Today, PEMF machines for horses are common fixtures in barns and stables. PEMF therapy is an easy and effective way to ensure that your horse is in peak physical condition. Horse owners, trainers, and equine vets use pulsed electromagnetic field therapy for all types of horses. Racehorses and equine athletes were among the first to benefit from PEMF therapy in the United States, however.
Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy has been improving performance and treating injuries in racehorses since the 1970s.
Why racehorses?
Racehorses put an exceptional amount of strain on their bodies. A horse’s leg bears a load of up to triple its body weight when running at racing speed on a straightaway. The load increases even more so on turns. The amount of force and the impact of running at racing speeds puts racehorses at an increased risk for injury.
Jumping also puts a substantial impact on a horse’s musculoskeletal system. Jumps racing has the highest risk of fatal equine injury, but the risk for injury is present in all types of racing.
Euthanizing injured horses became a common practice because of the difficulty in healing certain injuries, such as leg bone fractures.
According to a 2005 study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, injuries are the second leading cause of death in horses after old age. Sometimes these injuries result from an accident, but this isn’t always the case. You can’t prevent accidents, but you can take measures to prevent injuries. PEMF for horses is widely used for injury prevention.
How can PEMF therapy help?
Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy can help racehorses – and any type of horse for that matter – recover from injuries and prevent injuries from happening.
PEMF therapy increases blood flow and oxygenates the cell; this improves cellular regeneration and promotes healthy cell function. Equine PEMF therapy reduces recovery times, which both improves the effectiveness of training and reduces the risk of injury from inadequate recovery.
PEMF therapy can also help prevent injuries in horses by identifying muscle imbalances, and overused or sore muscles in horses.
Injury prevention is key, especially when it comes to racehorses. Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy has been approved by the FDA to treat nonunion fractures in humans, and it’s also been used to treat osteoarthritis in dogs.
Improving bone health and increasing bone density lowers the risk for bone fractures. PEMF therapy has also been used to treat hoof injuries as well. Contact PEMF Complete for more information about equine PEMF therapy, and PEMF systems for horses.