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Email Ontrack Physiotherapy Ltd Site Updated: November 2010     

Baloubet du Rouet - courtesy of Robin Bell
Baloubet du Rouet
3 x World Cup Champion show jumper
courtesy of Robin Bell
On Track Physiotherapy Ltd is based at the historic headquarters of horse racing, Newmarket England, providing freelance physiotherapy services to professional and pleasure horses. Chartered veterinary physiotherapist Kate Hesse BPhysio MSc MCSP ACPAT(A) has been treating horses since 1997.
Cockney Rebel
Cockney Rebel
Dual Classic winner
courtesy of
 Thoroughbred Photography Ltd

Australian born, Kate graduated from La Trobe University (Melbourne) in 1995 with a four-year Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPhysio). Her early training in equine physiotherapy was predominantly with the Academy of Equine Sport Therapy in Germany. Moving to the UK in 2002, Kate qualified as a Category 'A' Member of ACPAT, the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy. In 2009 she attained a distinction in the Master of Science (MSc) degree in veterinary physiotherapy from the Royal Veterinary College, University of London.

Working in association with Rossdale and Partners Veterinary Surgeons, Kate services their equine hospital and several racing yards in the Newmarket area. On Wednesdays she is based around Peterborough where, assisted by Felicity Begley ACPAT(A), she works in association with both Tower Equine Veterinary Surgeons and Gibson’s Equine Veterinary Surgeons, treating mostly hunters and eventers.

Kate is a clinical educator for the Royal Veterinary College and with the assistance of Sally Coulthard ACPAT(A), runs courses at the British Racing School for chartered physiotherapists who are training in veterinary physiotherapy.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

Kate’s specialisation is flat racing. Some noteworthy champions with whom she has worked include the magnificent multiple Group One winning filly, Dar Re Mi, who triumphed in the £2million Dubai Sheema Classic in 2010, and dual Classic winner Cockney Rebel who was victorious in 2007 in both the English and Irish 2000 Guineas. In 2005 Kate attended the Breeders’ Cup in New York City with Aussie sensation Starcraft and treated Alkaased leading up to his win in the Japan Cup. She was also involved with North Light at the time of his victory in the 2004 Epsom Derby.

Kate Hesse - courtesy of Your Horse magazine
courtesy of
Your Horse magazine
Some other highlights include Kate’s appointment as the official physiotherapist for Veterinary Services at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. In a similar role, she worked at the Burghley Horse Trials from 2004 to 2006, a position she later relinquished due to racing commitments.

BACKGROUND:

Kate’s lifelong involvement with horses is largely thanks to her late grandparents who lived on a farm. As a child her equestrian education was completely informal, often tearing around ‘the bush’ bareback on naughty ponies with no brakes!

Kate Hesse - courtesy of Ernesta Verburg
courtesy of
Ernesta Verburg
At age 19, with an offer from Murdoch University Veterinary School in one hand and La Trobe University Physiotherapy School in the other, Kate took a gamble and chose to pursue physiotherapy with a view to one day practising on horses.

During her university years she did a stint as a ‘jillaroo’, mustering cattle on horseback in the outback region of the Kimberley on a million-acre station. Regardless of formal riding lessons since, Kate still insists her most valuable horsemanship skills were gleaned from the stockmen of Meda (cattle) Station. (see Press & Published Material)

For information on qualifying as an animal physiotherapist in the UK, please see the links to ACPAT and the Royal Veterinary College.