25/08/2026
Red Rum — the horse who brought hydrotherapy to the forefront of racehorse care 🌊💦🐎
We can't explore hydrotherapy in racehorse care without a special mention for Red Rum—one of the best-known examples of water-based training and rehabilitation in racing history.
Most will know his story. When Red Rum came into trainer Ginger McCain's care, he was suffering from debilitating pedal osteitis, threatening his racing career. McCain turned to the beach and sea, exercising him on Southport's sand and taking him into the water to maintain fitness while reducing the concussion and loading associated with conventional gallops.
McCain famously said, “salt water is so good for legs.”
The important historical context is that Hydrotherapy was nothing new—horses had long been treated and exercised in rivers and the sea—but Red Rum's extraordinary success going on to win the Grand National an incredible three times: 1973, 1974 and 1977 helped make the idea of using natural water as part of an elite racehorse's training and rehabilitation programme famous.
Interestingly, it would be more than 20 years after Red Rum's winning days before the first commercial equine hydrotherapy units began to emerge!
