We've been putting T on it now and then in hopes of increasing the blood flow to his feet, which in theory should help improve his sole depth (note that getting lots of movement and having a heel-first landing will do the same thing). The thing is, he's had some weird experiences on the Theraplate that makes me a little skeptical about it.
How about we just have alfalfa and skip the theraplate?
At first, he'd hop on and hang out, but then he fell off it a few times partway through the session. Eventually he broke his halter, so we decided he needed adult supervision while on the Theraplate ride.
Oops.
We added a tub of alfalfa in front of him (which he didn't eat), and a little side railing to keep him from leaving. I watched him a couple of times, and as soon as I turned it off, he sort of staggered right off to the side. He didn't seem to be particularly enjoying it, but he's a stoic guy and puts up with a lot.
I decided to try it for myself, and after three minutes I felt a little dizzy. When I got off, my legs from the knee down were sort of "buzzing," and my feet felt kind of like they weren't quite attached. If it has the same effect on horses, I completely understand why Taran did what he did.
Not the face of happiness and joy.
So, no more Theraplate for the Wonderpony. Maybe it works for some horses and people (there are a couple of folks at the barn that LOVE it for themselves), but I think we're going to stay away from it.
Have you tried a Theraplate? Have you used it for your horse? What were your experiences?
(1) https://www.theraplate.com/
(2) https://www.doctorramey.com/shake-rattle-roll/
My local gym has the human version of a theraplate, and yeah it's kind of awful. I would always feel dizzy and like I couldn't get my legs to work properly afterwards...and it didn't help me with any of the issues it was suppose to!
ReplyDeleteYou're definitely not alone in the dizziness/legs not working feeling! I get motion sick really easily so I've wondered if it's because of that.
DeleteMy neighbor used to have a Theraplate! Several of her horses went on it regularly and seemed to really enjoy it. I used to lay on it and liked it a lot- I kind of wish she still had it for my own personal use haha
ReplyDeleteYeah there are folks at the barn who LOVE it and it doesn't make the dizzy. I really think it's one of those things where "your mileage may vary".
DeleteI used to board at a barn with one and like you, I stood on it for about a minute with it on the highest setting and got dizzy and "high" feeling. I didn't like that feeling. BUT, Hampton LOVED it and would fall asleep on it when I had it set at about 40. As for any "curative" effects I don't think there is any real science out there. *shrug*
ReplyDeleteThe dizziness is real! But if Hampton loves it, then go for it. There are def horses at the barn who really seem to enjoy it. I agree, the "science" behind it is pretty sketchy. I guess if you enjoy it, use it, if you don't, don't lol!
DeleteMy trainer has one and the majority of our horses use it every day and they love it (they also always get hay while on it, sooo...;) ). While I don't know that any of us humans here believe it to be the magical "cure all", we do see that the horses enjoy it and seem happier, so we count that as a plus. I've taken naps on it and used it when I got bucked off - and again, it didn't cure me but it helped me relax and I kind of loved it :D
ReplyDeleteBut I guess it's like anything else - each horse is an individual!
Even alfalfa couldn't convince T to stay on it after the first few sessions, but I'm glad that both you and the horses at your barn enjoy it! It seems like some people and horses like it, and some don't. If they're happy to hang out on it, awesome! If not, maybe it's not for them. To each their own!
DeleteI think you are right to be skeptical. This is one of those marketing things that makes me insane. Vibrations don't fix anything, if they did, horse trailers would probably have healing powers. And as you correctly noted, staying mobile & developing a balanced foot is what maximizes circulation in a hoof.
ReplyDeleteMy former (human) bodywork guy explained it very well to me, when he was telling me how my TENS unit worked & why it can offer therapeutic relief in some cases: vibrations fatigue the smaller connective tissues & muscle fibers & in doing so, relax them. This can reduce pain from muscle tension. The theraplate works on the same principle. What would concern me most is that if a horse is put on this thing & then ridden, you are now riding a bunch of fatigued soft tissues, which seems to me a temptation of disaster. Obviously, less risk if the horse is not ridden, but if it goes out to roughhouse with friends in pasture afterwards...
Vibration can, of course, also stimulate bloodflow, but so can moving or warming or rubbing with your hand or a lot of things that are a lot less than $7,000. And I question whether there is any significant effect on circulation in a body mass as large as a horse simply standing on this thing. Their muscle thickness, resting tension of supportive tissues, & circulatory pressure is much different than a tiny human.
Ending science rant, LOL, with inclusion of appropriate "can" and "may" language. Of course, you are in the right situation where it didn't cost you anything, so win! I can see limited situations where a muscle relaxer would be useful, i.e. if I had 50 horses in a training program, but I still think a hotwalker & some massage people are a better investment. I never knew how awesome a hotwalker could be until I boarded at a place that had one. The only other thing I can think of would be an underwater treadmill, that would be pretty sweet, but I think that would be more than $7,000, ha.
Suuuper interesting about vibrations fatiguing smaller connective tissues and muscle fibers, I didn't know that. I've heard it's a way to "warm up" a horse but yeah, if you've just fatigued the fibers for 20 mins, eeek! Maybe just hand walk instead for 20 mins?
DeleteAnd I agree, a water treadmill would be AMAZING. Would def go for that, but as you said, a lot more than 7K! Or maybe I could just ride through the back pasture, that's more or less the same thing with all the rain we've had.
Hand walk could & does totally work. But if the person says they don't want to spend time on that, that is exactly what a hot walker will do for you too -- and if they have $7k+ (I'm guessing freight ain't free) to drop, well, they can buy a brand-new 4-horse hot walker from Valley Vet for $3900 & it will be way more useful than shakey plate! I also found this article on how to build your own hot walker for less than $500! (ok, I barely understood it but that is only because I don't know how to weld & haven't worked on a transmission; prices may have gone up since 1983, lol)
DeleteI stood on one briefly at a vendor booth and had mixed feelings. After being on my feet all day it felt kind of nice, but I think I'd totally end up feeling like you did if I'd stood on it for any length of time. Good in short doses, but I don't see any use for a long period.
ReplyDeleteYeah I think if it feels good for a bit, go for it if you have one available. If you (or your horse!) don't love it, don't use it.
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