Spa Units- pro's con's please...

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air78

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www.ctwequine.com
I'm just looking into spa units, and was wondering if anyone has experence of them?

Have you hired one or own your own?

Are they really usefull?

Ever had 'loading' problems or a horse who has panicked whilst in there?

Anything I should be aware of?

Thanks :)
 
Not sure what you mean by spa units....but my TB mare jumped out of the water treadmill at Hartpury Therpay centre :eek:

She was one of the first horses to go in it having been fine on the high spped treadmill but when the water bubbled in she wanted out and launched over the front of it. Was terrifying...and I think led to horses having a clamer/mild sedative on the first occasions after that!!
 
it is the pic in the middle on the right hand side

http://www.hartpury.ac.uk/Hartpury-College/Hartpury-Equine/Equine-Therapy-Centre/Facilities/

From what I remember it had a treadmill on the bottom and you could have water at any height up to shoulder height. The water started coming in around her front feet and she decided that she wasn't having it, reared up over the breastbar and then manage to launch out over the front.....she was my SJ mare though and I don't think I ever rode her through water :rolleyes:
 
Ha ha Jo- i did my first dissertation on the aquafit water treadmill not long after it was installed. I remember there was a few chips in it!

OP- horses need to have a period of habituation imo. You cant just expect them to load straight away and everything be fine. There is alot to know about water temp, water height, length of treatment, etc too, which tbh not many operators know about. Many spa centres just shove the horses in knowing very little about the actual therapeutic (or otherwise) value of what they are doing. Theyre a useful tool but operators need to educate themselves better for maximum benefit and avoidance of problems.
 
I haven't used one but.... if you're going to, get all the info you can from the centre and your vet to ensure the people doing it will be properly trained. Don't know if they have to hold a certificate or what, but have heard first hand of one down south where the owner turned up to find her horse in the spa by itself shaking from head to foot. As with anything like this us owners are at the operators mercy. Although I guess if you're anything like me you will already have thought of this! :o

Have also heard many good things about the healing it promotes, so will watch this with interest!! :)
 
i work in a therapy centre and we have an aqua treadmill, spa and swimming pool.

we have never had a horse jump out of a machine or panic when in it tbh.

we do have the odd loading problem but given time and care they go in ok.

you just have to introduce the horse slowly to spa.

i dont see their use outside of the healing process really though tbh
 
I have spent a few years working with equine spas and have had both good and bad experiences. They are very useful as both a preventative and therapeutic tool however it is very important to use them carefully and spend time acclimatising horses to it.

I would NEVER get too trusting of a horse in the spa as I have had a couple of unpredictable ones who played up when we least expected it! However the majority of horses settle into it well and seem to enjoy the treatment.

I would advise always having two handlers with the horse and when getting a horse acclimatised I would want to have three exoerienced handlers so if something does go wrong the horse can be calmed whilst the spa water is lowered asap.

Used correctly spaing is a wonderful tool for dealing with tendon/ligament issues.

Have you thought about a more portable unit? I now work with a Game Ready Equine System which operates at the same temp as a spa (1-4 degrees) and also provides organised compression to the limb. It is so much easier and safer to use. I have found this system to provide great results with a range of leg conditions. On the plus side this system can effectively treat the hock area (a hard area to treat with the spa unit) downside is it does not treat the lower part of the foot as the spa does :-)

Hope that helps with some pros and cons :-)

PM me if you want any more details/experiences
 
We have had a hydrotherapy spa for several years. In all this time we have had just one horse be difficult. (one of our own) On first introduction a minimum of 2 experienced people are present, preferably 3. The water is only taken to hoof level then gradually increased on acceptence. I would never use a water treadmill as I have heard many reports of horses jumping out. They just are not high enough. Plus the horse believes he is moving forward which gives them the feeling of being able to jump (as in over a fence) The standstill spa is like being in a trailor partition. A brace should be placed just in front of withers & again on croup. This will prevent the horse getting above a height where it might attempt to escape. I think they have a lot of benefit for many injuries, unlike swimming which I feel uses all the wrong top muscles. Like everything really, you need to have confidence in the people overseeing the excersise. At my place only my OH, Son & experienced groom do spa sessions.
 
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