In 2020, I enrolled onto the Integrated Master's Degree in Veterinary Physiotherapy at Writtle University College (now ARU Writtle), studying a four-year course. Throughout university I had the opportunities to put my skills and knowledge into practice, working in the canine rehabilitation clinics with external clients and with horses on the yard. In 2024, I graduated with a distinction and qualified as an IMSc Veterinary Physiotherapist. 

In my previous roles as a kennel assistant and canine hydrotherapy assistant, I was able to learn how to adapt my approach to a patient depending on behaviour, temperament, and health status, to gain trust from an animal and work within their limits. During the later years of my university course, I worked as an equine welfare assistant at an equine charity. This was an amazing opportunity, which involved assisting with veterinary treatments and procedures and working with horses from a range of backgrounds, including more challenging equines that may have had a history of abuse and undomesticated horses that didn’t understand human interaction. 

My background working in the welfare and rehabilitation sector of the animal industry, with both canines and equines of various backgrounds and health status, has allowed me to develop an empathetic and sensitive mindset, for the ability to adapt to the needs and behaviour of an individual animal. As a veterinary physiotherapist, I believe these skills are highly important, to be able to form positive relationships with my patients and gain their trust, optimising the therapeutic effects of the treatments provided.