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For horses that are recovering from various musculoskeletal injuries, the challenge for owners and veterinarians is designing a rehabilitation program that helps the horse regain athletic condition and strength without overstressing or aggravating the original injury. It’s important to get the horse moving, but the movement needs to be controlled.

A horse that has spent lots of time in a stall after an injury is likely to overdo exercise if he’s turned out in a paddock or pasture, so this is rarely a good option. Likewise, handwalking a horse that has spent many days in a stall can be a challenge for the handler. Traditional treadmills can control the horse’s speed, but involve a lot of repetitive actions and concussion as the horse’s feet strike the moving belt. Swimming in deep water offers great cardiovascular exercise with no concussion, but it puts the horse in a head-high position that is unlike the natural posture while being ridden.

A water treadmill is a good piece of equipment to use in some post-injury conditioning programs because it keeps the horse in a natural position, cushions hoof and leg concussive forces, and encourages use of the same muscular action as when a horse is being ridden. If the water treadmill has transparent sides, owners and therapists can watch the way the horse is using his limbs and muscles as he moves. Some water treadmills allow the water level to be raised so that it can support some of the horse’s weight. By adjusting the water depth and the speed of the treadmill belt, therapists can regulate the level of exercise, beginning with easy work and asking for more effort as the horse becomes stronger.

The ability to fine-tune the workout makes the water treadmill a helpful tool for conditioning healthy sport horses. Because the horses keep their bodies straight as they move, the water treadmill eliminates the joint strain caused when a horse is longed for long periods. It can be used in any weather, replacing some outdoor riding during severe winters. Horses expend more energy because the water provides some resistance. In moderately shallow water, they also tend to increase leg flexion and assume a rounder frame with the belly tucked up away from the water. There is little chance of a horse injuring itself in the water treadmill, and used in conjunction with riding and other conditioning exercises, this apparatus can be a helpful tool in building muscle and cardiovascular fitness.

Water treadmills may be available at equine rehabilitation and training facilities. Owners should follow the guidance of a veterinarian when rehabbing horses after injury.

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