Specializing in Performance Training, Therapy, and Rehabilitation. Level 3 Pulse Certified Practice
03/07/2025
๐๐ Why Swimming isn't Rehab...๐๐
This is a topic we cover in my certification courses, but this morning I feel called to it in a post as well.
๐ There is a big difference in a rehab-focused facility and a fitness-focused facility.... And the results you'll get are very different.
Let's say you've hurt your back lifting something heavy... Why not just go to your local lake or pool and swim laps until the pain goes away? After all swimming is great exercise... ๐คทโโ๏ธ
You would glare at me with the squint everyone has when they're hurting and tell me to take a southern vacation to a place that's real hot.
Because you don't have to be a trained therapist to know that if you force yourself to do a strenuous activity that your back is going to lock up more, not loosen up. So the better option would be bodywork or stretching combined with controlled movement therapy like water aerobics. In water aerobics, different muscle groups are targeted at specific times so the body is never overwhelmed with a swim or drown complex that creates compensation and a flight response.
๐ธ So let's talk about how facilities differ with horses....
Swimming facilities are typically fitness-focused and they run through a ton of horses in a day. Quantity is usually the standard in more of these facilities.
๐Facts about Swimming:
- Your horse (or a human) should have some base level of fitness before you start a strict swimming regimen. It's a full body activity and if you don't have some fitness, you are at risk for muscle cramps, hyperextension injuries, running out of air, and muscle soreness.
- Overexertion in unfit horses in a pool can cause drowning, bleeding, ulcers, tie up episodes and colic. I know of at least 2 stories of each of these instances.
To add more content, usually the cause of drowning is muscle cramping which causes the horse to sink. Sadly this also happens often at lakes with human drownings.
- Swimming is contraindicated in cases of:
๐นStifle injuries - because hyperextension causes too much strain on the joint
๐นKissing spine - every horse swims with the head elevated and the back inverted. Vertebrae that are close or touching will become closer when the back is inverted.
๐ When you Google "What exercise burns the most fat?" Swimming will come up in the top 3 suggestions, because it's a difficult (but fun) exercise that involves the whole body.
Horses naturally burn calories and fat fairly easily with fitness so you really have to make sure you are re-supplying what's being burned off if you aren't trying to pull a bunch of weight off the horse.
A fitness-focused facility is going to get them "racehorse fit" which doesn't work for barrel horses because our horses have to have enough muscle mass to collect up and turn on different qualities of ground. And we're running our horses 3 to 4 days a week...
When they get too lean, their joints aren't supported and they'll get sore.
๐ธ So nutrition is vital to keep the horse from dropping weight.
๐ Facts about Rehab-focused Facilities:
- Typically these facilities are going to be owned and operated by professionals that have completed education courses and have an understanding of biomechanics, movement, and assessing the horse. Much like a person would work with a professional trainer or physical therapist.
- Underwater Treadmills are the preferred water therapy because you can control every aspect of the horse's workout. Horses can be 60% weightless in the water, but can still touch the bottom, so the equipment doesn't require a base level of fitness to be used safely. Water level, speed, head carriage, and amount of concussion can all be controlled instantly and safely.
๐ธThere are few to no contraindications with injuries because the speed and water level can be adjusted to the comfort of the horse. I've started off many horses on just a dry tread workout following surgery because the dry treadmill helps more with proprioception than just hand walking.
- Adaptability is what makes this equipment perfect for both rehab and fitness cases.
๐คขIt's also extremely easy to change the water in the above ground units. Miss catching p**p? No big, we can just drain and refill. S**t happens... Icky water should not.
- Most facilities are going to offer multiple modalities such as cold laser, PEMF, vibration plates, nebulizing, Bodywork, ECT... So even if your horse is just there for fitness the staff is monitoring and addressing muscle changes, soreness, posture, and general wellness of the individual. Most facilities have an attending veterinarian they can bounce ideas to, recheck injuries, and monitor progress.
๐นMultiple types of equipment give the ability to rehab injuries faster and with better quality of healing. It also helps with rest and recovery so general fitness progresses faster.
- These facilities typically don't house as many outside horses, because quality is desired over quantity. The cost may be higher, but your horse's success is a priority.
๐ฅ Equipment is only as good as the Therapist.
I've said this a million times. Horsemanship is a big part of the success. If you can read a horse and know when to back off or when there is distress... Please pick a different career. Equipment training and experience is sooo important. You have to have both horsemanship and therapy knowledge to be a safe practitioner.
๐ Horse Owners: ASK FOR UPDATES!
A real facility will send no less than weekly photos and videos of your horse. Most send two a week. Ask for pictures. Ask your horse's protocol. Ask what they're doing and why. ASK QUESTIONS! Ask the education and experience of those handling your horse.
A bit about me:
I ran Superior Therapy for 7 years before selling out to teach therapy education full time. I have over 60,000 tread sessions under my belt since 2007. I promise you that there is NEVER an excuse for not putting the horse's wellbeing first in every situation.
