Horse Jobs – Rehabilitation Therapist
Rehabilitation therapists have a genuine desire to help paired with a tenacious nature and years of schooling. This is an incredibly hands on field which requires not only physical strength but a great deal of interaction with the animals.
Therapists are working with animals in pain, often due to a tramua of some degree. This requires a steady hand and a level of compassion for animals who have been injured emotionally as well as physically. This also means the ability to calm owners with high stress levels.
This is a position which benefits from an aptitude for physiology and applied science, independent thinking and strength of character and countenance.
A calm demeanor, endless patience and an in-depth knowledge of horse anatomy are pivotal characteristics of a good rehabilitation therapist.
Job Description
Using active exercises to facilitate restoration of normal function in injured animals. This includes a wide variety of techniques and applications tailored specifically to meet the individual needs of each animal.
Responsibilities
- Handling a variety of animal temperaments
- Treatment & rehabilitation following injury & surgury
- Development of treatment plan & goals
- Use of ultrasound, hydrotherapy, ice, massage and mobilization techniques
- Advise regarding injured athlete animals in training
- Determining proper feeding & nutrition for healing
- Often charged with total care of rehab animals
- Exercise on a number of levels, hand walking, line work, balance exercises and under saddle
- Immediate first aid & health concerns
Requirements
Not only must candidates have graduated high school and college, but they must also carry a masters degree in rehab therapy.
Rehab therapists must also take a national exam and be licensed by the state in which they practice.
*Licensing and laws vary from state to state
Applicants may also have
- A clinical doctorate in physical therapy
- Certification in clinical specialty
- Electrophysiological testing & measurement certification
Resources
A few places to start if you are interested in a career as a rehabilitation therapist.
*Links open in a new window
American Physical Therapy Association
The Canadian Horse & Animal Physical Therapists Association
The Right Job For You?
If this isn’t your dream job, there is a long list of different careers that involve horses. Each one requiring a different skill set, schooling requirement and amount of contact with the animals.
Image from The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture
Hello, My name is Kelsea Lander. I am currently in 10th grade. I am very much interested in perusing a career that is mainly involved with Equine. I was wandering if you knew any colleges around the Western Pennsylvania area?
Hello, My names Emily and i’m in the 11th grade in high school. i have been around horses for a long time, and couldnt see my self be doing anything else. I am from kentucky and was wondering if there were any good schools around to help me become a Rehabilitation therapist
Hi Emily
I’ve been looking at educational opportunities also, and one that I have found in Kentucky is an internship at KESMARC. It is a horse rehab facility. Check it out at kesmarc.com. I’m looking into doing this internship myself =)
God Bless,
Katie
Hello, My name is Chloe and im actually from Australia, NSW and im going into 11th grade at high school and I was wondering if you could tell me a bit more on becoming a Rehabilitation Therapist for horses? Im am very interested and have been around horses for a long time.
Hi. I am in 8th grade and absolutely must have a career involving horses. Does Mississippi State University in Starkville, MS have the courses i need to become a rehabilitation therapist? If Not, What are some good colleges that do?
Hey. I’m in fourth year in Ireland. I love horses and I want a job concerning them, and I’m interested in rehabilitation therapy. Is there any colleges in Ireland I can go to?
easy dean
I live in ohio and wondered if there were any colleges in ohio i could go to to find a job in the horse indestry
My name is Jen. I am a certified equine rehabilitation practitioner. It is the most amazing, rewarding work anyone interested in horses could persue. Life experiences, hands on experience, and multiple avenues of education are a must to fully qualify to fulfill this career, but every moment and educational experience is worth the knowledge gained to make a horse feel better and life longer with a better quality of life.
HI Jen! My name is Jessica and I am just finishing my freshman year of college. As of right now I plan to major in excerise science and then go to graduate school for physical therapy. I would rather work with animals than people however. I have been researching becoming an equine physical therapist and was wondering how you became a certified Rehabitlitation therapist? I would greatly appreciate it if you would answer a few questions about how you became certified, what the best career path to becoming a rehab therapist is,and the places in demand for this job. Thanks so much
My name is Erin and i’m really interested in this field. I’m a Junior at Oakville and was wondering if anyone new of any schools in MO that offer the education required for this field.
Hey everyone! My name is Railey Brown and I love to work with horses and will most definitely want to wok with them for the rest of my life. But, i am having a little trouble figuring out witch job would be best for me when it comes to working with these amazing animals. I have been on horse judging teams though out my high school career and want to attend Tarleton State University. All my life I have been around horses but never for any kind of competition. I’ve always just trained and ridden horses for pleasure on trail rides. So if any one can give me any advice on jobs that you think would be right for me please reply back to… rkbrown@gaggle.net thanks!
Hey! My name is Taylor Shears and I am really looking to go into Equine Rehabilitation. I am currently a sophomore in High School at State College Area High School located in State College Pennsylvania (Right next to Penn State University). I have been riding for 13 years and have had endless amount of experience with horses. I have been shadowing a vet for the past two summers. I am very involved with the SPCA as well. At first I wanted to become a vet, but my need for that hands on part with horses, made me realize that I wanted to go into the rehabilitation part instead. I was wondering what types of high school courses will help immensely for college? Also what all do we have to go through to go into this field?
hey my name is Ky!! And i was wondering what would be the best state to go to where there is a need for rehab of equines i would even go over to Germany if i had to i would!
i absolutely love horses and i have always wanted to work with them, i was considering being a vet for a time being but when i read i was like this is exactly what i want. I have no idea on what i need to do when i get out of collage like where to go to get intervened for the job?? And eventually i want to start my own ranch and do this work for the rest of my life.i would really appreciate it if anyone had any info. on any schools books classes anything plz email me at nofearrider505@yahoo.com..I have tried emailing people and researching it but it always come up blank or they don’t respond so if you would plz email me with any info. that would be great.
thank you
does anybody know of a collage for this in oklahoma maybe close to okc or alva ?