Sarah Barry Animal Physiotherapy

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Sarah Barry Animal Physiotherapy PgDip Veterinary Physiotherapy
BSc (hons) Equine Science
Small Animal Hydrotherapist

09/07/2025

‼️ 📢 Announcement 📢 ‼️

I am delighted to announce that we will now be offering equine assisted activities particularly focusing on therapeutic riding.

Each session will include a variety of games and other learning aids to stimulate the physical, cognitive and emotional development of the child or adult, in a fun, productive way.

I am very excited to welcome you all to Feathers' Farm 😆🐴

Now taking bookings 📖 ✏️

Send us a message to book or ☎️ 087 7771345.
💌 [email protected]

📍 Shanakill, Roscrea, Co.Tipperary

Mr Bailey 💙 Bailey was referred by the wonderful  for physio for hindlimb issues. He is coming on in leaps and bounds an...
26/04/2025

Mr Bailey 💙 Bailey was referred by the wonderful for physio for hindlimb issues. He is coming on in leaps and bounds and is such a lovely boy 🫶🏻 his owners are brilliant with his at home exercises speeding up his progress 🐶

25/04/2025

A 2017 study found that racehorses receiving corticosteroid injections were FOUR TIMES more likely to suffer musculoskeletal injuries. These weren’t minor lamenesses, they led to long layups, early retirements, and in some cases, catastrophic breakdowns. That stopped me in my tracks. When we inject a horse to keep them “sound,” are we treating the injury, or are we simply hiding the pain?

Corticosteroids are powerful anti-inflammatories. They offer quick relief, especially for sore joints, but repeated use has a risky side. Over time, corticosteroids can accelerate cartilage breakdown and damage the very structures we’re trying to protect. That’s not just theory, it’s been proven in multiple studies. One 2022 review published in Equine Veterinary Education warned that long-term use of corticosteroids, even in low doses, can lead to irreversible joint degeneration.

And it’s not just steroids. Treatments like IRAP (interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein) and PRP (platelet-rich plasma) are widely used, but the science behind them is still emerging. A recent meta-analysis found highly inconsistent outcomes with some horses showing improvement, and others none at all. These therapies show promise, but they are not miracle fixes. Their long-term benefits and risks remain unclear, especially when used repeatedly without a comprehensive rehab plan.

Even alternatives like Adequan and Polyglycan come with caveats. Adequan (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan) can help reduce inflammation and protect cartilage in the short term, but does not show lasting curative effects without rest or additional therapy. Polyglycan, often marketed as a joint lubricant, has been linked to increased bone proliferation and osteophyte formation. That means while it might make your horse feel better in the short term, it could be quietly encouraging abnormal bone growth that worsens arthritis and limits joint mobility over time.

It seems that most injections don’t fix the problem, they just silence the alarm bell. And when we quiet that bell without solving what caused it, we set the horse up for further breakdown. They keep working through masked pain, compensating, and eventually injuring something else. What seems like a solution quickly becomes a cycle of damage.

So, what does responsible use look like? It starts with intent. Injections should never be used as routine “maintenance” or as a preventative measure in otherwise healthy joints. There is no such thing as a preventative joint injection. Every time you inject a joint, you’re altering its natural chemistry and potentially weakening its future integrity. Instead, injections should be used after thorough diagnostics: imaging, flexions, lameness exams, and only as part of a comprehensive plan. That means rest. That means thoughtful rehab. That means time to retrain healthier movement patterns so the horse can come back stronger and more balanced, not just numbed. Injections can open a door to recovery, but they are not the recovery itself.

Responsible use also means reevaluating the workload. If a horse needs regular injections to keep doing the job, then maybe it’s the job that needs adjusting. I’m not saying injections are evil. They’ve done wonderful things for horses I’ve known and I’m not saying we should all stop injections forever. But if Beauty’s hocks need to be injected three times a year just to keep her jumping the 1.20s, maybe the 1.20s are no longer where she belongs. Maybe it's time to listen to what her body is telling us.

I’m not a vet. I don’t have a medical degree. I’m just someone who enjoys research and writing, and I would still argue that we need more research to ultimately determine what is "safe" for our horses. However, I do think it's important to be aware of what the science currently says, and having hard conversations about if the potential risk is worth the reward.

Your vet is your best friend in this process. Don’t change your horse’s care plan because someone on Facebook shared a study about joint injections being questionable…or because someone else said they’re harmless. Talk to your vet. Ask hard questions. Understand exactly what these drugs do, how long they last, and what they mean for your horse’s future soundness. Your vet knows your horse better than I ever could, and they want to help you make the best choices, not just the most convenient ones.

Studies used:

Johnson, B. J., et al. (2017). "Association between corticosteroid administration and musculoskeletal injury in Thoroughbred racehorses." Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 250(3), 296–302.

Textor, J. A., & Tablin, F. (2012). "Platelet-rich plasma in equine musculoskeletal therapy." Canadian Veterinary Journal, 53(8), 841–849.

Frisbie, D. D., & McIlwraith, C. W. (2014). "Evaluation of autologous conditioned serum and platelet-rich plasma for treatment of musculoskeletal injuries in horses." Equine Veterinary Education, 26(12), 572–578.

McIlwraith, C. W., et al. (2012). "Effects of intra-articular administration of sodium hyaluronate and polysulfated glycosaminoglycan on osteoarthritis in horses." EquiManagement Clinical Research Reports.

Burba, D. J., et al. (2011). "Evaluation of pentosan polysulfate sodium in equine osteoarthritis." Equine Veterinary Journal, 43(5), 549–555.

Garbin, L. C., Lopez, C., & Carmona, J. U. (2021). A Critical Overview of the Use of Platelet-Rich Plasma in Equine Medicine Over the Last Decade. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 8, 641818.

Boorman, S., McMaster, M. A., Groover, E., & Caldwell, F. (2022). Review of glucocorticoid therapy in horses: Intra-articular corticosteroids. Equine Veterinary Education, 35(6), 327–336.

Nedergaard, M. W., et al. (2024). Evidence of the clinical effect of commonly used intra-articular treatments of equine osteoarthritis. Equine Veterinary Education.

22/03/2025

Since my post on my stories a few days ago about a horse posted on an influencers reel that had incredibly poor muscles through their back, I have had so many messages from people asking what are the implications of this?

I thought to repost this diagram that I made a few years back as a starting point, but I will continue to add to this thought train and provide a couple of different perspectives over the coming weeks.

But firstly, there is a sliding scale of danger when you have a horse that is loosing muscle through their backs. Dents, widespread muscle wastage and such are clear signs of chronic nerve damage. If a muscle is compressed by too much pressure for too long, damage to the nerves occur — the nerves communicate to the brain to say “don’t use this area, too much pain is caused when we use it!”

This process, which can be so localised to even a small part of the back, can have a rippling effect throughout the body… to the point of even effecting the positioning of the tongue and tail.

Healthy backs are ESSENTIAL! 🙏

16/02/2025

🐴 New Publication 🐴

🥼 Authors: Thomas Dunbar & Soraya Morscher

📚 The Effect of Screw-In Studs on Equine Hoof and Limb Kinematics while Cantering and Jumping on an Artificial Surface

👀 Open Access - https://rasayely-journals.com/index.php/ijes/article/view/144/92.

💥 Summary:

Studs are used to optimise hoof grip to prevent slip and enhance performance. Previous research has explored the effect of studs on a grass surface during canter, the influence of stud length on braking forces and the effect of restricted foot slip on bone strains. However, previous work has not addressed the influence of screw-in studs during canter and jumping on an artificial surface. This study demonstrates that canter kinematics were largely unaffected by stud use on an artificial surface; however, unexpectedly, some jumping parameters significantly improved. A significant reduction in the stance duration at jump landing is concerning as this may lead to higher braking forces in the distal limb, potentially resulting in an increased risk of overload injuries.

03/01/2025

HAY! Mollie here just to remind you to put out extra hay for your horses and ponies during this cold snap - horses are hindgut fermenters which means they use forage to keep themselves warm 🤗 Horses need forage available 24/7 😊

03/12/2024

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