About Sandra
Since I was 15 years old I’ve been riding racehorses, both English Thoroughbreds and Arabians. First as a free-lance rider with different trainers at Duindigt Race Track, later on as an amateur jockey (until 2010). Now I assist my partner (trainer John Smith) daily at his stables located at Duindigt in The Netherlands preparing the horses for racing. Throughout the season I’m often “en route” with our runners during the weekends to different racetracks mainly in Germany, since there’s not enough starting opportunities at our own racetrack in The Netherlands.
In 1997 I got my Bachelor’s Degree as human Physiotherapist and started working in different sport medical practices. In 2003 I got my degree in Animal Physiotherapy (at PTC+, a 2 year long education for vets and physiotherapists) and started working as an Equine Physiotherapist part-time. In 2004 I successfully passed my final exams in Equine Osteopathy (3 year long education at ICREO, International College for Research on Equine Osteopathy, for vets and Physiotherapists). In 2005 I quit working in human physiotherapy to focus solely on horses. In 2009 I got my degree in Equine Chiropractic at FES (Focus on the Equine Spine, a 2 year long education for vets and animal physiotherapists).
I’m an A-member of the NVFD (Dutch Association for Animal Physiotherapists) since 2003 and am therefore obligated to follow yearly refresher courses / extra trainings.
In 2008 together with veterinarian DVM Frans van Toor I was co-founder of an equine rehab centre with a.o. aqua training. At this centre PRC (www.devrijhoeve.nl, website in Dutch, for further info do not hesitate to contact me by phone or email) I am still available on a standby basis and for the horses of my clients there’s the possibility for internal rehab there. In the last decennium I have worked with different established vets and clinics and treated and rehabilitated many horses of all disciplines and levels.
Treatment options outside The Netherlands are possible in Belgium, Germany and England. For prices see below “Treatments”. For treatments in Great Britain, a minimum of at least 10 horses is required.
I was a speaker at i.a. the fourth International Symposium on Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy in Veterinary Medicine (2006), as well as at the Focus on Rehab Congress in Barneveld (2011). Upon request I have given various lectures for animal physiotherapists, veterinarians and para-veterinarians, equine massage therapists, the Dutch police and different equine educations and riding associations. I am also part of the team of lab-assistants at FES. I will be speaker at the European Veterinary Conference “Voorjaarsdagen” 2015. Lectures and/or Demos can be given in Dutch, German or English.
We offer a POST REHAB-PRE TRAINING trajectory for thoroughbreds, arabians, trotters and endurance horses at Duindigt, the location of our racing stables which is a 20 minute drive by car from the Rehab Centre PRC. The stables are located at Duindigt Racetrack nearby the beach, and the dunes are a mere 5 minutes away. Ideal surroundings for over-trained horses or horses that are recuperating from injuries. The horses will be attended to with daily physiotherapeutic care.
Since September 2015 I have joined the Qing Bai Education in The Netherlands for a three year long TCM/Acupuncture education.