Horse Insights

Do you use equine hydrotherapy, or a form of it with your horses? Well, if you use cold hosing, then, yes, you do!

Cold hosing is a typical method for cooling down horses after exercise. And cold hosing is one of the simplest forms of hydrotherapy. A new injury can benefit from being cold-hosed for about 20 minutes at a time, as many times a day as possible. So, what’s the hub bub about an equine spa then? Why do horses need it?

Well, with cold hosing, the temperature of the water may not normally be sufficiently cold enough, or the time spent, if less than 20 minutes duration, may not be sufficient enough to affect the structures most often involved in injury.

Well, what about ice packs? Ice can provide a really concentrated cold response, which can stimulate faster results. The horse’s body heats up the ice packs though , rendering them ineffective after a few minutes. Are you prepared to re-apply the ice for 15 to 20 minutes, every two hours?

Body Reaction to Trauma

When soft tissue is injured, the body releases enzymes and proteins. These cause the blood vessel walls in the area of the injury to dilate and become more porous.

Extra fluids carrying the oxygen and proteins needed for tissue repair to the rescue! They pool around the injured area causing swelling, which helps to immobilize the injury. Hormones are released which cause pain, aiding immobilization.  And finally, the increased blood flow to the site of the injury results in a rise in temperature in the vicinity.

And there we have it. The three main symptoms of inflammation – pain, heat, and swelling. But the downside of inflammation is that it may hinder the healing process.

The safest way to break excess swelling is to use the horse’s circulatory system to sweep away excess fluids that have collected in the tissues. One can use drugs, or one can use natural methods – the one we are discussing here is the application of cold, for cold does not override the beneficial effects of the healing process.

Application of Hydrotherapy

The application of cold triggers three basic reactions. It causes the cell to need less oxygen to function; reduces the fluid accumulation and swelling, and numbs the pain.

Hydrotherapy, or treatment in water, especially seawater, has been a time-honored therapy for the treatment of injury and inflammation. For centuries, the use of sea water has been recognized as an aid to the treatment and prevention of leg problems in horses.

We already understand the benefits of the cold in the treatment. The benefits of seawater? High salt concentration has a great drawing effect, influencing the dispersal of fluids accumulated around the injury.

And finally, the benefits of the aeration? Well, the soft tissue is subjected to a gentle massaging action, and horses tend to relax better than in standing water. In fact, many equine massage therapists also use hydrotherapy.

Equine Hydrotherapy via Equine Spa

Over the last 20 years major advances in the design of Equine Spas were made, primarily in the USA and Australia, as well to a degree in Germany and the UK. These advances were achieved, in part, due to some rigorous testing done in Australia, at the University of Sydney. An equine spa was donated to the University. It was hoped that clinical trials and an independent verdict on the benefits of cold water hydrotherapy would establish the validity of equine hydrotherapy.

Initially, clinical tests were done on more than 25 horses. Positive results across a whole range of leg injuries, from bowed tendons to shin or cannon bone injury, inflammation of ligaments and chronic arthritis.

Further treatment of 65 horses showed that open wounds responded rapidly to treatment, hoof growth was stimulated, laminitis responded well and even navicular syndrome responded in 2 out of 3 cases.

Today equine therapeutic spas have spread to Europe and North America with similar results. And the growth of this alternative therapy, equine hydrotherapy, continues today.
For more information, check out the most popular spa, the Premier Equine Spa, or go to www.equinenaturaltherapy.com or www.equinespa.com .