Posted 2015-03-31 1:01 PM Subject: Swimming your horses
I'm Cooler Offline
Posts: 6387 Location: Pacific Northwest
I'm just curious, this isn't something I plan on doing anytime soon. But for those of you that have taken your horses to facilities and had them swim (swimming pool and/or aqua tred), how long did you do this for and what kind of results did you see? Is this only something you do when they're recovering from an injury or is it something that's beneficial conditioning for any horse?
Only wondering because I saw a rehab facility a few hours from me offers this, so it just got me thinking. Does it only help with rebuilding muscle or is it helpful with cardio too?
I don't swim very often myself so I have no idea what kind of muscles swimming works haha. I know it's physically hard, I'm just not sure how different it is from say, running.
Posted 2015-03-31 3:18 PM Subject: RE: Swimming your horses
Expert
Posts: 3782 Location: Gainesville, TX
We have sent them to swim before. We usually use them a week or so. It's very taxing on them so they need breaks. It will help them get in shape but cannot replace riding entirely because riding helps build bone density while swimming does not. The result can be a fit horse with weak bones who will break one. It also works muscles a bit differently. If you have one you want to start getting in shape with joint issues it's great. Water is much easier on their joints.
Posted 2015-03-31 6:03 PM Subject: RE: Swimming your horses
Expert
Posts: 4766 Location: Bandera, TX
I've used both. As a kid I galloped at the track and rode the "nicer" horses down to our creek and swam them. They were very fit youngsters. My rodeo horse at the time was used to pony and swam as well. He was probably the fittest horse I've ever ridden.
Several years ago we had a vet open an Aquatred near us. I took my rodeo horse to her as did several others in our area that were trying for the NFR and Circuit system rodeos. We all really liked the conditioning of our horses. You had tendons and ligaments worked and "air" and conditioning all the while mentally relaxing to most of our horses.
Last year I was riding sporadically. I sent my horse off to swim in a pool. While he was very fit. He had several amazing runs right after leaving the pool. I don't feel that I had his lower legs in the shape they needed to be in. He sustained a strained tendon running in some muddy ground. Had I been ridding enough he may not have hurt himself. (He is a young horse and doesn't know to save himself.)
Swimming can be hard on their backs as well; the aquatred I didn't have back issues. (But I've only used the aquatred with 6-7 of my own horses.) One didn't like the water so she goes on the incline treadmill at home. She's a happy camper in that thing sweating her hinny off. The incline really puts the muscles on a horse but they can get very muscle bound so keep up a good stretching program. The free swim worked the glutes and hamstrings, the aquatred the topline and the bottom line, was pretty nice on the hiney too. The incline the top and the hiney.
Posted 2015-03-31 11:58 PM Subject: RE: Swimming your horses
Ace Ventura Pet Detective
Posts: 2409 Location: Wisconsin
I sent mine to Aqua tread for the first time and he was there for 5 weeks, 5 times a day. When i picked him up he was in great shape, however he was a bit coo coo! He was feeling so good, we had to turn him out and back him off to a cup of grain 2 times a day vs a scoop! He feels super strong. I just didnt want to try and get him in shape in this darn cold. I would do it again in a heartbeat
Swimming your horses
