Animal Sports Therapy

Restore and maintain musculoskeletal health of competitive, working and companion animals

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About Juli
 
Juli's love of animals has always been part of her life, she started riding at the age of five and has had a variety of pets, from dogs and cats, mice and rabbits to horses and lambs even a pukeko.  This love of animals and a devotion to their welfare lead her to come to the UK, from New Zealand, in 1993 to pursue a career in complementary physical therapy. 
 
She has extensive experience with competition horses having worked in a variety of disciplines both in the UK and New Zealand and competed in eventing, dressage and showjumping specializing in training and bringing on youngsters from backing onwards.   During her initial years in the UK she obtained her British Horse Society Assistant Instructor certificate. 
 
Juli trains and competes her two working cocker spaniels in agility during the summer months and keeps them active during the winter beating at a local shoot.  This and working with her Mother's farm dogs in New Zealand has provided a first hand insight into the competitive and working demands placed on dogs.
 
Before setting up practice Juli studied for a BSc(Hons) in Equine Science at  the University of the West of England (Hartpury College) graduating in 2003 with an upper second class degree.  Juli used her dissertation to study the pressures occurring at the saddle/horse interface in relation to the stride kinematics at walk and trot. 
 
This was followed by a 2 year postgraduate course at the McTimoney College validated by the University of Wales graduating in 2006 with a PGDip in Animal Manipulation.  To provide a flexible and complete range of therapy techniques Juli has completed a course in equine sports massage run by Equinenergy, becoming qualified as an Equine Body Worker.  Additional to this she has completed a course in the Marsterson technique of intergrated equine physical therapy.  She plans in the near future to add canine massage techniques to her toolbox.
 
Juli is a member of the McTimoney Animal Association, the International Equine Body Workers Association and the British Complementary Medicine Association.  She holds fully insured and undertakes at least 20 hours of career development study annually as is required by the above associations.
 
 
After graduating from Hartpury College Juli worked at the Animal Health Trust as part of the clinical yard staff in the equine department , where she has gained invaluable experience in the fields of orthopaedic injury, imaging and poor performance.  As one of the riders she was involved in diagnostic assessment of horses from hacks to elite dressage, event and show jumping horses.  Juli is now part of the research team at the Animal Health Trust, in association with British dressage and European Technologies for Business , looking into new methods of assessing gait for lameness and performance evaluation, and is involved in an ongoing study of the training surfaces used by performance horses.  She has recently been involved in publishing a paper describing the management and training practices of dressage horses in the UK, with more papers in the pipeline.
 
 
 

Animal Sports Therapy
Juli Walters
07968753499
01223 872867