Equine hydrotherapy the cure for muscle injuries | Gustavo Mirabal

 After a musculoskeletal injury, the horse can lower its high performance.

As well as the resistance for future events.

Therefore, it is necessary to take into account alternative therapies that allow the animal to recover its mobility and 100% potential.

Of course, this will depend on how often the therapy is performed and the type of therapy.

One of those responses that serve to help the horse in these cases is called: Equine hydrotherapy.

equine hydrotherapy

This therapy consists of placing the horse in a pool, with a cement floor so that it does not slip, and letting the animal walk in it.

Of course, the horse needs supervision and will walk with the help of a human, who holds the rope that holds the horse.

Bones, ligaments and tendons benefit and strengthen with this therapy.

Equine hydrotherapy is used in those horses that need to improve their breathing, but also in those that have muscle injuries.

In this sense, for therapy to be carried out correctly, it is necessary to take into account four components.

Four Components in Equine Hydrotherapy

The four components that must be taken into account with respect to this technique for rehabilitation are:

Aeration, water depth, temperature and the amount of salt concentration in the water.

Next we will explain what each one is for and how they work.

#1 Aeration

Aeration consists of the use of underwater jets whose function is to massage the horse, and, at the same time, cause enough turbulence in the water to induce a calming effect.

As this technique is implemented it has been known that horses have higher heart rates (heart rate) in still water than in moving water.

The circulation of oxygen in the water is increased by the jets, and this is believed to aid in the healing process.

#2 Water depth

In equine hydrotherapy, the next component to consider is the depth of the water.

In this sense, the greater the depth, the greater the pressure exerted on the tissues that need to be rehabilitated.

This is especially important in cases where fluid has accumulated, in the event of an injury, because the pressure aids in fluid dispersal.

#3 Temperature

The water used in horse pool should be cold, but not so cold, because if the temperature is very cold it can damage the tissue that you want to recover.

The cold numbs the affected area, but if the water is too cold it is bad for the horse. And equine hydrotherapy pool for horse won't work.

Regarding the temperature inside the pool, it must be cold so that a numbing effect is generated and avoids the accumulation of liquid in the event of an injury.

The water temperature is normally computer controlled and ranges from 36 to 39 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 2-4 degrees Celsius).

And between 12 to 18 degrees centigrade.

#4 Salt concentration

The concentration of salt in this technique to rehabilitate horses with musculoskeletal injuries varies.

Salt is a good natural healing agent. Therefore, the use of salt in equine hydrotherapy, even in moderation, facilitates wound healing.

Especially in those that are open as well, it helps to remove the accumulation of fluid around an injury.

Experts talk about the benefits of equine hydrotherapy

After the implementation of this technique and its effective results in horses.

Experts talk about the importance of carrying out the treatment of horses in a pool with controlled temperature, which also contains salt and pressure jets.

"It is an excellent exercise to improve cardiorespiratory capacity and endurance and as a source of training for high-performance sports horses," says Professor  Cesar Andrey Galindo ,  from La Salle University , in Colombia.

The expert points out that when the horse is totally submerged in water with a temperature between 12 to 18 degrees Celsius:

"It allows a rapid and great stimulation of blood circulation, improving the oxygenation of all tissues, increasing cardiac demand to maintain continuous exercise, providing beneficial effects of relaxation, therapy and recovery of equines."

This technique is giving such good results that in countries like Colombia, there are several specialized facilities in this area.

They are located in Antioquia, Caldas, Valle del Cauca, Boyacá and Cundinamarca.

Therapy duration

One of the questions that the horse owner wonders is how long the hydrotherapy lasts and how often the animal should be taken.

This question is answered according to what the equine needs.

"If we use the pool as an effect of physiotherapy and injury recovery, it is indicated that it be practiced every day for short periods of time in order to recover the horse's injury or injuries as quickly as possible," explains Professor Cesar Andrey Galindo. 

In the event that you want to apply equine hydrotherapy to enhance sports training in order to improve mobility and breathing of the horse.

Professor Galindo recommends that the exercise be practiced three times a week.

Experts like the Colombian professor maintain that this is perhaps the best treatment when it comes to healing equine injuries without medication.

Since hydrotherapy allows the healing and consolidation of muscles, ligaments, tendons and bones of horses.

In this regard, Lucas Giraldo Botero, an expert veterinarian in orthopedics for horses, affirms that this technique is effective and increases the performance of the animal.

three to six months

Giraldo points out that when it comes to treatment to improve an injury, the time that the horse can take is 3 to 6 months.

“Depending on the gravity. When they are joint problems, recovery is faster”, said Giraldo Botero.

How should the pool be?

The pool used for hydrotherapy should be round, so the horse can spin around in circles as the trainer guides it.

To carry out equine hydrotherapy, the presence of a veterinarian or a horse trainer is required.

Which has the function of holding the horse, which is tied with a rope, and helping it walk in circles.

The exercise that the horse does in the cold water, with pressure jets that in turn give it a massage, makes the animal relax.

It should be noted that the pool must have a cement floor so that the horse does not slip and the depth must be approximately three meters.

Among the benefits of this therapy is that the horse walks and strengthens its ability to swim, while it can continue training without feeling more pain.

Three reactions caused by equine hydrotherapy

Through this therapy three reactions are produced:

The first of these occurs at the cellular level, the second has to do with the permeability of the vessel walls, which decreases, and therefore the amount of fluid that accumulates in the affected area is reduced.

While the third is associated with cold since it numbs, to a certain extent, the affected area, acting as a local analgesic.