Working horses in water offers a low impact route to cross-training and the recruiting of new muscle groups.  This in turn can help build stamina, general fitness, muscle tone, builds back muscles and encourages self-carriage.  The action horses must adopt whilst walking through the water, whether this is a high step or more wading action, also helps increase the horse’s range of movement and stride length.

With a standard equine water treadmill, such as the Horse Gym 2000 Aquatrainer the horse benefits from:

• Improved blood circulation through the legs
• Reduction in inflammation, swellings and soreness in joints and tendons, thanks to the chilled water helping to reduce oedema
• Controlled loading of joints and limbs whilst working in water, making it an effective method of rehabilitation for horses recovering from several orthopaedic injuries
• Consistent contact with the ground, which results in the horse being able to maintain a regular respiratory pattern and spinal shape

The Seawalker, Equine Health Centre’s innovative and market leading equine water walker, there are additional benefits over the standard equine water treadmill:

• Safe, and loose, natural exercise
• Increased resistance due to salinated water
• Saltwater aids healing of superficial guts and grazes
• The salt content of the water also doesn’t support microbial growth; therefore, the water remains suitable for use without the addition of harmful chemicals such as chlorine, that can have a damaging effect on skin of horses and their handlers
• Saltwater encourages hoof growth

But, what makes the water walkers stand out from equine swimming?

The key element being that the horse always maintains contact with the ground, enabling regular breathing and spinal shape throughout.  It is also common for equine swimming options to use lunge lines to encourage the horses to move around the facility, often hindering the movement.  This is something that we don’t find with the water walkers as the horse is essentially ‘free’ within the bay.

The post Working Horses In Water – The Benefits & Options appeared first on Equine Health Centre.

Unlike some solutions the Vitafloor was designed exclusively for horses.  Rather than taking a concept designed for people, or other animals, the Whole Body Vibration Therapy that is used by the Vitafloor was designed exclusively for equestrian use.  The heavier unit, although still classes as mobile, enables the Vitafloor to give better vibrations, that are targeted at the larger animals.

The solution is designed for 500kg plus animals, although it can be used by smaller equines and humans can also derive benefit from it.

The underpinning principle has had extensive research, with further intensive and independent research going into the usage and development of the solution for horses.  This includes a study conducted over several years by the Swedish Agricultural University, who found there were no adverse effects to its usage.  Further studies were also conducted by Dr. Bart Halsberbhe and various US institutions.

The vibrations emitted from the Vitafloor don’t just target the lower limbs.  The superior upwards vibrations also treat internal organs, making it a good treatment for colic, and the topline.

We recommend regular use of the Vitafloor, rather than a sporadic visiting consultant approach, because that is where the true benefit comes from.

• for horses with bone related problems, it is recommended to use the Vitafloor twice a day for 30 minutes at each time
• for all soft tissue issues such as tendons, ligaments, navicular, laminitis etc. twice a day for 30 minutes is also the recommended usage, albeit at a higher frequency
• for those looking to utilise the Vitafloor for its general training, warm up, muscle building, and maintenance benefits, it can be used once a day for 10 minutes for young horses, or for 20 minutes for horses in training, ideally before work
• Used as a therapy for horses with colic, the frequency should be increased to 50 Hz and used for up to 45 minutes per session. If the horse is still showing signs of colic the session can be repeated after a rest period

We do have ‘mobile’ units that are available for trial – contact info@equinehealthcentre.com or call 01458 251 300 for further information, and delivery costs.

The post What Sets The Vitafloor Apart From Similar Solutions? appeared first on Equine Health Centre.

Here we answer some key questions on the topic of arena maintenance.

My surface is drying out on top but is retaining water down below, should I harrow it to bring the wet surface to the top?

Bringing moist sand from lower down in the surface to the top can be a good short-term fix.  However, in the longer term this might cause a problem with the stability of the surface as you will break down and loosen the base.

A better solution would be watering the arena surface and grading normally to ensure a consistent surface.

My arena freezes in the winter.  Should I harrow the surface to break up the compaction?

No.  Harrowing the surface will dig the frost deeper into the surface and it will take longer to thaw.

Will grading my arena make a difference to the way it rides?

Yes.  Rolling an arena firm will result in a harder and faster surface, whereas grading the surface to be looser and fluffier on top will give a softer and spongier surface.

Your intended use will ultimately define how you should prepare and maintain your surface.

Will a waxed surface be easier to maintain?

All surfaces require a certain degree of maintenance however, waxed surfaces generally require less watering maintenance as they retain their moisture more.

What else should I do to look after my surface?

Apart from having the correct maintenance equipment to make the surface rides exactly how you want it to, removing muck from the arena daily is essential. We are surprised that clients invest heavily in the best arena and then not look after it. Removing the muck from the arena should be like checking oil on your car.

Do I need a tow-hitch or 3-point linkage to pull my maintenance equipment?

This is down to personal preference, and finances.

A gator or mule is generally a more cost effective but gives less flexibility in terms of adjusting the maintenance equipment.

When using a tractor with three-point linkage you have the benefit of adjusting the maintenance equipment, both rollers and tines, more precisely to exactly how you want your surface to ride.

The post How to care for your riding arena surface appeared first on Equine Health Centre.

Where Equivia Equestrian Surfaces is concerned we source the very best sand in the country. When looking at sand we need it to do two very different things:

1. Be free draining – this helps ensure that the arena surface doesn’t flood in wet conditions
2. Hold moisture – as much as we don’t want a surface becoming water-logged, we don’t want it to become too dry and deep either

Sand, in its own right, is very dry and deep, as you’ll find when walking along a dry beach in the summer. Silica sand, however, holds more moisture due to its subangular nature.  The sub angularity of the silica sand means that it has a lot of different angles and therefore locks together with the other rough surfaces.  Whereas, if sand is perfectly round it can’t lock together very easily and it also allows water to run off more easily.  The subangular sides allow water to stick to the sand more.  The more connected the sand, the more water it holds within the structure, the less resistance there is and the easier it becomes to walk across.

Why add fibre?

Horses were never designed to be ridden on artificial surfaces and therefore we look to mimic a natural surface where possible, while still offering the benefits of an artificial surface.

Adding fibres to the sand helps to mimic the root structure of grass, with the aim of creating a more natural surface.

Over the past two years there has been much discussion about the type of fibres that are used in equestrian surfaces.  The fibres used in Equivia are, and have always been, post-industrial. This means they are new waste, supplied directly from the carpet manufacturing industry, which ensures they are clean, un-contaminated, traceable, and subject to a rigorous quality control procedure.

The fact that our fibres are post-industrial as opposed to post-consumer is also relevant for clients building arenas in SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) areas as these are subject to more stringent planning conditions. SSSI sites need to avoid contamination of the environment – i.e., run off from waste products into ground water – waste fluids from old recycling carpets and ensuing that no bodily fluids have contaminated any components.

Why add wax?

In a similar fashion to fibre adding structure to the surface, adding wax to an equestrian surface acts as a binding agent.  The wax brings all of the key ingredients together and minimises the need for watering and reduces the potential for dust when dry.

Different purposes and locations will often require different levels of wax to be added.  Gallops, for example, will often require an increased amount of wax.  This is largely due to the complexity of watering gallops and also the need for a firmer and faster surface.  Smaller, general use arenas have a tendency to require less wax, due to the lower intensity use.

Adding wax to a surface mix is like adding an ingredient to a cake mixture – too little or too much could spoil the whole results.  This is why, at Equivia, we ensure that we are accurate when adding wax to a surface and weigh the wax so that we can ensure consistency across the surface and should we be required to add more surface to an arena in the future.

For more information on the different Equivia products visit: Equivia No1 | Equivia No2 | Equivia No3

The post What to look for in a synthetic riding surface? appeared first on Equine Health Centre.

“We’ve been delighted to work with Equine Health Centre.  It’s a fantastic facility here at Chedington, and thanks to Equine Health Centre we have all of these options available to us. I’m quite excited to see how we can use the Aquatrainer, Horse Gym 2000 dry treadmill and the Vitafloor as a way of both preventing injury and improving performance.”  Christopher Burton

Equine Health Centre have aligned themselves with world leading, innovative, products for the equine industry since 2004 when their flagship product, the Seawalker, was first installed at Horses First Racing. Now working across all equestrian disciplines, and with products installed at professional and private equestrian facilities around the world, the partnership with Burton Equestrian is the first of its kind for the company.

“We’re honoured to be working with Chris and his team who all seem to really appreciate what we can provide.  Like Chris we’re committed to helping equines reach their full potential.  We look forward to working with Chris and following the progress and careers of the individual horses” Justin Chittenden, Managing Director.

“The Aquatrainer is the most excellent way for doing cross-training.  It is core strength and excellent conditioning training for the horses, while being low impact.  One of the reasons I prefer the Horse Gym 2000 dry treadmill over a circular walker is that the horses are walking in a straight line and of course, for me, the uphill graduation is the best bit.  I’ve never been a fan of horses always working on a turn, and this is what we can avoid by using the treadmills” confirmed Burton.

The Aquatrainer at Chedington Equestrian can be used with chilled water or as a dry treadmill and is used for both rehabilitation and performance development.  The Vitafloor is the original, and only, whole body vibration therapy solution designed specifically for horses.  The use of equine vibration therapy works to prevent injury and works to speed up rehabilitation and recovery, by improving blood circulation throughout the body. Both facilities are available for external visitors to use at Chedington Equestrian.

Horse Gym 2000 Aquatrainer at Chedington Equestrian

The post Equine Health Centre Announce Partnership with Chris Burton appeared first on Equine Health Centre.

Read more at https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/features/best-arena-surface-659617#JFlYK04eoIwmhpBj.99

We are often called out to consult on a range of arenas and gallops installed by other companies. We find integrating Equivia into an existing surface gives a new lease of life, for a fraction of the investment of a complete surface.

If you would like to find out more about our Equivia all weather surfaces do not hesitate to contact us today.

Our background in construction and large project installations enables us to offer impartial advice to our clients looking to develop new facilities or revenue streams.

The post Arena surface guide appeared first on Equine Health Centre.