic treatment under certain conditions. The therapist must be over 18 years of
age and the treatment must have been prescribed by a vet who has examined the animal.

The purpose of this legislation is to allow a veterinary diagnosis to be established and to
rule out any underlying condition(s) that may be aggravated by such treatment, thus

providing the horse with protection from inexperienced and unqualified people.

Most vets work closely with qualified therapists and as these treatments are often used in
conjunction with conventional veterinary procedures, it is important to establish good
communication between every member of the team.

Qualifications

PHYSIOTHERAPY

A ‘chartered physiotherapist’ has a high level of academic and practical training in all aspects

of physiotherapy. They have the letters MCSP (Member of the Chartered Society of
Physiotherapy) after their names. Members of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists

in Animal Therapy are all fully qualified MCSP’s who have also trained in physiotherapy and
rehabilitation for animals with either a Postgraduate Diploma or Master of Science degree in
Veterinary Physiotherapy. Only people with either of these qualifications can call themselves

a ‘Veterinary Physiotherapist’.

CHIROPRACTIC

Qualified chiropractors are members of the General Chiropractic Council (GCC). They have

four years of training in human chiropractic techniques and are listed on the GCC website
www.gcc-uk.org. The International Academy of Veterinary Chiropractic (www.i-a-v-c.com),

Options for Animals College of Animal Chiropractic (www.optionsforanimals.co.uk) and the
McTimoney Chiropractic Association (www.mctimoneychiropractic.org) all train vets and
chiropractors in animal techniques. Following successful completion of the course theory and

practical examinations, these therapists are eligible to sit a further examination to become a
member of the International Veterinary Chiropractic Association (www.ivca.de).

OSTEOPATHY

All qualified osteopaths have taken a 4-5 year BSc course in human osteopathic medicine at