In safe hands

It requires time, effort and knowledge alongside the right facilities to return a horse to fitness after injury, surgery or even just a break. Leslie Bliss discovers what specialist rehabilitation centres offer

REHABILITATION centres may be popping up all over the country, but they’ve been around far longer than you might imagine. Some 35 years ago, Pippa Woodall started her centre “slightly by accident”, together with her husband Richard, at their farm in Chessington.

“I love fixing things. I started by taking in anything on a break or box rest from the Epsom racing yards,” says Pippa, who can accommodate 17 inpatients. “We have 20x20ft boxes, a big barn, three restricted turnout pens, an 80ft horse walker, a TheraPlate, an ArcEquine therapy system microcurrent unit, and use various cold treatments.”

Pippa has dealt with a huge range of injuries and horses, but finds one of the most common reasons someone comes to her is for in-hand walking.

“My husband is extremely good at it. He doesn’t react to them leaping around and they just settle down,” she says, pointing out that a different environment is helpful. “We find that having several horses on box rest makes life easier.”

The other big advantage is the equipment that is to hand: “We have fantastic success with the TheraPlate. It increases blood flow, which is critical to reducing inflammation and speeds up healing dramatically. They just stand there, even two-year-old racehorses. Horses aren’t daft. They go on for a maximum of 20 minutes, two or three times a day,” explains Pippa, who charges £25 livery per day, including in-hand walking, ad-lib hay and feeds.

Treatments are then charged as extra at, for example, £5 per TheraPlate session.