Merlin Physiotherapy

13/08/2026

Sooo I did a thing!
You can listen to my podcast episode on Curious Equestrian, and get some really helpful tips about breathing, riding biomechanics and the way it affects the horse...

It's on all major podcast channels, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Podbean, etc.

Here's the link to the YouTube video ⤵️😊
https://youtu.be/UQTxeKSowDQ?si=zu__KeVKhJzWyy2u

Please like & share it to your horsey friends!

Horse rider fitness usually means core work and gym programmes. Cha...

30/07/2026

Love a bit of crafting with my daughter in school holidays 😊
-Just painting random stuff!

28/07/2026

I just had an interesting thought!
So do you know what open-chain or closed-chain is?

It's physio-speak, to describe types of exercises.

Now, I don’t like strengthening exercises. Like REALLY don’t like it.

Which feels a bit wrong coming from my profession, knowing full well the benefits of strengthening.

BUT I just had an epiphany!..

✳️Basically, closed-chain means your body part that you’re strengthening, is in contact with something stable. Like the ground or a wall.

🙋‍♀️And open chain means it’s wafting around in the air.

➡️Being hypermobile, my shoulders are particularly weak & with a bit of instability.

So I've always hated the feel of anything pulling on them. Hence not wanting to do bicep curls, any weights, hanging off any bars, or anything like that.

But I do love the feel of my yoga-flows.

And it’s not because there’s no strengthening in there;
It helps that it’s not repetitive, boring, single-movement exercises with weights.

⭐️But it is inadvertently strengthening the rotator cuff -without realising.

Cos it includes some good shoulder pushing stuff.

🧏‍♀️💡And I’ve just cottoned onto the fact that it’s all closed-chain!

That’ll be why I personally would take a yoga-flow any day, over any other strengthening exercise;

Because it’s stabilising for my floppy joints.

-The contact gives pressure through the body, with proprioceptive feedback, switching on the muscles we want.

🎊Without the extra strain of having to stabilise the joints while moving weights around away from the body.

So yeh. Just thought that was interesting really.

Obviously it’s not applicable to everyone. But for those of us in the hypermobile gang, you might find yoga-flows are a much more acceptable way to go, to optimise your body for riding. 👍😄

27/07/2026

Sounds like a simple statement...

But how many people actually look at it together??

Ya get your horse 'treated' (physio, osteo, chiro, 'back person'),

A small percentage of riders do some form of rider exercise, some even get their own aches & pains treated.

But it's still highly unusual for people to actually get a joint horse & rider assessment, putting it all together!

And yet it's the vital component to keeping the horse's body working -without pain, or compensating for the rider's imbalances.

🤔Let's stop thinking of our bodies as 2 separate things.

⭐️⭐️ When you're on your horse, it's ONE biomechanical system.

26/07/2026

This sensitive mare was barely being ridden,
cos she headshook too much.

She had been seen by 2 vets, teeth checked, tried face masks/nose nets, different bits, etc.

You name it, she'd gone through all the things.

When I assessed her, there were a few spinal & rib joint stiffnesses,

But my overarching impression was that the thick lump of scar tissue

-from an undisclosed kissing spine surgery in her past-

was physically restricting her from being able to stretch through the supraspinous ligament,

And pulling on the attachment of the nuchal ligament to her skull.

Along with Physio every 6 weeks, I taught her amazing mum to massage & mobilise the scar tissue.

Maybe 4 months later, the whole dorsal chain was gliding freely
And she no longer headshakes!

Now if only the weather would be less extreme she could ride regularly again 🤦‍♀️

21/07/2026

If your horse's physio does joint mobilisations,

Ask them what grade they're doing when they're treating your horse...

➡️Not only does it check they're working safely within their Scope of Practice
(have the knowledge & skills to clinically reason the grade -based on joint feel & pain reactions),

⭐️ It'll give you a really useful discussion about what's going on with your horsey.

🚩-And if they don't know what grading is, that's a red flag they shouldn't be doing it!

(Some people see things on social media & it looks simple, but if they haven't been trained & assessed in the skill, don't understand the depths of assessment & WHY they're doing it, it can be harmful)

16/07/2026

Cranial thoracic spinal joint mobilisations (AKA withers lateral glides);

I often see horses that struggle to bend one side,
feel blocked or stick their bum in at the corners of the school,

Or can't make turns for jumps in one direction,
Or even feel like their napping on that rein...

Occasionally -VERY occasionally- there's a mild lameness underlying

But most of the time they're just stiff in their 'upper spine',
and don't have the lateral bend through their withers.

Plenty of reasons;
- natural sidedness (like being left/right handed)
- potentially saddle fit
- sometimes rider limiting their movement
- usually just haven't used it that way before!

Loosening it up makes a hell of a difference, often immediately 😊

15/07/2026

So many horsey mums say they can't afford the money or time

to get themselves treated, or do an exercise programme...

But honestly, think of the difference it makes
to the horse's back

(And whole body with compensations)

To not have a person sitting heavier on one side,

Or blocking their back from lifting...

It's far more selfless & putting your horse first, to sort out your old injuries, aches & pains, and stiffness

Than it is to get a fancy new numnah or posh smelling shampoo

14/07/2026

A conversation Riders should be interested in, while mobilising an ankle & toes...

10/07/2026

Not done that for a while; All 3 species in one day!
LOVE how versatile Physio is 😁

'A species hat trick' as a client said 😂