WHOLE body vibration therapy is a non-chemical intervention which improves blood circulation through biomechanical stimulation. Vibration therapy involves the horse standing on a plate, or set of plates, which are underneath rubber matting. The vibration motor can be set to a different frequency, as mild or as intensive as required, from as little as ten minutes or more.

As the machine vibrates, it transmits energy to the body, forcing the muscles to contract and relax dozens of times each second. The rapid contraction and relaxation of muscles leads to an increase in blood flow around the body, meaning more oxygen is available to the tissues and toxins are being removed. Other benefits of vibration therapy include:

  • Improved bone density
  • Increases in muscle mass
  • Improvements in circulation
  • Reduction in joint pain
  • It can be used to help manage laminitis, thin soles and has been used to help relieve gastric discomfort in colic cases
  • Vibration therapy is non-invasive and many horses appear to enjoy it
  • As vibration therapy stimulates the blood circulation without the horse having to move, it makes it an effective therapy for horses that are off work or on box rest
  • Many vibrating plates are portable making them easy to set up in a barn isle or grooming station

    • NASA ASTRONAUTS

    Vibrating floor systems used for horses use the same established physical and technological principles of whole body training as are used for training astronauts to stimulate the development of bone density and muscle tone. Today, NASA uses vibration therapy to help prevent muscle loss in astronauts.

    The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Uppsala has carried out extensive research and testing on vibrating floors since 2003, including studies to analyse what happens with a clinically healthy horse during vibration treatment.

    The methods used were mainly thermography before and after treatment, as well as blood samples, measurement of rectal temperature, heart rate, clinical examination and observation of physical reactions. Temperature was also checked in the front legs, where significant decreases in temperature of the hoof walls and fetlock joints of the front legs were observed after vibration. No negative effects were noted after treatment.

    International Irish Show jumper, Greg Broderick, advocates the use of vibration therapy on horses stating that: “It really helps to improve circulation, we have found it useful for horses with leg soreness caused by strain or splints and on horses that may be prone to colic.

    “We first came accross it in California as Lee Kruger was using it. We now incorporate it into the daily schedules of the horses whether they are training at home or away at competition.”