You don’t get to be eventing world number one without a string of sound horses at top level. Horses that not only reach the heights of five-star but continue to compete year in, year out are both rare and meticulously managed. For the new world number one Harry Meade, who has five eventers competing at CCI5*, horse management is inextricably entwined with his stellar results.

Anyone who has ever competed knows how critical soundness is to longevity, and it’s no surprise that Harry leads no stone unturned to give his horses the best possible chance of staying sound. Here’s how he does it…

Soundness underpins Harry Meade’s horse management system

Harry is emphatic about balance and softness in horses’ training and competing, alongside a couple of everyday basics – shoeing and icing.

“I like all my horses to be shod on a four-week cycle,” he says. “You don’t have to be an engineer to understand that if the angle of the foot changes by a small degree it will change the angle of the pastern and the load on the soft tissue structures.

“You might save a set or two a year shoeing less often, but if that increases the chance of the horse having a leg injury and missing a year, it’s a false economy.”

For the horses in more demanding fitness work the legs are iced after every canter session.

All Harry’s horses have stints on a water treadmill, particularly pre-season before the fitness work takes over. Harry shattered both his elbows in 2013 and knows “from my own injuries that the resistance of working in water is the best kind of rehab, as well as good pre-season conditioning without concussion”.

While icing and cold water are age-old remedies to help combat inflammation, Harry is a fan of the more modern laser therapy to manage injury, using two types of Pioneer Multi-Radiance lasers on his yard.

“Lasering is a well-proven science and really effective, both in the acute stages of an injury and in the ongoing management of any kind of weakness,” he says.

“We have a class one laser, which is a handheld device like a shower head. It’s great for accessible, superficial injuries like a puncture wound or a rub where time is an issue and you want to accelerate healing.

“We also use a class four laser, which goes much deeper – for the treatment areas of past weaknesses in soft-tissue structures. It’s not a magic wand, but I’m in no doubt that it’s very beneficial.”

Beneath the surface: going concerns

A final asset as soundness goes is the surfaces on which he works his horses. Harry trains on grass as much as possible, estimating that from April to November, “95% of their work is done on grass”.

“Working on a variety of surfaces, including soft ground, is really important for conditioning legs and joints,” he says.

“When I resurfaced our arena I did a lot of research, trying to find something that mimics springy old turf with life in it, and on which they can twist, slide and move, but not jar.”

He ended up with a bespoke surface from Martin Collins.

“It has life in it,” Harry says. “You can feel the horses let go – especially when jumping big fences or in extended canter on a circle.”

Harry adds: “The sport gets really interesting when the horses reach the top of the tree, so we want to keep them sound and fit into their later years, helping them in every way we can.”

Harry Meade’s attention to every detail of horse management to promote soundness reflects a deep-rooted philosophy built around longevity. With soundness as his cornerstone, it’s no wonder his horses are flourishing at the very top of the sport.

Did you enjoy this article? You may also like to read…

How to get your horse fit like world number one event rider Harry Meade

Piggy March: ‘Harry Meade deserves to be world number one’

Meet new world number one Harry Meade’s top horses, from the surprise five-star performer to the sensitive worrier

Improve your horse’s rideability and straightness with Harry Meade’s three-fence jumping exercise

‘Small fences help produce expressive, accurate flying changes’: how Harry Meade mixes dressage with cavaletti

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Many experienced owners are aware of the benefits swimming can provide to their horses’ health and wellbeing, so already know the answer to “can horses swim?” is most certainly yes. Horses have a natural instinct to swim when in deep water and equine swimming pools can be a useful tool for improving fitness or for rehabilitation following some injuries.

Can horses swim?

Horses swim similarly to dogs in that they make a paddle-like motions with their legs. Having large lungs also contributes to keeping horses afloat while they swim.

The majority of horses enjoy the water and will naturally swim when they move out of their depth. But some may initially be wary of the water and so they will need time to build up their confidence.

The benefits of swimming horses

There are both physical and physiological benefits of swimming for horses. These include:

• Fitness – A horse has to work hard when swimming, so it’s excellent for increasing the capacity of their heart and lungs as well as toning muscles
• Rehabilitation – Hydrotherapy is popular for those horses recovering from leg and tendon injuries, as well as muscle damage
• Entertainment – Many horses enjoy swimming, much like many humans do.

Because horses cannot hold their breath in the same way we can, if their head becomes submerged there is a greater danger of drowning. Also try to keep water out of a horse’s ear as it could cause discomfort or even lead to an ear infection.

“Swimming isn’t for every horse,” says Moulton College’s former equine centre manager Pippa Hatten. “They have to enjoy the actual technique of swimming and they have to want to go through the water in order for it to be of real benefit.

“The swimming programme is designed to give strength for endurance and stamina. Because of the horse being buoyant, you’re taking out the concussive force on the legs that roadwork and galloping will always bring to the table,” adds Pippa.

“When there’s hard ground, people are always looking for other ways to get their horses fit. Swimming has been used for years and years in racing and now it’s getting more and more popular for sport horses too.”

NB: The above video is archive footage recorded in 2015

How do horses swim?

The size of a horse’s lungs aids their competency to swim. One horse lung can hold 14.5 gallons (55L) of air, and these act as a floatation device to keep the horse from sinking.

They also have long, strong legs, which means that when they kick in the water, they efficiently propel themselves along.

When a horse swims, the only part of the horse you’ll see is the horse’s head. In deep water, the horse’s body will be completely underwater while its head sits right on top of the surface so the horse can continue to breathe and see and be alert.

Continued below…

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

How long can horses swim for?

Swimming is hard work for horses and it will quickly tire them out. Horses that have swimming included as part of their competition fitness regimes, will only need to be in the pool for a few minutes at a time. The time a horse is able to swim depends on the horse and how in-shape and capable in the water they are.

Horses can swim for between five and 10 minutes per session. It’s important to be aware of your horse’s behaviour to gauge when they are starting to tire. Swimming is strenuous for horses; a three minute swim can be the equivalent of a three mile gallop on land.

Be aware that swimming isn’t appropriate for all horses and you should do your research into whether it is suitable for your horse before taking the plunge. For example swimming is not typically recommended for horses with some back problems or those lacking topline as these horses tend to invert their body shape even more when they are in the water, which is counter-productive to helping to build stronger core muscles and topline.

How fast can horses swim?

When it comes to speed, a horse is nowhere near as quick in the water as on land, reaching a maximum swimming speed of about 4km/hour.

Is there a difference between swimming a horse in fresh water and salt water?

Salt water provides more buoyancy than fresh water because of the higher density of salt water. You may therefore notice that you can swim faster through salt water, compared to fresh water. This is because buoyancy allows you to float higher in the water. However, there are other factors to take into consideration, such as depth and current.

Would you like to read Horse & Hound’s independent journalism without any adverts? Join Horse & Hound Plus today and you can read all articles on HorseandHound.co.uk completely ad-free

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

When it comes to swimming horses, it seems we’re awash with anecdote and opinion rather than hard evidence. Working with the science available, however, experts agree swimming can play a part in conditioning and rehabilitation.

“The main perceived advantage is minimal musculoskeletal stress,” says Patrick Pollock FRCVS. “Objective data on this is noticeably lacking, with no evidence to support the claim that horses which are regularly swum have greater cardiovascular fitness.

“However, there is evidence that concentrations of muscle enzymes may be a little lower for horses in training that regularly swim, versus those with no access to a pool, suggesting that there is less muscle damage and inflammation than with high-intensity, land-based exercise.

“Results of studies on the equine airway during swimming suggest that horses can be put under significant stress,” explains Patrick, referring to the considerable energy required for a horse to propel himself through the water.

Dr Susanna Ballinger MRCVS believes swimming can enhance a training programme.

“Swimming helps maintain aerobic fitness, reducing the impact of stress-loading of limbs while increasing muscle strength and range of motion of joints,” she explains. “Water provides buoyancy and resistance, which can aid muscular, cardiovascular and respiratory conditioning.

“In racing and competition horses, swimming may complement regular training and, without the concussive forces present with repeated ridden exercise, may be particularly appropriate with an underlying injury such as subchondral bone pain, certain osteoarthritis presentations or a tendon injury.

“However, swimming does not improve bone density, or conditioning or strengthening of tendons, so should only form part of a varied training regime”

Total immersion

“In terms of rehabilitation of soft tissue injuries, there are major advantages of working a horse in a low-weight environment,” says Patrick.

But unlike other forms of hydrotherapy, such as static spas or water treadmills, swimming involves immersion and exertion, which rules out certain cases.

“While swimming can be valuable during rehab for all types of horse and pony, in all disciplines, it is not suitable for every injury or where there are skin sores or open wounds,” explains Susanna.

“Horses are not natural swimmers and in water adopt a posture which is different to that for ground movement; they extend the neck and back and rotate the pelvis, while using the forelimbs to maintain balance and the hindlimbs for propulsion. It’s not usually suitable for animals exhibiting neck or back pain, or upper limb and pelvic lameness.

“The respiratory effort required makes swimming inappropriate if there are respiratory function concerns, or a history of bleeding from the lungs at exercise,” she adds. “It should also be used with caution with any history of exertional rhabdomyolysis (tying up) — a horse who ties up may be reluctant to move. If this happens while he is swimming, there is a risk of drowning if he cannot be removed quickly from the water.

“However, regular, low-intensity swimming can aid weight loss in the obese horse, and will benefit those with insulin dysregulation such as equine metabolic syndrome (EMS).”

New evidence

Dr Florent David, of the Equine Medical Centre based at the Al Shaqab Equestrian Complex in Doha, Qatar, uses the extensive facilities available for rehabilitation of horses with various medical and surgical conditions. He also believes that swimming has a place in diversifying a horse’s training programme.

Florent and Dr Renaud Leguillette of the University of Calgary, Canada, are conducting ongoing research into the effects of the activity.

“We’re still looking at the data but already we have some interesting results,” he says of the as-yet unpublished findings. “We know that breathing patterns are very different. A horse going into water typically enters a phase of ‘apnoea’ — similar to the diving reflex in mammals — where he holds his breath. In our swimming corridor, which allows almost 70 metres of active swimming, horses were holding their breath for nearly 17 seconds.

“We also wanted to find out whether the exercise is aerobic [with oxygen] or anaerobic [without],” he adds. “Most horses show a short inspiration of air followed by an explosive expiration; this is probably because the nose is so close to the water and, being an obligate nasal breather, the horse has no means of breathing through his mouth and absolutely needs to prevent water from entering his nose.

“A research group in Australia had already looked at the function of the nasopharynx when horses swim, using an endoscope,” he adds. “It would be interesting to see if swimming could be used to correct the muscling of the pharynx, perhaps using horses with swallowing issues.”

Florent explains that little is known about VO2 max (maximum oxygen uptake), when a horse is in water — for example, how much the heart rate climbs and any changes in terms of cardiac electrical activity. The researchers fitted the horses with VO2 masks to measure maximum oxygen consumption during swimming.

“Surprisingly, the swimming effort was not as high intensity as thought before. For the horses used (elite endurance athletes and regular swimmers), the data showed that it was totally aerobic and low intensity.”

Swimming style

Using surface and underwater cameras, along with markers on the horses, the team assessed the kinematics (properties) of the equine swimming motion.

“We knew that horses swim with movement similar to what standardbred pacers in harness racing show, but we examined the amplitude [extent] of the movement and the use of joints and muscle groups,” says Florent.

“Some horses seem to experience back pain when they swim, so we explored whether the back is under more pressure in the pool. Some horses swim with a high head carriage, forcing the back into a full extension that can aggravate kissing spine problems, but I’m not sure we can say that swimming induces back pain. From observation, this depends on individual swimming style. There appears to be a huge variation in how horses tolerate this exercise.”

Additional findings may shed further light on swimming for rehabilitation.

“For horses with EMS and laminitis, nothing is better in terms of burning energy,” adds Florent, explaining that 10 minutes of swimming may be equivalent to two hours of walking on land. “As long as the laminitis sufferer is over the acute phase, the activity is not stressful on his feet.

“I also have a feeling that swimming has a beneficial effect on bone healing,” he says. “After fracture repair, we put most horses in water as soon as the wound has healed and the stitches are out. With most fractures repaired surgically, the fracture line disappears more quickly on the radiographs with swimming.

“I don’t yet know if this is due to an overall reduction in bone density or a true acceleration of the healing process, but something definitely happens.”

More questions than answers, maybe, but Florent sees there is great potential. To ensure swimming is safe and beneficial, work with your vet and choose a well-established pool with experienced operators.

‘He developed so much stamina’

When driving pony Penwarne Banjo Boy sustained a muscular niggle last summer that required a short period of rest, Chris Ainscough was obviously keen that his 13.1hh gelding maintained his cardiovascular fitness.

“The injury was minor, but it coincided with our individual selection for the British team at the FEI world driving championships for ponies last September,” said Chris, who sent “Joe” to swim at Higher Spen Equine in Lancashire.

Over six weeks, the spotted pony built up to four sets of 10 laps of the 25-metre pool per session, totalling 1km of swimming each day.

“Joe became incredibly fit and developed so much stamina,” said Chris. “He always had a bit of a tummy but he shed around 20kg, without losing any of the topline muscle he needs to work in the correct, rounded outline for driving.

“We were delighted with his performance at the championships and decided to keep up the swimming at Higher Spen — Joe really took to it.”

Ref Horse & Hound; 20 February 2020

It is no secret that hydrotherapy, such as swimming and the use of water treadmills, is beneficial to a horse’s health and fitness — from sport horses to racehorses.

Bianca Dunk, a racehorse trainer in Holland, incorporates the natural surroundings — the sea — into her horses’ training routine, by lungeing them in the water.

“I started lungeing in the water about two years go with my home-bred pointer, Beau Traveller. The idea came to me while I was on the way back from cantering in the woods on a very warm day. I wanted to cool him off in the water, so I got off and just walked him through the water,” said Bianca, who is based in Zuid and has access to a beach called Nesselande.

“The next time, I decided to try trotting him through it on the lunge. Beau seemed to enjoy it — I realised that it was definitely hard work but it was also relaxing for him.”

Bianca now lunges all her horses in the water as part of their routine, about two or three times a week.

“I ride to the beach, which is about a 20-minute walk, then I get off and roll up my leggings, so I can be in the water too — it takes a big, deep breath to do this when the water is nippy, but once you’re in it’s alright!

“I start trotting straight away and continue for five minutes on each rein. As the water level reaches just below the shoulder, it becomes hard work for them. Then I put the saddle back on and walk them back home,” added Bianca, who moved back home to Holland nearly three years ago after 23 years working in racing yards across England and France.

The handler believes the hydrotherapy keeps her horses happy in both mind and body.

“It really develops their muscles and, because I like to do something different every day, it keeps their minds right and interested,” she said. “The horses seem to love being in the water and, with the proven benefits of hydrotherapy, I feel like it’s a win-win approach to all-round health and fitness.”

Continued below…

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Bianca, who works as a waitress to fund her training dream, is hoping to expand her string in the future by taking on new owners and currently has three horses in her care. While in the UK and France, she bred and trained a few point-to-pointers and hunter chase horses, before moving back to Holland.

“Beau is now retired, but I have two racehorses who I purchased from the Ascot sales; Russian Ranger, who won two races for me last year, and Groundnut.”

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

The healing properties of water have long been recognised, but how does hydrotherapy relieve pain and promote physical fitness? David Rowlands MRCVS looks at the science behind a good soaking

The term hydrotherapy refers to the use of water — hot, cold, as steam or ice — to enhance health and wellbeing.

While simple cold hosing remains a tried and trusted remedy for tired or filled legs, many horse owners are using more sophisticated means of harnessing the healing powers of water. From ice boots and underwater training treadmills to state-of-the-art equine swimming pools, the modern horse world is awash with new therapeutic options.

But what can hydrotherapy accomplish? The health benefits for humans are well documented. Hydrotherapies such as water treadmill exercise and swimming are known to enhance cardiovascular and muscular function, decrease limb pain and inflammation, reduce limb loading and improve joint motion.

In the equine world, however, many questions are still to be answered. It is hoped that ongoing research will add scientific weight to the perceived beneficial effects of various aquatic therapies.

How does it work?

Hydrotherapy is based on the combined effect of five variables: buoyancy, viscosity, hydrostatic pressure, temperature and salt concentration.

Buoyancy is a lifting force. In horses, water at the level of the shoulder produces a 50-60% reduction in bodyweight. Increased buoyancy reduces the effects of loading forces on the joints and the surrounding muscles, tendons and ligaments. This helps reduce pain and inflammation, and encourages better joint motion.

Viscosity encourages greater use and control of muscles. Water is 800 times more viscous than air. The increased effort needed to move through water requires increased muscle activity, which improves muscle strength and joint stability.

Hydrostatic pressure facilitates neuromuscular (nerve and muscle) function by stimulating nerves and receptors in joints. This can reduce oedema (fluid swelling), enhance joint motion and relieve pain.

Temperature can have a dual effect. Warm water improves muscular blood flow and stimulates lymphatic drainage. Cold water reduces blood flow, lessening inflammation and pain.

Salt concentration delivers anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects. The osmotic effect of salt draws swelling from inflamed tissues.

In one study, horses with known lower limb injuries were stood in cold saltwater baths (5-9°C) for 10 minutes, three days a week, for four weeks. Healing of digital flexor tendon and suspensory ligament lesions was apparent, both clinically and on ultrasound scans. In the same study, visual improvements in the degree of soft tissue swelling were apparent within the first eight days.

Exercising a horse in water provides a medium in which these factors can be altered to tailor individual rehabilitation programmes for specific musculoskeletal conditions.

Using cold water and ice

The effects of cold therapy include constriction of blood vessels (vasoconstriction) and reduced blood flow, resulting in a decrease in bleeding and swelling. Nerve conduction is also lessened, reducing pain. A lower metabolic rate in turn reduces cell death from hypoxia (insufficient oxygen), which helps preserve tissue viability and can shorten healing time.

Cold therapy can be achieved via several methods, including hosing and ice packs. To be most effective, tissue temperatures must be reduced to between 15 and 19°C (tissue damage can occur when limbs are exposed to prolonged cold temperatures). Cold therapies can be effective to tissue depths of up to 4cm, depending on blood supply and fat thickness.

Timing is critical. Cold therapy is most effective when applied immediately after acute injury; after 48 hours the benefit is much less. During this 48-hour window, 10-20 minutes of cold hosing or iced water treatment is advised with breaks between sessions of between 30 minutes and four hours.

Commercial cold packs for horses are constantly evolving, although studies in the cooling of human skin have shown that the application of “wet ice” (chopped ice wrapped in a wet cloth) is at least as effective as “dry ice” (ice flakes in a plastic bag).

Total immersion or treadmill?

Swimming can have a cardio-respiratory benefit in equine fitness development. Horses are not natural swimmers, however, and not all will adapt well to this training method.

When swimming, a horse moves with an extended back posture.

In my experience racehorses tend to cope best with this, whereas some dressage horses and showjumpers that are trained to work in a flexed back outline may be less suited to this form of exercise.

An underwater treadmill is another fitness option, although the muscle patterns a horse uses on a treadmill are different to those on the ground. The horse is committed to the speed set by the apparatus, which may lead to compensatory changes in the way he moves and cause further issues.

When walked in the sea or through a river, a horse uses muscle patterns nearer to those of propulsion on land and can regulate his own speed.

Another important factor is the depth of the water. If this is kept quite low, the horse is encouraged to pick his feet up in a similar way to when doing pole work. Yet if the water is deep, the muscle pattern changes and horses are more prone to move with an extended back posture similar to that used when swimming.

Ref: Horse & Hound; 1 October 2015

H&H blogger Simon Grieve heads to Moulton College in Northamptonshire to give his Burghley ride Cornacrew (Bozzie) his final swim ahead of this week’s four-star (3-6 September 2015).

What is the appeal of taking your horse swimming?

“We first brought Bozzie swimming here a few years ago. He was doing some fitness work for a three-day-event and we wanted to vary his work a little bit. He really enjoyed it and I do it a lot as part of his routine in the run up to a three-day now,” says Simon.

“I find that it works him very well from a cardiovascular point of view — it gets his heart rate up and he really enjoys it, which is ideal.

“Because he’s an older horse as well, it’s good for his joints not having to be pounding along on the gallops all the time. Obviously it doesn’t replace cantering, but it’s really beneficial for him.”

Continued below…

Exclusive: watch Valegro work out on a water treadmill

In our exclusive video, watch Valegro enjoying a session in the Aqua Fit water treadmill and find out how it

“Swimming isn’t for every horse,” says Moulton College’s equine centre manager Pippa Hatten. “They have to enjoy the actual technique of swimming and they have to want to go through the water in order for it to be of real benefit.

“The programme is designed to give strength for endurance and stamina. Because of the nature of the horse being buoyant, you’re taking out that concussive force which roadwork and galloping will always bring to the table,” adds Pippa.

“When there’s hard ground, people are always looking for other ways to get their horses fit. It’s been done for years and years in racing and now it’s getting more and more popular with the eventers.”

Simon adds: “Bozzie is going to Burghley so this is his last swim. He’s doing 80 lengths, which is a fair amount. We want to get him to the peak of his fitness.”

Follow the ups and downs of Burghley for Simon and Bozzie in his daily blogs throughout the event, and stay up to date with all the action via H&H Live and our daily online reports. The magazine’s 17-page special report will be on sale on 10 September.

To find out more about the equine therapy centre at Moulton College visit: www.moulton.ac.uk/business/enterprise-at-moulton/equine-therapy

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Dressage superstar Valegro, aka Blueberry, visits the Equine Therapy Centre at Hartpury each week with his groom Alan Davies for a session in their Aqua Fit water treadmill.

We caught up with our blogger Fizz Marshall, manager of the Hartpury centre, to find out more about this therapy and how Blueberry’s use of the equipment differs from the average horse.

Why Valegro uses the water treadmill

Fizz explains: “Blueberry comes to us as part of his normal work regime about once a week regularly throughout the year, increasing to twice a week in the build-up to championships.

“Carl and Charlotte like the water treadmill because it makes him move through the range of movement they are looking for in his work, but in a really nice, relaxed and non-intensive way. So he has this on the days when he’s having an easier day.

“We use the water around hock height for Blueberry, so we put him through a big range of movement in both his front and hind legs. The water treadmill encourages the horse to ‘sit’ behind — which is what you’re looking for in a dressage horse. It makes them drive with the hind legs and helps them to take the weight off the front legs.

“The unique thing about Blueberry on the Aqua Fit compared to other horses is his ability to flex the part of his spine that sits underneath the saddle upwards. Most horses in the water drop this area down. This allows him to generate a different type of movement in that part of his back to any other horse we know.

“Blueberry, or any horse, works much slower in the Aqua Fit than when walking over land. This allows him the time to go through that bigger range of movement we’re asking for. We adjust the speed of the treadmill to the individual horse to cater for that.

“With a longer stride duration and a lower stride frequency, the horse takes bigger, longer steps and the water encourages the hind legs to step underneath giving more power. This helps to build up the important muscles in the hind quarters and over the lumber area of the back.”

Benefits of a water treadmill for horses

The benefits of working horses in a water treadmill include:

• improving the horse’s range of movement
• building muscle with minimum stress on the front legs/hooves
• low intensity so suitable for both fit horses and those returning to work after injury

Video by Lucy Merrell

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

A spa break sounds like heaven to most riders, and horses can benefit hugely from the same sort of treatment. Take Red Rum. Crippling foot problems in his younger years meant he was nearly written off, but daily training on Southport Beach transformed him, said his trainer Ginger McCain, because salt water is so good for legs. And if it’s good enough for a three-time Grand National winner — well, read on.

1. When Mo Farah finishes a 10,000-metre race, he steps into a nitro bath. The soothing effect of the -170° temperature on his tired, aching legs is instant — and hydrotherapy has the same effect on a horse’s limbs too.

2. Once the horse is inside the spa, it is filled with water at a temperature of 2°C and 4°C. This works to minimise heat and inflammation in the legs.

3. A spa is useful as a preventative measure against lameness and health problems, too, particularly if you are competing on firm ground.

4. Spas are great for horses with arthritis because it lessens the pain and improves movement.

5. Stopping to use an equine spa on your way home from a competition helps prevent stiffness the following day.

6. A spa’s water levels can be altered depending on the injury and its place on the leg, enabling you to focus on the necessary area. The top of the horse’s leg is the highest place that can be treated.

Continued below…

Related content from www.horseandhound.co.uk

Is this the most incredible yard you have ever seen? PICTURES

If you thought your horse was living the lap of luxury — think again. Merricks Stables in Australia seems to

7. The water has salt and magnesium in it, which helps draw out infection. However, horses shouldn’t be put in there if they have an open wound.

8. Optional jacuzzi jets can be added to pummel water around the joints. These act as a massage to help reduce puffiness in the limbs.

9. The benefits of a spa are massive compared to hosing each leg individually, because the water is constant.

10. Hydrotherapy is particularly beneficial for competition horses because there is no medication involved, so you don’t have to worry if your horse is blood tested.

11. It treats anything from tendon problems to arthritis and laminitis — basically any aches or pains in a horse’s leg.

12. Most horses take to being in a spa very well if the handler remains calm.

13. In many cases, an intense hydrotherapy programme has led to a quicker recovery than expected.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Some of the most intensive and important exercise we undertake with horses referred to us is the work we do with them from the ground. It really is our bread and butter and may include either lunging or in-hand proprioceptive work, but most often will involve a period of long reining at some point.

We are particularly busy at the moment and as many of our horses are around the same stage in their rehab, the girls and I reckon we walk miles each day behind the horses between us!

I was asked to do a lecture demo for a group of second year degree students recently on the subject of long reining and it got me thinking about all the uses we find for it.

I have been long reining horses for years, having being taught how by my very first boss Jo Luton, so I could help start youngsters that came in to be backed. As soon as we had established ‘turn’ and ‘stop’ in the school, they went straight out along the lovely quiet lanes around my home in Scotland.

Jo reckoned that long reining helped establish their confidence and willingness to go forwards, as well as the beginnings of contact, straightness and cementing steering controls in place.

I still adhere to these basic principles, if not in a slightly adapted form — for a start we are missing the quiet back roads around Hartpury that we were so fortunate to have at home.

There are many reasons that we long rein horses rather than lunge them, the foremost of which is straightness; it’s amazing how many horses wiggle about when they have no help from a rider to, quite literally, keep them on the straight and narrow.

We also long rein them for accuracy and control. For example if the horse is restricted to straight lines and square turns only by the vet or therapist, then we may be able to achieve this more effectively in long reins than with a single line.

Two line exercise also allows us to do lateral work with the horses, along with other movements such as rein back. We can switch them between true and counter bend, and improve the quality of their half-halts and transitions.

A horse who is difficult or fussy in the contact can be helped by working them in long reins, and we often couple them with side reins to aid consistency in these type of cases.

In some respects, I think long reining beyond breaking in young horses has become a bit of a lost art. It seems that if there no specific reason to do it then people don’t even think about it as a way of working their horse, or indeed that they just don’t feel confident enough.

It’s a great skill to have and basically, if you have decent feel when you ride you will be pick up long reining no bother at all. We use light cord lines which run freely through the rings on the roller, and enable a more refined feel than with heavier material. Thicker lunge lines will do the job if that’s what you have available, but you have to remember that the further away you are from the horse, the more drag there will be on the mouth due to the weight of the line itself.

So my rule is basically that you should only be far enough away from the horse that you are well out of kicking distance!

We start all of our horses as if they have never had long reins on before to be safe, and I find that if something does spook them then it’s best if you go with them and bring them back to you as you go.

Standing stock still and pitching my weight against a 600kg horse has never really gone that well for me to be honest! You should always be on the move when long reining so it’s a bit of a work out.

End of the season

We’ve had a new wave of outpatients starting to use our services of late, largely those who were waiting until the end of their respective season or competition schedule to make a change to the horse’s routine.

Likewise we have a couple of horses who have been out with injury and are now coming back into work in preparation for the new year. Some of these are coming to us to use the Aquafit water treadmill and it’s always really nice to put more lovely horses on our books. They’ve all taken to it well so far and we look forward to getting them going over the winter — hopefully the owners will reap the benefits of their investment over the coming months.

A new addition

My horse Charlie is getting a new ‘little sister’ this week, as I await the imminent arrival of a four-year-old chocolate Labrador. Her name is Damson and she will be as involved as he is in proceedings around here as I’ve already primed our resident canine hydrotherapist, Tessa Lewis of Cotswold Dog Spa, to include her on her list of ‘demo dogs’. I’m told she loves water which is handy!

I have a feeling that will be a few Damson adventures to report in the coming weeks — watch this space…

Fizz

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

My last blog was written while visiting my family in Scotland, and what a lovely week I had. It was straight back to work though on the following Monday as we made the final preparations for the horse trials here at Hartpury.

The main job for Team Therapy was to run the trot ups and we had beautiful sunshine for the first horse inspection on the Wednesday, with the total opposite of torrential rain for Sunday’s renewal. Despite this, it was a great week, but one not without challenge to the organising committee.

The deluge we endured through Saturday night and into Sunday morning left almost half the outdoor international arena, complete with showjumps, under water (pictured right). In whole-hearted “when life gives you lemons” fashion, the team gave in to the weather and moved the showjumping inside; take that Hurricane Bertha!

We are so fortunate to have the scope to be able to do such things here at Hartpury, and hopefully it only served to add to the atmosphere of the final day of competition.

Business as usual

With a full yard of in-patient horses, it was business as usual for us during the horse trials. The warm up and exercise schedule in the schools meant some very early starts for my team and I to get our horses worked.

We were also granted permission to use the fully-dressed Hartpury arena prior to the beginning of the dressage, which was a big help. The most surprised of all our horses had to be the racehorse, who seemed to think he’d changed profession and had been fast-tracked to the Olympics when he walked in there. Here’s hoping he won’t be needing an alternative career as we send him back into training this week, but nonetheless he has now been wholly familiarised with flowers, white boards and massive cross-country fences as part of his worldly education.

Aside from running the trot-ups and helping out in the D box at the end of the cross-country on Saturday, my personal involvement in the whole thing took an unexpected turn at 6.30pm on the Wednesday evening when I was asked if my horse and I would be a replacement for the CCI* guinea pig, who had had to pull out at the last minute.

After a minor panic, I said yes and set about borrowing a set of tails from Donks’ owner Ibby (who was here competing in the CIC3*) and managed to see a copy of the test at 9pm that night. Donks can be a bit spooky, despite having evented to 3* level in his illustrious career, and so meeting the flowers that night was essential preparation for the next morning.

All in all, the test was a bit excitable but we absolutely loved it and have some beautiful pictures to boot.

Embracing hydrotherapy

Historically, summer always used to be a quiet time of year for us. Since the inception of our partnership with Three Counties Equine Hospital in 2011 however, we have increasingly moved away from this trend.

Alongside an increase in cases across the board, our Aquafit water treadmill continues to enjoy something of a renaissance (pictured top) and it is great to have so many people keen to use it.

I think a lot of the current increased interest in water treadmill exercise is coming from vets, who are now more aware of the potential uses of equine hydrotherapy and thus are actively suggesting it to their customers as an option. We are also lucky to have some super clients who are happy to recommend us to friends and so a lot of our cases are generated by word of mouth too.

Most of the horses who come to use the water treadmill do so on an outpatient basis, being boxed up and brought in anything up to 3 times per week.

The types of horses that we see in these instances are mostly sport horses, with the odd racehorse in there for good measure. Many of these will not have anything particularly wrong with them, rather that they have it included as part of their regular work regime to substitute a lunging session perhaps, or often to provide a way of mobilising hard-working legs and bodies in a low intensity way.

The water temperature is set somewhere between 14°c and 17°c (depending on the time of year) and so is relatively cold compared to what we would like to bathe or swim in. Because of this, you get an added cooling effect on the horse’s limbs which, combined with the pressure of the water, means their legs feel fantastic at the end of a session.

The suitability of the Aquafit depends on the case, but I personally use it for my own horse about twice per week. It helps me when discussing the use of it with prospective clients knowing that I practice what I preach and we never put a horse on their without veterinary referral or agreement; it is a powerful piece of kit and so you really do have to know what you’re dealing with.

That said, we have had some fabulous results for the horses that use it. This machine that arrived here before the walls were even built around it in 1999 continues to have a firm place in our repertoire.

Fizz

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Well it’s been some week! Our osteopath Liz Launder was with us last Tuesday and having manipulated 2 horses with her we were feeling the effects of her visit for a few days afterwards. We call it manipulation, but really it is the use of mobilisation techniques to reinstate the range of movement in regions of the horse’s back that have become stiff.

We do this under IV sedation administered by the vet and it takes between 5 and 8 people — even then you need to be feeling strong. From the outside I think it just looks like we’re just giving the horse a big hug! Liz will assess the functionality we need to restore prior to manipulation, and often has to think laterally about how we do it depending on what response she gets from the horse throughout the process.

One of the horses we manipulated on Tuesday was Dude, who featured last week, with the big aim being to try to reduce his scoliosis. The pictures (above) show the before and after. After a couple of easy days, it’s imperative to then work the horse to stabilise the range you’ve instilled. Directed, controlled exercise is the key to the consolidating the gains made through manipulation.

Who said horses can’t fly?

We conduct weekly reviews of cases that come under Liz’s direction and the first one she had to look at on Tuesday was an 8yr old show jumper who came in following kissing spine surgery. He had an interspinous ligament desmotomy at Three Counties Equine Hospital, which is the new type of operation for this condition.

He is about to start his canter work on the lunge in preparation for the re-introduction of a rider and considering we’re only 8 weeks post-surgery he’s doing really well. We’ve been using raised poles to build up his strength and balance, and he’s about as good an example of how to do this exercise as you can get (see right). Meaghan (our assistant manager) and I are currently fighting over who will be the first to sit on him as he’s just so awesome; I’ll keep you posted on who wins that one!

A special visitor

Last week also brought a visit from one of our favourite regulars. Valegro (Blueberry) has been coming to work on our Aquafit water treadmill for some time now and it’s a pleasure to see him every time.

His groom Alan always brings him and has become a great friend to us. I think it’s fair to say that Alan is nearly as famous as Blueberry these days, and it’s fascinating to talk to him about how they manage the horses to make sure they are always at their best to perform.

To have the chance to work with the best dressage horse in the world is some honour for us, and the fact that he’s so lovely to deal with just makes it even better. Blueberry really is quite amazing to watch in the Aquafit; we have to work him in higher water than any other horse I’ve seen just to tap into his range! He’s an absolute superstar – how lucky we are.

The next couple of weeks promise to be super busy with new horses arriving and lots of other things going on so I will write again soon with an update.

Fizz

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

A £1.5 million state-of-the-art equestrian centre is set to open at Whitehouse Farm in Houghton- le- Spring, Tyne and Wear, in September.

The 30-acres site hopes to attract 1,800 visitors a month. Its facilties will include an indoor riding arena with viewing gallery, a hydrotherapy pool and equine spa, a stud laboratory, veterinary inspection area and a lecture room for 65 people.

The centre will be run by Beverly Brown and her daughter, international dressage rider, Samantha.

“We are not elitist,” said Beverley. “We just enjoy spending time with people who have passion for horses like we do.

“One of our aims is to provide international-quality facilities, whether the people using it want to be a ‘happy hacker’ or an Olympic competitor.”

Beverly bought the site in 2001 but due to numerous setbacks the builders are only now putting the finishing touches to the centre which will have its official opening in September.

Beverley said: “We have overcome and endured so much in this past five years.

“A lot of sacrifices have had to be made, but we are moving forward. It’s a very exciting time for us.”

Q: My equine physiotherapist said my horses, a five-year-old with scar tissue and a 15-year-old with stifle problems, would benefit from swimming.

However, at the British Horse Society-approved centre, my youngster panicked after one round, while the other horse became unattached from the handler’s pole, and became submerged. His injuries included a damaged tendon.

I filled in no pre-swim forms and received no apology. Is there a legal comeback?

JK, Surrey

A: There is no formal qualification or regulation for people operating swim therapy pools, according to Stuart Farr of Laytons Solicitors.

“However, as a consumer, you are entitled under statute to expect the hydrotherapy service provided is administered with reasonable care and skill,” he said.

“The service provider is also highly likely to owe you a similar duty of care under common law.

“If the service is not to the standard you are entitled to expect, you could claim back the cost, plus direct losses incurred as a consequence of equine damage, such as equine vet bills.”

Deborah Pett of Cinder Hill Equine Veterinary Clinic in Sussex told H&H swimming physiotherapy is extremely useful in the right cases, and there are many reputable centres.

“It is concerning you were not required to complete a veterinary history form, as well as the obvious implications if your horses were suffering from any relevant conditions.

“One would hope this was an isolated incident,” she said.

Gail Currie co-owns the Northern Equine Therapy Centre in North Yorkshire and recommends the following:

• Choose a well-established pool with experienced operators
• Pool owners should have liability insurance
• Ideally, a minimum of four staff should assist with the first swim
• At a professionally-run pool, staff will know what to do if the horse gets into difficulties
• We recommend that horses should wear tendon and overreach protective boots for swimming
• Head collars should fit and be in good condition
• Tell your equine insurance company about the therapy in advance
• Horses do not need a veterinary referral to swim; owners can arrange directly – but veterinary input may assist in the pool operator’s assessment of injury/rehabilitation cases

Further information

Laytons Solicitors, tel: 0161 834 2100 www.laytons.com

Cinder Hill Equine Veterinary Clinic www.cinderhillequinevets.co.uk

Northern Equine Therapy Centre www.northernequinetherapy.co.uk

This Q&A was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (23 July, ’09)

Taking the waters has been practised as a therapeutic treatment for centuries. There are accounts through the ages of injured wild animals found standing in shallow streams, drawn by instinct to the water’s cooling and healing properties as a means of reducing pain and aiding recovery.

Probably the best known exponent of sea water was trainer Ginger McCain, whose treble-Grand National-winner Red Rum was exercised daily on Southport Beach. In his early days, the horse was plagued with chronic foot problems, later kept at bay, according to Ginger, thanks to the natural healing properties of his back yard training ground.

With the availability of equine therapy pools, swimming horses is becoming increasingly part of the regular training programme for equine athletes. As with people, swimming is beneficial in horses for conditioning the muscular and cardiovascular systems without subjecting the limbs to concussion.

Well-known endurance vet Rod Fisher points to the possible application of underwater treadmills in fitness programmes as a “useful form of exercise without putting strain on joints”.

As well as a fittening tool for providing strenuous exercise, particularly through resistance training, gentle swimming can be valuable for rehabilitation of horses recovering from injury. For competition horses suffering from tendon or ligament injury with a high risk of recurrence, swimming can be a useful way of reducing the fast work necessary to bring top-level athletes back to peak fitness. However, experts say any swimming programme should be carried out carefully, as horses are not naturally strong swimmers, and the action can exert pressure on the chest area.

Equine hydrotherapy: what are the benefits? *H&H VIP*

The healing properties of water have long been recognised, but how does hydrotherapy relieve pain and promote physical fitness? David

Aside from swimming pools, the 1990s saw a wealth of advances in equine spa technology. Spas sprung up across Europe and in Australia over the decade, but still the veterinary profession was not convinced of the benefits.

It took independent trials in Australia by Professor Evan Hunt at Sydney Orange University, to promote the benefits of cold water spa therapy for horses with leg injuries. Professor Hunt, a vet, admitted to being an arch-sceptic before the trials, in which he first conducted studies on 27 horses. The tests produced improvements in a range of conditions from bowed tendons to suspensory ligament problems and chronic fetlock synovitis.

Professor Hunt conducted his first trial over the winter, but initially found that he was unable to get the same results during the summer months. Experimenting with different water temperatures showed that the colder ambient temperature in winter had been beneficial.

Next, Professor Hunt experimented with the salinity of the water to produce the optimum mix. He widened his research, and in the next 65 horses tested, found a rapid response to treatment in the case of open wounds, with improvements being seen in patients with everything from laminitis to navicular syndrome and severe skin lesions. There was even evidence that hoof growth was stimulated and scarring reduced.

Leading osteopath Karen Robertson, who works alongside the British Paralympic team treating both people and horses, says she has worked with horses that have benefited from the treatment.

“I would recommend it for tendon problems, for example where there is deep or superficial flexor tendon injury or damage to the suspensory ligament,” she says. “I have never used the therapy for lacerations, but it seems that spas with highly mineralised water and oxygen jets can be useful for tendon problems and healing abrasions.

“For horses training on hard surfaces, hydrotherapy can be a useful way of reducing the concussive effects by assisting with the healing process,” adds Karen. “Using swimming as part of a fitness programme will in turn reduce the amount of work needed on concussive surfaces.”

Horse magazine, Jan 2005