CHOOSING THE SOLUTION
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THERAPY PRODUCTS CAN HELP RECOVERY FROM INJURIES OR BOOST PERFORMANCE FOR A COMPETITION HORSE, BUT DO YOUR HOMEWORK TO FIND THE RIGHT TREATMENT, SUGGESTS
F
BARBARA YOUNG.
rom hydrotherapy to treadmills, the use of equine therapy equipment designed to help promote general health and wellbeing, or simply as a feel-good treat, has seen a significant rise in interest and increase in use. or elite competition yards as well as many private owners, the use of e uine therapy e uipment such as land and water treadmills, which can be incorporated into training as well as being used to aid in ury recovery, is becoming routine. any owners across multiple disciplines are using water treadmills in particular, which may also include an incline option, as part of their fitness and training plans. sed under guidance, these can be used in the rehabilitation of tendon and ligament and muscle in uries, as well as back related in uries, while also for fitness, strengthening, toning and conditioning as part of horses’ general exercise programme. Dr achel urray, who spent more than years at the Animal ealth Trust and is now based at ossdale’s Diagnostic Centre, has led many studies into sport horse training, in ury and performance. Together with Dr athryn ankervis, who leads e uine research at artpury niversity, achel is one of the authors of uine Water Treadmills a guide for users’. These new guidelines, endorsed by ritish uestrian ,
RIGHT: DR RACHEL MURRAY (RIGHT) IS ONE OF THE AUTHORS OF NEW GUIDELINES PUBLISHED BY THE BEF TO HELP HORSE OWNERS GET THE BEST OUT OF WATER TREADMILLS IN TRAINING AND REHABILITATION.
published last year highlight best practice in the use of water treadmills in training and rehabilitation. The guide which is available online britishequestrian.org.uk provides recommendations about how to introduce horses to water treadmill exercise, what to look for when a horse is exercising on a water treadmill and suggestions as to how to incorporate it into a training or rehabilitation programme. This follows research, supported by the , Petplan Charitable Trust and the Animal ealth Trust, by the uine ydrotherapy Working roup comprising academics, veterinary surgeons and therapy centre managers from the , the etherlands, ermany, elgium, the nited tates and China. Dr Murray explains: “The purpose of the water treadmills guidance document is to help users achieve these benefits for their horses, whether they are using a water treadmill for training or to support a rehabilitation programme. “Performed optimally, water treadmill exercise has many potential benefits when integrated into a training or rehabilitation programme, including an increase in range of movement of lower limbs, increased lumbar exion, decreased impact shock, improved posture, core and hind limb muscle development and an opportunity to cross train in a controlled environment. BRITISH DRESSAGE // Issue 2 2022 // 33
