What is Red Light Therapy and how can it help your horse
(and you too!)

Red Light Therapy Pad

Imagine if your horse developed an issue that, after veterinary examination, revealed a condition that called for paddock rest but your horse obviously needed some TLC.  You feel a bit powerless and start searching for some other way to help him.  

We don't have any formal qualifications (except life experience with horses), so it is always good to call in a professional. We are also fortunate in having an equine therapist in our area who is extremely helpful in using her various modalities of  Body work, Acupuncture and PEMF, pinpointing acute areas of pain and treat the horse accordingly.

However, she is a great advocate for following up using Red Light Therapy for effective rehabilitation after injury.  The advantage lies in the fact we know the areas to work on, which is a huge help!

Even if we can't get any assistance, and have a general idea of problem areas, the Light Therapy pad is used immediately. Horses seem to know the Light Pad is helping them and are usually calm while it is in place.  

Wrap the pad around a leg where there is shin soreness or a joint problem for 15-20mins. It will get the circulation going in those troubled areas.  Make sure the horse is tied up because it's too easy for him to pull the pad off otherwise!!

You may feel your horse is just a bit tight and takes a lot of time to warm up in his work.  To have a Red Light Therapy pad on hand with its high quality red and infrared LEDs, would certainly make the horse feel softer and warm up in his work quickly, making him less prone to injury. It takes about 30mins and you just place it flat on the horses spine, wherever you think is appropriate, and secure it  to his rug with bulldog clips provided.

Red Light Poll Therapy Cap

There are times when a horse is very sensitive around the ears and he may not like having his bridle put on. Poll issues?

In our experience, a tense poll could be the result of pain in the neck or back, so this may be an indicator for you to check other areas of the body. However, if you can release the tension in his poll, it would have a beneficial effect on his general well being.

Using the poll therapy cap for 15-20mins before you work your horse will release the tension, and his head will be more yielding and comfortable. The Red Light Therapy cap works well because the infrared and red LEDs are placed in such a position that they stimulate the appropriate acupuncture points and the usual areas of tension around the head.

Relaxed poll, happy horse!

We love the fact that we have these wonderful aides in our stable so that our horses feel comfortable and have their various problems addressed by the use of the therapy. We use it everyday on any one of our horses with a great feeling of satisfaction that we are helping them achieve in their performances to the best of their ability in a pain-free way.

Here are a few reasons why Red Light Therapy can help your horse

• Shin soreness • Poll tension • Recovery from wounds – stimulates tissue granulation which is important for tissue repair. • Arthritic joints, muscle, tendon and ligament injuries – helps damaged cells to be replaced more quickly thereby shortening the length of recovery time. • Laminitis • Oedema and Inflammation – Red Light therapy increases activity of lympathic system which promotes faster elimination of swelling. • Viruses • Muscular pain • Navicular disease • Pre-performance stimulations and Post-performance Recovery.

Another advantage of owning a Red Light Therapy pad is that you can use it on yourself!

Stiff, sore muscles anywhere on the body, just sit quietly and apply the pad ….ahh, that feels good.  No wonder our horses benefit because we can benefit too. The good thing about its use also is that you can't overdo the amount of time it's on because the body will only absorb what it needs in one session.