09/09/2026
๐ฃ ๐๐ฎ๐ฒ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ค
I recently saw a Facebook advert for a short online course offering the chance to become a โcertified animal therapistโ โ and hey presto, youโre free to assess and treat animals.
Honestly, this terrifies me.
Itโs exactly why I believe the animal therapy industry needs greater regulation and protection of professional titles.
There is a ๐๐๐๐ difference between completing a short course and becoming a ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ, followed by specialist training as an ๐๐๐๐๐ Physiotherapist.
My route involved a degree in human physiotherapy, qualifying as a ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ (a protected title), followed by a Masterโs degree in Veterinary Physiotherapy and registration as an ๐๐๐๐๐ Physiotherapist.
Thatโs ๐ฌ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐ฒ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ, covering anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, pathology, assessment, clinical reasoning and rehabilitation โ alongside extensive clinical experience.
It means understanding ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ you are treating, ๐ฐ๐ก๐ฒ you are treating it, ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ง treatment is appropriate, and ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ง something needs veterinary investigation or referral.
That is not comparable to a short online course with no clinical hours, hands-on training or direct supervision.
๐๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ.
And yet, to the average horse or dog owner, the difference may not be obvious.
A professional-sounding title.
A certificate on the wall.
A smart website.
A page.
๐๐จ๐ง๐ of these tell you what level of education or clinical competence sits behind the person treating your animal.
This is where ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ฅ๐ matters.
โPhysiotherapistโ and โChartered Physiotherapistโ are protected titles and can ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ only be used by professionals who meet the required standards and are registered with the HCPC.
By contrast, titles such as โanimal therapistโ, โveterinary physiotherapistโ, โequine physiotherapistโ and โcanine physiotherapistโ are ๐๐๐ protected in the same way.
This means ๐๐๐๐๐๐ can use these titles and have ๐ฏ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฅ๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐
A certificate does not automatically equal clinical expertise.
โ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐โ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ง โ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฆ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ.โ
And hereโs the really important bit:
๐ด Your horse canโt tell you where it hurts.
๐ถ Your dog canโt explain its symptoms.
๐ฉบ They rely on the person assessing them to recognise when something isnโt or is right.
So before booking an animal therapist, ask:
โ What is their underlying professional qualification?
โ How many years of education and clinical training have they completed?
โ Is their professional title protected or not?
โ Are they registered and regulated with a recognised professional body?
โ How much supervised clinical experience do they have?
โ Do they work appropriately alongside veterinary professionals?
โ What happens if they identify something outside their scope of practice?
This isnโt about attacking people who have completed animal therapy courses. Many are passionate, dedicated and genuinely want to help animals.
Itโs about making sure owners can make informed choices and understand the ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ฐ๐๐๐ง ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ, that ๐๐ง๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐งโ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐จ๐ญ๐ก ๐๐๐ง ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฆ โ๐๐ง๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ.โ
This is why regulation matters.
This is why protection of professional titles matters.
And ultimately, ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ฅ.
Donโt just ask:
โAre they certified?โ
Ask:
โ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ, ๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ๐ฆ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ?โ
Because when it comes to your horse or dog, a certificate isnโt necessarily the same thing as regulated clinical expertise. ๐ด๐ถ
