Howe Brook Equine Fitness & Recovery

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Howe Brook Equine Fitness & Recovery

Equine Fitness and Rehabilitation Centre, located on the M6 junction 27 - WN6 9SW

30/09/2025

Great little machine for poo picking and hay nets 🤲

19/09/2025

Nice, relaxing session on the TheraPlate for Twix 🥰

09/09/2025

Someone is very chilled on the TheraPlate today 💜🥰

01/09/2025

Good Morning! After a lovely break with the family, we are back open and we have missed you all 💜
Please book for September online at Howebrook.co.uk/book 🐎

19/08/2025

📢 Holiday Notice 🌴💜

We’re taking a short break and will be closed until 1st September.
Thank you for your understanding – we look forward to welcoming you back when we reopen!

Wishing you all a wonderful end to the summer! ☀️✨

15/08/2025

🐴 Water Treadmill vs. Swimming – Which Is Better for Your Horse’s Posture? 🐴

Both swimming and water treadmills are fantastic low-impact workouts for horses, but when it comes to posture, balance, and core strength, they’re not quite the same. Here’s how they compare:

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✅ Water Treadmill – Pros:
• Encourages correct posture – The upright position promotes proper topline engagement and spinal alignment.
• Improves balance and coordination – Walking against water resistance activates stabilising muscles.
• Low joint impact – Buoyancy reduces stress while allowing natural stride patterns.
• Customisable workout – Speed, incline, and water depth can be adjusted for rehab or fitness.
• Helps rebuild gait after injury – Encourages even, symmetrical movement.

⚠️ Water Treadmill – Cons:
• Less cardiovascular than swimming.
• Doesn’t provide the same range of motion for forelimbs as swimming.

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✅ Swimming – Pros:
• Full-body workout with strong cardiovascular benefits.
• Excellent for building muscle without concussion on limbs.
• Ideal for recovery from certain limb injuries.

⚠️ Swimming – Cons:
• Can promote hollow posture if not done correctly.
• Doesn’t mimic natural gait patterns.
• Less beneficial for developing topline compared to water treadmill.

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💡 Bottom line:
For posture, topline development, and gait rehabilitation, the water treadmill is the winner. Swimming is still an excellent conditioning tool — but for everyday strength, balance, and alignment, the treadmill offers unmatched benefits. 🐎💦

11/08/2025

🤩🤩 Imagine sitting to this walk – smooth, powerful, and rhythmic!
Every stride rolls through the horse’s back, engaging the core and lifting through the topline. This is the beauty of the water treadmill work: it allows the horse to move in perfect balance, free from the rider’s weight, so they can build strength, flexibility, and straightness. The consistent pace and level surface encourage even muscle development, while the water adds low-impact resistance. It’s not just exercise – it’s conditioning for a healthier, more supple horse 🐎

09/08/2025

Got to love a loyalty card 😍 Winnie enjoyed her free session today 🐎💨

02/08/2025

🌟 How Does The Water Treadmill help horses with Navicular Disease? 🌟

🐎 The water treadmill can be extremely helpful for horses with navicular disease because it reduces the stress on the horse’s hooves while still allowing for controlled exercise. Here’s how it supports navicular cases:

💜 Reduced Concussion on the Hoof
• Navicular disease involves pain in the heel and navicular region (usually the navicular bone, bursa, or surrounding soft tissues).
• The water in the treadmill buoys the horse up, significantly reducing the impact on the hoof structures during exercise. This minimizes the jarring force that normally travels up through the heels and navicular area.

💜 Improved Circulation
• Walking in water encourages vascular circulation in the lower limbs due to the hydrostatic pressure of the water.
• Better circulation can reduce inflammation and help support the health of the navicular region.

💜 Strengthens Supporting Muscles Without Overloading the Feet
• The water creates gentle resistance, helping build strength in the tendons, ligaments, and muscles, especially in the shoulder and back, which reduces the mechanical load on the feet.
• Stronger supporting structures can reduce strain on the navicular region during normal movement.

💜 Encourages Correct Movement
• Horses often move more correctly in water, using a longer, lower stride with better joint flexion and less jarring impact on landing.
• This correct gait patterning can reduce compensatory stresses that worsen navicular issues.

💜 Low-Stress Conditioning
• Horses with navicular disease typically need low-impact conditioning to stay fit without worsening lameness.
• A water treadmill allows for controlled exercise intensity without the pounding on hard ground or the risks of riding on uneven terrain.

💫Always consult your Veterinarian before beginning any rehabilitation program💫

18/06/2025

🐎 How the water treadmill helps horses with arthritis 🦴

Water treadmill therapy is a gentle yet powerful tool for helping horses with arthritis regain mobility and comfort. Here’s why it works so well:

✅ Reduced Joint Stress

Buoyancy in water supports a significant portion of the horse’s weight— greatly diminishing impact and mechanical stress on arthritic joints .

💪 Strengthening Without Strain

Water offers resistance (~12× that of air), so walking builds muscle strength—especially in the core, back, and limb-support structures—without aggravating painful joints .

🔄 Better Joint Mobility

Controlled water depth encourages horses to lift their legs higher, increasing range of motion. Studies show this improved movement in joints like the knee, hock, and fetlock .

🌡️ Fluid Flow & Recovery

Hydrostatic pressure enhances blood and lymph circulation and helps reduce inflammation and swelling—particularly effective when using cold or temperature-controlled water .

📈 Clinical Evidence

Trials from Colorado State University found horses with induced osteoarthritis on water treadmills showed:
💜 Symmetric weight-bearing on forelimbs
💜 Restored range of motion to pre-arthritis levels
💜 Reduced intra-joint inflammation
💜 Improved balance—unlike horses exercised on dry treadmills .

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💜 In summary:
Walking in water on a treadmill provides a low-impact, customizable workout that protects joints, builds strength, increases mobility, and accelerates recovery. It’s a state-of-the-art approach to managing arthritis in horses. Motion is lotion! 💜

💫Always consult your Veterinarian before beginning any rehabilitation program💫

15/06/2025

🐎 How Water Treadmill Helps Horses with Tendon and Ligament Damage

A cold-water treadmill can be an excellent tool for rehabilitating equine tendon and ligament injuries. Here’s how it supports recovery:

⸻

💜 1. Reduced Weight Bearing
• Why it matters: Water supports a portion of the horse’s body weight, depending on the depth.
• Benefit: This reduces the load on injured tendons or ligaments, allowing controlled movement without putting full stress on the limbs.

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💜 2. Cold Therapy Effect
• Why it matters: Cold water naturally reduces inflammation and swelling.
• Benefit: This helps manage acute injury symptoms, eases pain, and prevents excessive fluid buildup around damaged tissues.

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💜 3. Controlled, Low-Impact Exercise
• Why it matters: The treadmill encourages the horse to walk in a straight, balanced line with even limb use.
• Benefit: Encourages correct gait pattern and prevents compensatory strain on other limbs or joints.

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💜 4. Hydrostatic Pressure
• Why it matters: The pressure from cold water improves circulation and lymphatic drainage.
• Benefit: This enhances healing by reducing inflammation and promoting nutrient delivery to injured tissues.

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💜 5. Improved Flexion and Range of Motion
• Why it matters: The resistance of water encourages active movement through the full range of motion.
• Benefit: Helps prevent stiffness and maintain joint mobility during healing.

⸻

💜 6. Muscle Engagement Without Concussion
• Why it matters: Horses can engage core and stabilizing muscles without the jarring impact of trotting or galloping on land.
• Benefit: Builds supporting muscle around the injured area to help stabilize it during recovery and reduce risk of re-injury.

⸻

✅ Ideal For:
• Superficial and deep digital flexor tendon injuries
• Suspensory ligament strain or desmitis
• Post-surgical rehab
• Managing chronic inflammation in sport horses

💫Always consult your Veterinarian before beginning any rehabilitation program💫

13/06/2025

Why Do Horses Yawn? 🥱

💜A Closer Look at Tension Release💜

Yawning in horses isn’t just a sign of boredom or tiredness — it can also be a subtle clue about their emotional and physical well-being. One of the lesser-known but important reasons horses yawn is to release tension.

When a horse yawns, especially after being groomed, massaged, or having bodywork done, it’s often a sign that they’re letting go of built-up stress. Just like humans might sigh or stretch after a long day, a horse’s yawn can be a form of physical and emotional release. It’s a calming signal that indicates the nervous system is shifting out of “fight or flight” mode and into a more relaxed state.

Some horses may yawn repeatedly after having tension released from the poll, jaw, or neck areas — common spots where they hold stress, particularly if they’ve had ill-fitting tack or dental issues. Yawning may also follow a moment of discomfort or anxiety as the body processes and clears that tension.

However, it’s important to watch the context. If a horse yawns excessively without any clear trigger or seems to show signs of pain or distress, it could point to an underlying issue like ulcers or discomfort, and a vet should be consulted.

In many cases, though, a good yawn is just a horse’s way of saying, “I’m finally feeling better.” 🥱

Address

Martin House Farm, Church Lane
Wigan
WN69SW

Website

http://www.howebrook.co.uk/book

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