OklahomaHorses Magazine January 2021

January/February 2021 • OklahomaHorses 23 Filled above the knee This water level is for our performance condi- tioning, kissing spine and EPM recovery horses. The water still helps keep the strain off the joints but encourages the horse to step up and over the water, similar to a person working on a stair climber machine. It provides the most core workout, which builds a strong back. This really gets that range of motion in the hips, builds topline and helps create a more bal- anced horse. Plus, pulling through the water at this phase creates massive forearm muscle and increases stride reach. Gotta get that cardio! Filled below the knee I don’t use this water level as much as the others, but it definitely has great benefits for certain horses. They are full weight bearing at the level, but I can use it to strengthen leg muscles, tendons and ligaments. This is great for rodeo or race horses that might have to encounter muddy, unfavorable ground conditions. It also builds up forearm muscle as well. It offers a lot of resistance and strain, so we save this workout for our most fit/sound horses looking for performance edge above the competition. We also use this depth for breaking out abscesses. Ankle depth aka skimming This water level works best for extreme- ly fit horses treading at high speeds. It puts all the resistance dragging on the hoof and lower leg. The high speed makes the horse slice through the water and really targets increasing stride length. This is mostly a front-end workout, so it doesn’t have a lot of hind-end benefits. However, we found that it helps give an “edge” in speed competition, where a few tenths of a second separates first from fourth place. Dry treadmill While I prefer water, it’s nice to have a unit that can be used for dry treadmill workouts too. We use this mostly for evaluating progress with lameness cases. We use a mixture of different water levels to make sure horses get a cus- tom workout every time, which helps target and improve different groups of muscles. We also vary our speed and distance with each workout. Faster speeds create more resistance and build more air, while a slower workout is needed for slowly rebuilding a horse after surgery or injury. Some of our racehorses are going as fast as 4 mph at a walk! Meanwhile a post-surgery horse may start out at 1.5 mph. We also have the ability to change speeds and water height during a workout to add more variety. As a therapist, I love being close to the horse while it is working. I can teach them to break at the poll and lift their core to build correct muscle. If I need to put a hand on them to balance or comfort nervous horses, I’m right there to do so, building their confidence just as a rider would. I can monitor their movement and make adjustments. I also love the clear sides and being able to analyze how the horse is moving from every angle. Plus, the open concept helps new horses to not feel so confined while working. I love educating about our equipment! A piece of equipment is just that—a machine. The real success stories come from the eyes of the therapist running said equipment. We still have to analyze every horse and figure out the best treatment plan for that individual. Summer Terry Summer Terry Summer Terry (right) with staff