Designed especially for the bigger horse, the Equilibrium Therapy XL Massage Pad includes all the proven features of our Massage Pad but shaped for broader or long backed horses. We would recommend it is suitable for horses who wear over a 6’6″ rug (155cm) and/or are over 16.2hh. (165cm+)
Now with 6 massage motors to cover an even larger surface area, ideal for horses in 6’6″+ rugs or those particularly long or broad in the back.
Developed through clinical trials at Myerscough College, UK, the Equilibrium Therapy Massage Pad‘s innovative design provides effective, affordable equine massage therapy and is proven to improve back flexibility and promote relaxation in horses. The Equilibrium Therapy Massage Pad was created in 2007 to help treat a successful ex-racehorse suffering from chronic back pain and sensitivity. Following combined treatment with the Equilibrium Therapy Magnetic Back Pad, the horse made a full recovery and went on to pursue a new career, in Endurance!
How does the Massage Pad work?
The Equilibrium Therapy Massage Pad has three different settings – high, medium and low – which can be selected easily from the attached controller. This enables you to select the intensity of the program to suit your horse. Each program has three different types of massage – pulsing, vibration and stroking –to ensure all muscles are worked in different ways.
The Equilibrium Therapy Massage Pad can be easily incorporated into your warming up and cooling down routine. The medium setting is ideal to warm up muscles before exercise, the low setting can be used to cool down after work and the high setting for when your horse requires a more intense massage. Each session will last for 30 minutes however, this can be manually stopped at any time.
The Massage Pad fits an array of horses and ponies so can be easily transferred from horse to horse or pony. It comes in a handy carry bag which makes it ideal for use at home, away. It is easy to store in the tack room and is wipe clean. The bag also has useful storage spots for the battery and charger.
The Equilibrium Therapy Massage Pad is now the choice of many Olympians, world champions and top producers.
When to use Massage Therapy
The Equilibrium Therapy Massage Pad can be used for:
Benefits of Massage
Massage therapy has shown to help reduce back stiffness caused by injury and long term chronic conditions such as arthritis. It does this by increasing the blood supply to the affected muscles and removing the build-up of toxins.
Tension is often one of the most common reasons for poor performance and by increasing relaxation and improving back flexibility; the negative effects of tension can be reduced. Relaxed muscles will assist with flexibility and movement in particular for competition horses performing dressage movements and jumping technical fences.
Clinical Trials
As part of our commitment to research and product development, the Equilibrium Therapy Massage Pad was tested by Myerscough College in Lancashire, UK.
The results, following six weeks of testing showed that the massage pad offers significant benefits to working horses, improving back flexibility and promoting relaxation and can show an increase in stride length.
Test Methods
The trial itself consisted of high performance horses where the effects of massage were investigated. Firstly the horses were measured for signs of stress/relaxation immediately before, during and after the application of the massage pads over a six week period. Secondly, the horses were assessed in terms of flexibility and suppleness. There were two groups of horses – a treated group and a control group.
Back flexibility was assessed using the ‘Arch Dip Test’. The test involves the use of pressure stimulus to generate a reflex in the horses’ back. Pressure applied to a specific region in the spinal area results in the horse ‘dipping’ away from the pressure, with a more flexible back allowing the horse to exhibit a greater ability to dip away from the source of the pressure. The arch test involves the application of pressure to the horses’ midline, in order to stimulate an upwards arch reflex in the horses’ back away from the source of pressure. Similarly, a more flexible back allows the horse to exhibit a greater ability to arch the back upwards away from the source of the pressure. The horses that had used the pad showed a significant improvement in back flexibility of approx 46%.
The horses also had their heart rates monitored. It was shown that the horses wearing the massage pad had their heart rates reduced and maintained a state of relaxation during treatment.
