The Open College of Equine Studies

22/05/2026

🎉 End of International Study Block 2! 🎉

A huge “Well Done!!” to our 2024 cohort of International Equine Sports Massage & Equine Physiotherapy students! Everyone has worked incredibly hard and successfully completed their practical assessments during this study block. 👏

Students have developed their knowledge and skills in:

🐴 Musculoskeletal anatomy
🐴 Static & dynamic assessments
🐴 Conformation
🐴 Palpation
🐴 Manual therapies
🐴 Stretch techniques
🐴 Biomechanics
🐴 Equine orthopaedics & neurology
🐴 Neurological testing
🐴 Neurological pathologies, plus lots more!

This also marks the final time we’ll see our Equine Sports Massage students, who after two years of hard work, have now successfully completed all of their practical assessments - a fantastic achievement! 🌟

Qualifying as a knowledgeable and skilled Equine Sports Massage Therapist or Equine Physiotherapist is demanding and takes years of training and study - we’re very proud of how hard everyone has worked, both on the academic side of the programme and during this intensive 3-week study block.

TOCES’ Equine Sports Massage Therapy students complete two years of study, including 28 practical training days.

Our Equine Physiotherapy students complete four years of study, including 56 practical training days.

Find out more about our therapy courses here: https://www.equinestudies.co.uk/equine-cpd/equine-therapy-courses/

19/05/2026

Week 3 of celebrating Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month!

Equine veterinary nurse work isn’t just a job - it’s a vocation 🩺

From long days on the road to late nights caring for hospital patients, equine VNs bring skill, resilience and huge compassion to everything they do. They are patient advocates, problem-solvers, and essential team members all rolled into one.

We’re proud to celebrate their dedication this Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month 💙

16/05/2026

Week 2 of our 3-week Practical Study Block 2 complete ✅

Our international cohort continue to build on their skills, with another focused and hands-on week of learning during their accredited equine physiotherapy course 🌍🐴

This week has included:

✨ Developing manual therapy techniques — effleurage, petrissage, and tapotement
✨ Practising stretches, baited stretches and their application
✨ Introduction to clinical reasoning and treatment planning
✨ Working through case studies and developing rehabilitation plans
✨ Learning to complete detailed treatment sheets
✨ Carrying out dynamic assessments
✨ Assessing conformation and posture

It’s been fantastic to see everyone growing in confidence as they begin to link practical skills with clinical decision-making 👏

Another brilliant week, we’re excited to see everything come together in the final week! 🐴 Thank you to all of our fantastic tutors for their hard work!

Find out more about our therapy courses here: https://www.equinestudies.co.uk/equine-massage-courses/

12/05/2026

It’s Mental Health Awareness Week, and we are proud to support Riders Minds as they are encouraging everyone in our community to Take Action - because it’s actions that make a difference.
Sometimes the smallest actions can make the biggest difference, a conversation, a shared post, putting a flyer on a wall, a reminder that someone is not alone.

Mental health matters in every part of our community, and together we can help create a more open, supportive environment where people feel able to talk and ask for help when they need it.

Read how you can get involved and make a difference here: https://ridersminds.org/2026/05/09/actions-make-a-difference/

💜 𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩
🌍Live webchat: https://ridersminds.org/
📞Live text support: 07480 488 103
📱 Call the helpline: 0800 088 2073

11/05/2026

We are celebrating Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month.

Equine Veterinary Nurses are the backbone of the practice. 🩺

They support vets during procedures, care for patients before, during and after treatment, ensure high standards of welfare, and often act as the reassuring face for owners. Their knowledge, attention to detail and teamwork help ensure the best outcomes for patients.

This month, we recognise the vital role VNs play, today and always.

08/05/2026

Week 1 of our 3-week Practical Study Block 2 completed!

We’re delighted to welcome back our 2024 international cohort of equine physiotherapy and sports massage students who have travelled from across the globe for their second block of hands-on training in their accredited courses 🌍🐴

This week has been packed with:
✨ Recapping superficial muscles & bony landmarks
✨ Consolidating palpation skills
✨ Practising a wide range of massage techniques
✨ Introduction to massage machines
✨ Prescriptive exercise practise

Our physiotherapy students will complete 1000 practical hours over 4-years and our equine sports massage students complete 475 practical hours across their 2-year course.

An amazing start to the block - everyone has worked super hard - we can’t wait to see what the next two weeks bring! 🐎

Find out more about our therapy courses here: https://www.equinestudies.co.uk/equine-cpd/equine-therapy-courses/

07/05/2026

It’s Equine Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month ( ), and we’re celebrating the incredible work of Equine Veterinary Nurses.

From patient care and monitoring to anaesthesia, diagnostics, rehab, client support and everything in between; VNs are at the heart of the equine veterinary team. Their skill, compassion and dedication make a real difference to every horse they care for, every single day.

Thank you to all equine VNs for everything you do 🩺🐴

30/04/2026

Equine Kinesiology Tape and Equine Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilisation CPD Day - Monday, 1st June 2026

Take your practice to the next level – learn new skills, refresh your existing techniques and deepen your understanding of equine soft tissue therapy.

What the day will cover:

🐴 Understanding equine fascia and fascial lines

🐴Introduction to equine kinesiology taping and its application in addressing fascial restrictions

🐴Practical application of instrument assisted soft tissue mobilisation (IASTM) techniques

🐴 Hands-on learning to develop safe, effective treatment approaches

Suitable for Level 4 Equine Massage practitioners and above +

Book your place: [email protected]

Find out more:
https://www.equinestudies.co.uk/equine-cpd/equine-cpd-workshops/equine-kinesiology-tape-and-equine-instrument-assisted-soft-tissue-mobilisation-cpd-day/

21/04/2026

🌟 Thank you to everyone involved in our EVN Physiotherapy CPD Day. We covered a whole range of subjects including the foundations of equine physiotherapy, practical massage techniques, practical stretch techniques, rehabilitation in a hospital environment, plus lots more. 🌟

10/10 🌟 “Very interesting day, a lot of practical ways the techniques can be used for our range of patients.”

10/10 🌟“Really enjoyable, enjoyed the practical sessions as a small group.”

9/10 🌟 “Enjoyed the practical parts with different ponies. Covered lots of different things both theory and practical.”

10/10 🌟 “Great lecturing, great cover of everything. A lot to take in, but I wouldn’t change the day.”

Find out more about our upcoming equine CPD days in the link below:
https://www.equinestudies.co.uk/equine-cpd/equine-cpd-workshops/

17/04/2026

A huge congratulations to Erin, who graduated with us last March and has already gone on to achieve something incredible! 👏

Her business, E Dixon Equine Performance, has been shortlisted nationally for “Best Equestrian Business” at the UK Small Business Awards. 🏆🐎

From student to award-nominated business owner in such a short space of time, we’re very proud and we can’t wait to see what Erin achieves next!

If you’re dreaming to develop your own career in the equine industry, whether that’s working with horses or launching your own business… you absolutely can.

Ready to start your own journey? It could be you next…

View our equine therapy programmes here:
https://www.equinestudies.co.uk/equine-cpd/equine-therapy-courses/

Erin Dixon, an equine rehabilitation specialist from Bolam, near Darlington (County Durham), has been named a finalist in the UK Small Business…

10/04/2026

Lights, camera… horses and dogs! 🎥🐴🐶 A great day behind the scenes working with the RCVS capturing brand new educational content here at TOCES! 🙂