Magnetic Therapy in Horses

Magnetic Therapy is a safe gentle therapy that has been used for many years dating back as far as the Greeks and Egyptians. It is a widely used therapy in the Far East where the philosophy is more about preventing illness through a holistic approach to health. In the West Magnetic Therapy use is growing due to all the benefits people are seeing for both themselves and their animals.

No-one knows for sure how magnets work as an aid to healing. There are 3 main theories. The first and most popular is that magnets improve circulation and as a result speed up the natural healing process by increasing the blood supply to the injured area and by removing toxins and waste products. The second theory is that magnets rebalance the natural magnetic field all living creatures have, thereby promoting healing. The third theory is that magnets affect the atoms that compose living organisms and help to bring about the change necessary for healing.

What is certain is the growing anecdoctal evidence of the benefits of magnetic therapy for both people and animals.

Make sure you follow these top tips for getting the most out of using magnetic therapy in horses.

Tip 1 DO Use Magnetic Therapy to reduce healing time by as much as a 1/3rd following injury and speed up the time you can be back enjoying riding your horse.

Tip 2 DO NOT use in the first 24/48 hours following acute injury or on open wounds.

Tip 3 DO use Magnetic Therapy before exercise to increase the blood circulation to the muscles to enhance the warm up process and help prevent injury during work. Additionally Magnetic Therapy can be used following exercise to help with the removal of toxins that may have built up in the muscles.

Tip 4 DO monitor your horse when you first use Magnetic Therapy. Different animals may react in different ways - use for short periods to start with and then build this up.

Tip 5 DO NOT overuse Magnetic Therapy. If left on all the time the body becomes immune to the effects of the therapy and no benefit will be seen. The maximum amount of time Magnetic Therapy should be used is 12 hours in any 24-hour period. In many cases the condition will benefit from as little as 30mins - 2 hours exposure in a day.

Tip 6 DO let your horse benefit from Magnetic Therapy as soon as possible for the alleviation of chronic conditions. If you horse starts to show any signs of stiffness you should be introducing Magnetic Therapy into your management. Ideally, use even earlier, remember - prevention is always better than cure.

Tip 7 DO use Magnetic Therapy to keep animals relaxed and muscles soft when travelling. Magnetic Rugs are great for this purpose.

Tip 8 DO NOT use Magnetic Therapy whilst exercising or turned out in a field. During this time your horse may injure himself or herself and Magnetic Therapy will increase the amount of bleeding.

Tip 9 DO consult your Vet if in any doubt about the condition of your horse - Magnetic Therapy does not replace the advice and care of your Vet but can be used to compliment treatment.

Tip 10 DO NOT use on a pregnant mare.