Swimming horses - safety?

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Flicker

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Hi, friend is doing an assignment on equine swimming and needs to put in it something about the safety aspect. We used to have one at my yard and the girl that operated it was CPR trained (human and animal) and the animals all wore life jackets, and she had a solarium to dry them out after.
Can anyone think of any other safety aspects that my friend should consider in her assignment?
 
The animals wore life jackets?! Well I have never seen a horse life jacket, how interesting! All the horses I have *swum* really haven't needed anything other than 2 handlers (one either side with ropes to guide) and obv the in/out must be well maintained and rubber (?) so they don't slip.
 
A second one who has never heard of life jackets for horses!

When I swam my mare, the pool ramp was lined with rubber. The guy who owned it took one rope and I took the other. I suppose it is very important to have a least one handler who is experienced and knows to do things like help them up onto the ramp so they don't bang their knees, and to know when enough is enough! They tire very quickly the first few times!

I put my mare on his walker at a slow speed to dry her off!
 
Lol!!!
I don't think the idea is to make them swim or drown, I think it is more a fun exercise.
The life jackets fit round their shoulders and are designed to keep their heads up out of the water in case anything happens.
Weezy - good point re: the in / out! Forgot that!
 
My mare swims regularly (no life jackets mind you?
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) They have a handler each side and she is booted up front and back. The ramp is lined with very grippy rubber on the floor and up the sides on the way in. Afterwards her heart rate is monitored and she is warmed up under a solarium!

Hope this helps!
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Swimming can put quite a strain on a horses heart which is why horses are only swam a couple of laps on each 'rein' to start with, gradually increasing the amount they do each time over a period of weeks. One pool we used to visit for my horses check ligament injury was telling us about the previous owners who had their own horse who was very valuable but was unable to be ridden ever again due to injury. They did not have loss of the use on the horse so instead they deliberately swum it to death to claim the insurance money for it. The horse collapsed and drowned of a heart attack. Very, very disturbing and extremely difficult to prove I should have thought.
 
Applecart thats horrible-

My mare goes for two weeks in the summer and they gradually build her fitness levels up. My little one eyed coblett (aged 19) swims daily completing up to 18 laps in 3 reps of 6. She comes back super fit, happy and skinnier!!

Was recommended by vet after laminitis 6 years ago and following on from a fractured knee
 
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