The Fundemental Flaw
Underwater treadmills have become popular for their ability to aid in rehabilitation of horses following surgery by lowering the concussion each time the hoof strikes the ground.
So bringing a real world example into play for understanding, when you enter a swimming pool, the buoyancy of your body makes stepping on the bottom of the pool much easier, the deeper in the pool you go, the lighter your step.
The same is true with horses in pools or underwater treadmills, the deeper the water, the lighter the step. One of the main concerns with pools is the actual "lack of concussion" which can lead to injuries if the correct balance of swimming and riding is not maintained.
However, for conditioning, the studies available to us at this time indicate that maximum stride length for horses on treadmills are consistently obtained when a horse is exercised in knee deep water. So how much concussion is reduced when you are in knee deep water in the pool? Not much, therein lays the fundamental flaw and one of the key design elements to the WOW Equines Flex Deck treadmill.
Flex Deck allows for the deck of the treadmill to "flex" as the horse is walking on the treadmill belt which is supported by an engineered deck built of composite stainless steel and HDPE. Similar to the sole of a tennis shoe, the Flex Deck greatly reduces the concussion with each step taken making it the best of both worlds by providing concussion management independent of the water depth. By disconnecting the relationship of these two key necessities, the ability to tailor a custom conditioning plan or rehabilitation plan is now available for the first time to our knowledge.
So bringing a real world example into play for understanding, when you enter a swimming pool, the buoyancy of your body makes stepping on the bottom of the pool much easier, the deeper in the pool you go, the lighter your step.
The same is true with horses in pools or underwater treadmills, the deeper the water, the lighter the step. One of the main concerns with pools is the actual "lack of concussion" which can lead to injuries if the correct balance of swimming and riding is not maintained.
However, for conditioning, the studies available to us at this time indicate that maximum stride length for horses on treadmills are consistently obtained when a horse is exercised in knee deep water. So how much concussion is reduced when you are in knee deep water in the pool? Not much, therein lays the fundamental flaw and one of the key design elements to the WOW Equines Flex Deck treadmill.
Flex Deck allows for the deck of the treadmill to "flex" as the horse is walking on the treadmill belt which is supported by an engineered deck built of composite stainless steel and HDPE. Similar to the sole of a tennis shoe, the Flex Deck greatly reduces the concussion with each step taken making it the best of both worlds by providing concussion management independent of the water depth. By disconnecting the relationship of these two key necessities, the ability to tailor a custom conditioning plan or rehabilitation plan is now available for the first time to our knowledge.
WOW Equine Systems LLC
Box 268
Rozet, WY 82727
307-689-0911
Box 268
Rozet, WY 82727
307-689-0911