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“Being a caregiver requires infinite patience, physical and emotional strength, health care navigation skills, and a sense of humor – which can be hard to come by after sleepless nights and demanding days.” Rosalynn Carter

It was the October half-term last week, and my routine was thrown out of kilter. My son and I went to London to watch Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I’m a huge Harry Potter fan. As one of my clients said, “Reading Harry Potter is my comfort food”. Well, I tend to turn to cakes and pastries as well, but nobody’s perfect! I listen to the Harry Potter books on Audible, so I have the added benefit of enjoying hearing Stephen Fry’s voice! Travelling to London was a Big Deal for my son and me. He struggles with using public transport, and I struggle with being around too many people. I’m much more comfortable in a stable with a horse! I’ve spent a lifetime learning to manage this. Or as my son would tell you, I’ve spent half a century… Being just twelve years old, he’s learning on a daily basis how to handle new experiences and overcome problems. As with so much else, I do my best to keep communication open, to be there when he needs me, and to keep out of his way when he’s trying to navigate for himself. I’m not sure how often I get it right, but as I so often say, all we can do is our best, given the knowledge, tools, and experiences we have at this moment. One of the most important tools to help him survive the train journey was my phone, which he could use to distract himself with YouTube shorts. At least there’s one good use for mindless scrolling! Thankfully, the long day and the effort were well worth it. If you’re not into Harry Potter, you might not know that The Cursed Child, which is only available as a theatre performance (or you can buy the script), is shown in two parts, which most people watch on the same day. Part One was 2 pm to 5 pm, and Part Two was 7 pm to 9.30 pm. At the end of all that time spent sitting still, my son said, “I don’t want this to end!”. You can’t ask for more than that as praise from a 12-year-old boy!

Health, wellness and longevity

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Mahatma Gandhi

As a Chartered Physiotherapist, I treat people as well as horses. For many years, I’ve focused mainly on treating horses. It’s time now to shift some of my focus to treating people, and my treatment room in Stafford in the UK is ready and waiting for you if you’re local! I am passionate about health, well-being, and longevity. I’m fascinated to learn about the science behind the effects of sleep, diet, exercise, relaxation, and more. I have a special interest in how to manage chronic pain. Our bodies are incredible self-healing machines; if only we could work with the mind, body, and soul to support that healing. I’ve told my 12-year-old son that I want to live until 107. That’s a completely random number, and no, I have no idea where it came from! What I’m getting at, though, is that I don’t want to be a burden to him in my later years. None of us want to be a burden on our friends and family. I want to be an active member of the community and to live a healthful life in the service of others.

There’s no doubt that I’ve abused my body and my brain in the past, with too much alcohol, too little exercise, bad food, and inconsistency. There’s no doubt that I continue to get things wrong, and that as our knowledge around ageing develops, so will our understanding of how best to stay healthy for longer. With so much time in the car driving to my equine clients, I have plenty of opportunity to listen to books, podcasts and webinars. One of my favourite podcasts is‘Feel Better, Live More’, by Rangan Chatterjee. He’s got a mix of long-form podcasts, usually around a couple of hours, and bite-size clips, usually fifteen to twenty minutes. At some point, I’ll share a list of some of my favourite books, although that list is constantly updated! I love learning from others and am interested in hearing your top tips on health, well-being and longevity. If you’ve got the time, why not post a comment or send me an email with your thoughts? I look forward to hearing from you!

Horses and the Science of Harmony

“Horses can help us to develop a sense of trust, empathy and compassion.” Temple Grandin

If you haven’t yet watched the FREE film Horses and the Science of Harmony by Sue Dyson and Kathryn Lauritzen, then I highly recommend you set some time aside to do so. As my son would tell you, I cry at pretty much anything. This, of course, was no exception, and the tears welled up within the first few minutes as Bubby talked about her injury. And whoever chose the song to accompany the final clips was inspired! With 40,000 views in its first 12 days, the response to this film is phenomenal. To give you a flavour of what people are saying, here’s a few comments from YouTube:

“Wow. Just wow. Your best production yet. Thank you Sue Dyson for your relentless pursuit of helping horses. I wasn’t expecting to tear up at the 1:12:00 mark and the ending is so inspirational. So well done.” CavaliaGirl

“Ohhh the tears shed watching this! Thank you Sue and everyone involved in this production! I will make sure every equestrian that I know watches this!”

“Wonderful. Loved the neuroscience and mapping of human brain with horses brain, giving us an insight into how horses “think” .. thank you .. Bubby Upton is inspirational!”

“Very much enjoyed the science and deeper explanations that support and define what we see in and from our horses. Easily transferable information for those of us who are casual riders who ride for pure enjoyment, even if we’ve ridden for many years. Always something new to learn.”

“Great to hear the responsibility being put back on horse owners to be the best they can for the horse. I have only been riding a few months and still apologise after every arena session or hack to my boy Eddie for being so bad at riding him. Experienced so many emotions and feelings I never thought i could. Fiercely loyal to him, again something that took me by surprise. Thanks for all the information and the story of one rider’s courage.”

“This is a masterpiece, (hopefully) the future of equestrian!! Thank you for your amazing work.”

Sue Palmer MCSP, aka The Horse Physio, is an award-winning author, educator, and Chartered Physiotherapist. Sue specialises in understanding the links between equine pain and behaviour, focusing on prevention, partnership and performance. She promotes the kind and fair treatment of horses through empathetic education, and is registered with the RAMP, the ACPAT, the IHA, the CSP and the HCPC.

To arrange a phone call or online coaching session with Sue Palmer, The Horse Physio, click here.

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You can find The Horse Physio on the web, on Facebook, on Instagram, and on YouTube, book an online consultation, or take a look at Sue’s online courses.

Horse Health Check: The 10-Point Plan for Physical Wellness

Head to Hoof: An Introduction to Horse Massage

Horse Massage for Horse Owners

Stretching Your Horse: A Guide to Keeping Your Equine Friend Happy and Healthy

Kissing Spines In Horses: Preventive Measures and Long-Term Management Solutions

Harmonious Horsemanship, co-authored with Dr Sue Dyson

Understanding Horse Performance: Brain, Pain or Training?

Horse Massage for Horse Owners

Thank you for your interest in this post; I appreciate your time and am grateful you chose to spend it with me. If you found value in this article, please support me by liking, subscribing, following, and sharing it on your favourite social media platform, and turn on the relevant notifications for future content from The Horse Physio. Please also take a moment to subscribe to my newsletter. Your support means the world to me, and it helps me continue creating content that matters to you.