Today we’d like to introduce you to Catherine Ball.
Hi Catherine, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in England and have been a human Physiotherapist since graduating in 1996. I emigrated to Canada in 1999 and after working in my local hospital for 9 years, I opened my own clinic ‘Perth Physiotherapy’ in 2008. This business gave me more freedom with my work-life balance and has steadily grown. I am about to open a new clinic called ‘Perth Physio Animal Rehab’.
I have always loved dogs and wanted to work with them one day, but falling in love with horses during the pandemic was a surprise! With my children growing up and needing me less, and my oldest off to University, I had time to explore something new for me. After driving past a local horse farm for many years, I finally called Tay Valley Farm and said ‘I want to learn to ride a horse! 1 lesson a week turned into 2, which turned into 3, and then a half lease. Having never been around horses in my life, I was grateful to spend time shadowing and learning about horse care and handling.
A beautiful 8-year-old palomino Dutch warmblood called Iggy came for sale a year after my arrival, I quickly fell in love and I decided to go for it and buy my horse. Thanks to a wonderful barn family and trainer, Karen Hardy (who owns Tay Valley Farm) I found myself at Word Equestrian Center in Ohio competing in my first out-of-barn show. After some bumpy rounds, we were thrilled to win 2, 1st place, and 1 2nd place ribbons in the 2’ limited hunter division.
My journey into Equine Rehab was sparked by being around these big, beautiful animals and trying to figure out their muscles and how they moved. When they became injured I found myself naturally thinking, ‘Well if he was a human athlete, then that is what I would do. The Canadian Physiotherapy Association has an Animal Rehab Division and they offer a series of courses for Registered Physiotherapists to transition and certify them to work with Equines or Canines.
I now proudly have my Equine Rehab diploma and am loving working with horses, their owners, and trainers to help them recover from an injury, get back to doing their job, and achieve their maximum physical potential. I feel lucky to spend part of my week working with these big beautiful animals.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I have been working on getting my Equine Rehab diploma for 2 years, which involved taking online courses, traveling to Alberta for the in-person courses, and then knuckling down to complete all of the diploma requirements. Getting my Vet placements hours during the pandemic was challenging, but I did it!
Also, it has been harder to make connections because I didn’t grow up in the horse world or even in this country. But my barn family and the local vet have helped me a lot. I have been on a steep learning curve! But I also have the advantage of seeing everything with fresh eyes. My trainers say I am like a child living her pony days as a grown woman! My horse makes me laugh out loud every time I am with him and I am shocked by our bond and how special our time together is.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am the only Registered Physiotherapist in Ontario with a Diploma in Equine and Canine Rehabilitation from the Animal Rehab Division of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association. With 25 years of human physiotherapy experience under my belt, I can apply everything I have learned to animals. They don’t hold onto their pain and movement patterns the way humans do and so respond very well to physical therapy intervention.
Once the key problems have been identified and a diagnosis made, then custom treatments often include manual therapy, acupuncture, laser, and prescribed exercise therapy. I always teach the owner stretches and simple mobilizations that they can regularly do with their horse, I teach strengthening and endurance exercises and work with the trainer to make sure we are all on the same page.
What does success mean to you?
Good question! I think success is an ongoing journey, not a final destination. It’s very good to set a goal and feel satisfied when you achieve it, but it’s also very important to not stop there. So success to me is being content with where I am right now, and knowing that I have choices of what I do next. Being satisfied with who you are, where you are, what your day-to-day looks and feels like, and having a direction for the next chapter feels like success to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://perthphysioanimalrehab.ca/
- Instagram: @perthphysioanimalrehab
- Facebook: @Perth Physio Animal Rehab
