Do you rate magnetic products?

[ForeverBroke_]

As per title really.

Do you rate magnetic boots, rugs, pads etc etc? What difference (if any) have you noticed?

Thanks

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I had a TBxWelsh mare who was retired and arthritic, on bute. She deteriorated to the point of struggling and I was looking at pts in the March but a friend recommended magnetic leg-wraps, which she used for her pony and really rated. I rang the local rep and they were delivered that evening. I put them on the mare for 24 hrs, as recommended, in overnight and out during the day. She trotted in apparently sound the following evening. The next day she wore them for 12 hours. We swapped the wraps around different legs but she always held out her front legs to have them put on, she obviously felt the benefit from them. They made a huge difference to her and I had her another 3 months until sadly she had a seizure and was pts.


ETA, we have tried them on 2 more horses and had nowhere near the same miraculous effect.

 

[MuddyMonster]

I use them and rate them alongside other management techniques.

 

[doodle]

I used boots on Mintos back legs. He had a spavin and i would put them on after hard work. No idea if they worked as he never was lame after diagnosis but made me feel I was doing something to help.

 

[AFB]

I did a bit of research recently and the general consensus is that it's a placebo effect - no scientific backing so I didn't bother. Invested in a joint supplement instead.

 

[Winters100]

I use them on the basis that they can do no harm, and may perhaps have some benefit. Not sure that any nice warm stable boot would not have the same effect, but as with the supplements I feel they don't hurt. I also have a magnetic rug, but to be honest it doesn't get much use.

I did some years ago take my dog to the UK to have both hips replaced by a well known orthopedic vet and he told me that he felt very irritated at many of the products and supplements that are sold at high prices, when in many cases only surgical intervention can help. My take would be if you can afford it then why not, but don't feel that you really have to buy them.

 

[Gloi]

Yet another way of separating people from their money for magical thinking

 

[Baywonder]

My old boy was on Devil's Claw for his arthritis of the coffin joint and sidebone. I then tried him with magnetic hoof boots too whilst in his stable overnight. I saw a difference in him - he was not so 'pottery' when walking out.

So, yes, in my case, I believe they did help. It goes without saying this may not be the same for everyone though.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Yet another way of separating people from their money for magical thinking

You obviously didn't see the *immediate* difference in my mare but tbh, if I hadn't seen it, I probably wouldn't have believed it, either!

 

[Otherwise]

It annoys me when companies flog expensive products with no scientific evidence they work to desperate people. There is no evidence that magnets work beyond the placebo effect, the same with homeopathy and holograms so I wouldn't waste my money. If someone feels it's helped them that's fine but the plural of anecdotes is not data.

 

[dreamcometrue]

I tried magnetic wraps (human ones) on myself for my arthritis and they made no difference whatsoever.

 

[blitznbobs]

Well as they say you are entitled to your own opinion but not your own facts - there is no empirical evidence that they do anything more than keep things warm like any other wrap/ blanket etc

 

[cremedemonthe]

Can you have a placebo effect on a horse?
I wouldn't have thought so!

 

[Gloi]

Can you have a placebo effect on a horse?
I wouldn't have thought so!

Need to do a blind test against the same wraps without magnets.

 

[blitznbobs]

Can you have a placebo effect on a horse?
I wouldn't have thought so!

simple answer is yes - especially when owners are involved

 

[cremedemonthe]

simple answer is yes - especially when owners are involved

I'm not convinced, I feel it would depend on the horse and on the owner, it would vary so much that it couldn't be used as evidence either way.
Perhaps, the only way (which would be uneconomical to do though), is to try it with a vet seeing the horse, before and after the trial of the magnetic products in question.
It would hold more validity I would think

 

[SussexbytheXmasTree]

I’m totally aware there is no empirical evidence that magnets work. (I don’t think there is an awful lot of empirical evidence that joint supplements work either). I have used magnet wraps and also fed joint supplements ?. My personal anecdotal experience is that they both can appear to have a positive effect.

 

[poiuytrewq]

My elderly pony wears magnetic bands. I’ve never really noticed a difference but I have them so he may as well wear them!
We did have a racehorse at work who pulled out very stiff in front every morning. We tried my bio flow boots on him and they swore they worked amazingly, his owners bought them off me and he wore them religiously the whole time he was in training.

 

[blitznbobs]

I'm not convinced, I feel it would depend on the horse and on the owner, it would vary so much that it couldn't be used as evidence either way.
Perhaps, the only way (which would be uneconomical to do though), is to try it with a vet seeing the horse, before and after the trial of the magnetic products in question.
It would hold more validity I would think

its been scientifically tested in dogs... and works (placebo) - I doubt horses are much different. I do know magnets have been studied extensively in humans dogs and horses and have no active effect whatsoever.

 

[cremedemonthe]

its been scientifically tested in dogs... and works (placebo) - I doubt horses are much different. I do know magnets have been studied extensively in humans dogs and horses and have no active effect whatsoever.

I had a good look on the net for these trials, I hate it when you are right!
Oz

 

[TPO]

I put those equibandz (think that's what they were called) on both mine and my mum's horses. This was previous horses way back in 2015/16 I think.

There was a noticeable difference in mums horse; so much so you could tell if he'd lost a band overnight. Not a jot of difference to my horse despite trying every positioning option.

I even had a vet from a previous practice recommend that I use magnets . I had been asking him about arcequine and his reply was that he didnt know about that product but to use magnets because he had seen a lot of amazing results ?‍

What I would say is that anything that has the potential to do good also has the potential to do harm. I'm sure there are some contradictions to using magnets (therefore they must do *something*?) so just be aware of all the facts before trying anything, not just magnets, expecting that itll either do good or do nothing.

That aside with the previous horses mentioned I was happy to throw money down the drain trying different things for them, while they were also under vet supervision, so if something worked it was a bonus but it wasnt the be all and end all.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I really don't think that the dramatic change in my mare can be put down to a placebo effect - or my hoping that they would work because the next step was pts.

She was noticeably not sound in walk in the field, even on bute before I bought the magnetic wraps, after wearing them for 24 hours she appeared to be sound in both walk and trot. After about a week of her being sound we stopped the bute and she remained sound. This was not a fine judgement on the degrees of soundness but very obvious difference.

I will happily admit that the very same wraps made no difference at all to the 2 other horses who have worn them, one was her field companion, the other belonged to a friend and lived elsewhere. Should the need arise again, I would try them again on another horse.

 

[ycbm]

I really don't think that the dramatic change in my mare can be put down to a placebo effect - or my hoping that they would work because the next step was pts.

She was noticeably not sound in walk in the field, even on bute before I bought the magnetic wraps, after wearing them for 24 hours she appeared to be sound in both walk and trot. After about a week of her being sound we stopped the bute and she remained sound. This was not a fine judgement on the degrees of soundness but very obvious difference.

I will happily admit that the very same wraps made no difference at all to the 2 other horses who have worn them, one was her field companion, the other belonged to a friend and lived elsewhere. Should the need arise again, I would try them again on another horse.

Had she had non magnetic wraps on up to when you used magnetic ones?
.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I am one of these people that neither believe that they work or that they don't but it does no harm in using them.

We use leg wraps on the horses at work that have had bone injuries and especially on the ones that have pins in their legs. They are not magnetic but I do think the fact that they are keeping the legs warm helps, especially in winter.

My wrists used to get very sore, especially in winter so i started wearing a copper bracelet that had magnets in it also. It didn't really make much difference. I haven't worn it for a yesr or so and my wrists are no where near as sore. But not my fingers, especially on my right hand, seize up when not used. Might try something for them.

 

[SassieSoz]

I think it depends on the horse and the product.

Tried magnetic brushing boots with my old boy (this was a few years ago) and they made absolutely no difference.

I currently use magnetic bands on my IDx who has high ringbone, plus he's supplemented with a turmeric blend.
If I take the bands off he becomes pottery within 24 hours. I don't take them off now, except for cleaning or swapping the diagonals weekly.

He's happy to hurtle around the field with his buddy and we're about to start ridden work again, so the ones I'm using get a thumbs up from the pair of us!

 

[rabatsa]

My OH had a magnetic bracelet and swore it worked until I pointed out I had found it in the laundry three weeks earlier and he had not noticed it missing or his joints getting any worse.

So no I do not believe that they have any effect.

 

[milliepops]

My OH had a magnetic bracelet and swore it worked until I pointed out I had found it in the laundry three weeks earlier and he had not noticed it missing or his joints getting any worse.

So no I do not believe that they have any effect.

haha! my OH wears one too, a copper one so he's partially hulk coloured. he seems to think it works, but does have the side effect of getting metal filings scrunched under the skin when they get stuck on the magnet, urghh

 

[pansymouse]

They definitely work on my mare - they've helped accelerate healing after a couple of nasty lower leg injuries. I also use magnetic collars on my elderly cats and they move better with them on. My friend is a qualified veterinary physio who used magnetic therapy on horse, dogs and cats with good success rates. She has done quite a lot of research on on the subject for her masters.