Water treadmill exercise is increasingly being used as a routine part of the training of sport horses and racehorses, and more commonly proposed as a component of rehabilitation programmes. Training on a treadmill helps to improve muscle control and the even distribution of load. This in turn improves the risk of suffering from compensatory atrophy - which can result in muscle wastage due to uneven pattern of use.
'Water treadmill exercise provides straight line, unridden, controlled exercise and these features alone may complement your horse’s normal training programme.'
‘Water treadmill exercise has many potential benefits when integrated into a training or rehabilitation programme, including an increase in range of movement of lower limbs, increased lumbar flexion, decreased impact shock, and an opportunity to cross train (thereby reducing injury risk) in a controlled environment.’
Equine Water Treadmill Exercise Guidelines Produced by the Equine Hydrotherapy Working Group.
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