Happy International Women’s Day to all the fantastic women making waves in the animal physical therapy world!
08/03/2025
Today, we celebrate not just the serious strides we’re making in the industry and in business, but all the things that make us women awesome.
From studying to running businesses, and from scooping several varieties of poop to surviving motherhood. You got this!
And I’m right there with you, balancing two businesses, a family, and the eternal question of what’s going into the kids’ lunchboxes and trying not to be 'that mum' who forgot non-uniform day.
My own journey started in journalism, writing for local newspapers, and then onto getting my head back into the books and with hands deep in horse hair to become qualified in Equine Sports Massage Therapy and then Equine Musculoskeletal Therapy, whilst working full time as a PR and Communications Officer. I've now been treating horses for 15 years, and have gone from seeing horses five days a week to just one.
Life has somewhat shifted back to desks and keyboards since launching Equicantis 3.5 years ago, but I love the balance and love my day treating horses and seeing clients.
I have my two amazing boys, Joshua who is 6, and Harrison who is just about to turn 4, who are my absolute world (along with Dave of course, and Ringo!) I bravely (or crazily, you decide!) launched Equicantis when Harrison was just five months old. So the majority of planning and build happened whilst I was pregnant with a toddler at home during Covid, and then with a newborn. Those days were a juggle of nappies, night feeds, a poorly sleeping three-year-old and never-ending business plans and project managing. I'm sure many of you have this experience this, but launching a business with a baby on your hip isn’t for the faint hearted! I look back now and think, HOW?? I have so much respect for the people who worked during Covid and had to home-school. But I won't turn this into a ramble about the crazy Covid times.
Many of us will also be self-employment which means you often miss out paid maternity leave. The reality hits hard, and whether it’s financial pressure or feeling like you need to get back your clients to keep your business alive, getting back to work can feel urgent. But we do have many advantages of being our own boss. The flexibility is a win, especially when you have a family. Even if you can feel like a slave to your own business.
I want to give a massive shout-out to all the women in our industry—juggling parenting, looking after other dependents, studying, running an additional business or working another part-time job, riding your horses at 5am, facing elements working outside, and managing client expectations with a smile. Your resilience is what powers our industry forward. It’s not just about balancing the professional with the personal; it’s about thriving in the chaos and making it look like a planned choreography (even if we all know it’s more like freestyle jazz).
To every woman in the animal therapy community: you are absolutely smashing it! Though our paths may often cross only virtually, or our chats happen in passing at conferences stands and between coffee refills, remember, this industry is less lonely when we cheer each other on. We’re all in this incredible journey together, regardless of qualification type, shaping a world where our care extends not only to the animals and clients we help, but also to each other.
So here’s to us, the passionate, the dedicated, and yes, the downright heroic women of animal physical therapy. Keep forging ahead, keep laughing, and keep being the backbone of this wonderful community. Happy International Women’s Day—let’s continue to support, inspire, and occasionally rescue each other from the brink of another packed schedule meltdown. Here’s to more achievements, more unity, and definitely more coffee (and maybe wine).
Laura x
