Armstrong Physiotherapy

29/08/2026

This summer has been busy as always. Juggling pony club activities, family time, and getting all my work done. (The house has been a little neglected).

I am so grateful to all my clients for continuing to trust me to help with your horses and with your own health. It's so great to hear about your progress and achievements too, be they big or small 😎

Now we have Emily's diary up and running to offer more equine physio availability the wait time for space in my diary is much better too. So if you were holding off because you thought I was too busy then worry no more 😊

Every day is different in my diary between equine physio, rider physio, treating your family members here and there, and pilates classes, it can seem quite chaotic! But I'm so lucky to have been able to build a job that I look forward to and enjoy.

New ideas are in development for the future as well 😉

09/08/2026

Emily has availability for Equine Physio appointments in the Aboyne/Torphins area on Monday 17th August late afternoon.

Contact - 07577878716
[email protected]

07/08/2026

We believe animal owners should be able to choose a musculoskeletal practitioner with confidence. We believe veterinary professionals should have trusted referral pathways. And we believe practitioners should be recognised for meeting high standards of education, professionalism and ethical practice.

The recent DEFRA public consultation on proposals to reform the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 represents an important milestone for everyone involved in veterinary healthcare. It is a significant step forward in the ongoing journey to strengthen the profession, better protect the public and their animals, and support the professionals working within it.

We are incredibly grateful to the organisations and individuals who have contributed their time, knowledge, and expertise throughout this process. Meaningful change is only possible through collaboration, and it is encouraging to see so many people invested in the future of our profession.

Together, we have the opportunity to help build a future where professionalism, transparency and public confidence continue to grow for the benefit of animals, owners, veterinary professionals and the wider musculoskeletal community.

05/08/2026

Such good information in this article.

Did you catch this latest article in Horse & Hound?

As professionals it is important for us to ensure our team practice to our gold standard guidelines, it’s incredibly important for us to raise awareness of where owners can find practitioners who are qualified, insured and committed to their education.

If you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, be sure to check it out!

30/07/2026

I am really happy to let you know that Emily McQuillian has now joined the Armstrong Physiotherapy team. Her diary is now open for bookings either by sending an email to [email protected] or by contacting Emily direct on 07577878716.

Emily is a newly qualified Equine Physiotherapist and has come on board under Anna's mentorship to support her learning and development. She is fully insured and is registered with The Register of Animal Musculoskeletal Practitioners (RAMP).

We are offering an introductory discounted rate for anyone who books in the next 2 months. Appointment cost will be £60 per horse (+/- mileage cost) for bookings in August and September.

Emily's mileage zones are slightly different to Anna's so we will have both versions of the map available soon.

22/07/2026

21/06/2026

It was so great to get this photo today with big smiles from horse and rider. I first met Womble in May 2025 when he was coming to the end of 5 months of box rest from a nasty leg wound that had required surgery and skin grafting. It has been a real pleasure working with Womble and his owner Natalie as we negotiated his rehab from box rest, to turnout, and back into ridden work. Today they went to their first dressage test together and received a 72%. They absolutely deserve to have a fun summer together. 😎

15/06/2026

𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗥𝗧: 𝗘𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗜𝗡𝗙𝗟𝗨𝗘𝗡𝗭𝗔 𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗦 𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗜𝗡 𝗔𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗥𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗙𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗝𝗨𝗡𝗘 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 ⚠🦠🐴

The Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance (EIDS) service have just reported an outbreak of equine influenza (flu) in 3 unvaccinated horses on a premises in Aberdeenshire, with other horses also affected by signs, but not yet tested. Clinical signs included: cough, nasal discharge, fever, inappetence and lethargy. Positive diagnoses were confirmed on 12 June 2026 by qPCR on nasopharyngeal swabs. One case has also been reported in Fife (also an unvaccinated horse), with the diagnosis confirmed on 11 June 2026.

We strongly advise booking a vaccination for any horse which has not had a booster in the past 6 months (i.e. bring their next booster forwards), and restarting any lapsed/unvaccinated horses. Vaccinated horses can still pick up the virus, but generally are less severely affected and less likely to spread it to other horses. Immunity is highest within 6 months after the last vaccination.

Remember - flu can travel several km in the air in favourable conditions, so it can reach and affect any horse, whether they travel and are in contact with other horses or not. It's a nasty illness, so worth preventing. Be aware, local competition centres/yards with arena hires, may soon request proof of vaccination within the past 6 months, if they aren't already. Horses also cannot be competed under FEI/BD/BS/BE/BRC/PC/BHA/Endurance GB rules within 7 days after vaccination, so ensure to be organised with timings.

Strangles vaccines can be given at the same time or separately to flu vaccines.

This link provides additional useful information for horse owners, including advice on spotting signs of flu and managing flu outbreak situations on yard: https://bit.ly/4cEm8vD

𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘂𝘀 𝗮 𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝟬𝟭𝟮𝟮𝟰 𝟳𝟰𝟬𝟳𝟬𝟬 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 𝘃𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀.

03/06/2026

A less exciting update today, unfortunately I have had to make the decision to set up mileage zones, I have attempted to draw a basic map of the areas, if you're not sure where you land just give me a shout and I can let you know.

Details
Within the orange circle (up to 30 minutes drive) No Fee
Up to the pink squiggle (up to 1 hour drive) £5 per person/horse
Within the Blue area (South of the River Dee and out to Aboyne) £10 per person/horse.

I may be able to reduce/waive fees if I have multiple horses at one address for certain areas, this would be on an individual basis. Group bookings are great, but can be caught out by people cancelling once a discount has been arranged, and just causes more admin time.

Anyone currently on a subscription or a block booking is exempt from travel fees.

This is active from 1st June 2026.

29/05/2026

I'm excited to be gearing up to add Tecartherapy (radiofrequency) to my toolbox courtesy of Winback. This machine works on humans and horses. 👍 More info coming soon 👀