Rehabilitation & Conditioning Program Amenities Include:
- Daily boarding in a 12'x 12' indoor stall with an attached 12' x 24' outdoor run available (as injury/rehabilitation allows)
- Unlimited grass hay & feeding of owner-provided grain/supplements & medications *If desired, we have Triple Crown grain products, beet pulp, and Platinum Performance products that are charged to the client at cost
- Twice daily physical exams & injury monitoring
- Daily grooming & blanketing as needed
- Twice daily stall cleaning
- Twice weekly evaluations by our veterinarians
- Once weekly Sleip® Lameness Detection Analysis
- Various turnout options (as injury/rehabilitation allows)
On-Site Equipment
HydroHorse Hydrociser Water Treadmill
The Hydrohorse Hydrociser is a water treadmill that is perfect for helping rehabilitate horses from injury or condition them for performing. The main benefit of using a water treadmill is its ability to reduce the loading or concussive forces that happen at any gait. This is especially ideal for rehabilitating certain types of injuries when used correctly.
Typically, musculoskeletal injuries are associated with repetitive overloading of the structures within the limb. Through the use of a water treadmill, the water level can be raised to a specific height, creating enough buoyancy to reduce the concussive forces while adding resistance that makes the horse have to work harder at a slower speed.
Benefits of using a water treadmill include:
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Improved range of motion,
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Improved back mobility,
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Help with osteoarthritis, and
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Aid in rehabilitation of horses after surgery.
However, a water treadmill is not a “cure-all” for all types of injuries. It is best to consult a veterinarian to see if using a water treadmill is ideal for your horse.
Key Features of our water treadmill include:
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6' tall sides & doors - tallest on the market to fit larger warmblood and draft horses!
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Stall shaped like a trailer so horses enter readily
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Flat surface to avoid jarring and lameness
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All stainless steel design - easy to clean & disinfect
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Whirlpool jets & warm water to give therapeutic massage
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Variable speed treadmill - so horses can be worked at different speeds
Solarium
Our Solarium uses 3 different types of light therapy to help with various conditions: Infrared (IR), Ultraviolet (UV), and LED. The IR lamps help increase blood flow which can help with muscle healing and recovery. UV light provides a source of Vitamin D while also helping treat skin conditions and inflammation. Finally, LED lights can be used to treat various skin conditions.
Our solarium also has 12 air blowers to help dry off the horses after their rehabilitation sessions. This feature is especially useful after a session on our water treadmill!
VitaFloor Vibration Therapy
We are proud to offer Vitafloor VME whole body vibration platform as part of our rehabilitation and conditioning programs at our rehabilitation facility.
The Vitafloor VME provides a superior upward vibration with variable frequency control.
From Vitafloor’s website:
“Vitafloor has developed a horse vibration plate that provides whole-body vibration, which has been shown to aid in equine back muscle development. Vibration plate therapy can lead to improved performance and even prevent injuries and speed healing, according to research in the journal Equine Veterinary Education. A Vitafloor vibration platform was used to conduct this research.
In humans, whole-body vibration has been shown to improve muscle strength, stimulate blood circulation, and promote relaxation. NASA has used it to help astronauts maintain bone density and muscle tone in zero gravity. In equine studies, reduced chronic back pain and improved postural balance during horse rehabilitation were noted. Using medical imaging, it was found that using a horse vibration plate can improve symmetry of the multifidus muscle of the horse’s thoracolumbar spine. Stronger muscle helps stabilize the spine and improve posture, balance, and motion. Vibration therapy has also been used to treat tendon and ligament injuries, decreased bone density, bucked shins, and arthritis in horses."
BEMER® PEMF Therapy
The BEMER® System is founded on the principles of PEMF (pulsed electromagnetic field) therapy, which works to stimulate healthy muscle action and increase blood supply. It is non-invasive, and the treatment is applied through a blanket and a set of leg boots. The blanket and leg boots contain three different settings to allow the intensity to be adjusted, and the treatment can be performed using just the blanket, a single leg boot, or a combination of blanket and boots depending on the patient.
This treatment is particularly beneficial for horses recovering from soft tissue injuries and bone fractures, and we are seeing great benefits in patients who regularly use this system. In addition, we have also seen benefits when BEMER® treatments are alternated with Class IV laser treatments.
To learn more about the BEMER® system and how it can benefit your horse, please visit the BEMER® Group’s website at:https://life.bemergroup.com/equine/.
To learn how to order a BEMER system from Front Range Equine Performance: Click here
Class 4 and Grady Medical Class 3B Laser Therapy
Laser Therapy is a safe, non-invasive, pain-free, and effective therapy that can be used to treat a multitude of conditions. Over 30 years of research in human and veterinary medicine demonstrates its efficacy in treating various disease processes both in clinical and rehabilitation settings. In addition, it is one of the very few therapies approved by the FEI (Fédération Equestre Internationale) for use before, during and after competitions.
FREP is proud to offer The Pegasus PTX Therapy Class IV Laser to its clients. This is a powerful therapeutic device that uses a specific form of light therapy called photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT). PBMT works by shining a beam of infrared light at the site of injury. This beam of light stimulates the cytochrome c complex of the mitochondria, increases the levels of ATP production, and provides the cells with more energy to carry out regenerative processes. This laser is supported by ten years of research, is veterinarian approved, and has shown particular efficacy in treating sacro-iliac disease, degenerative joint disease, edema, bone spavins, tendonitis, and sesamoiditis.
Both our Class IV and Class 3B Therapeutic Lasers can be used to treat:
- Tendon & Ligament injuries
- Osteoarthritis
- Synovitis & Tenosynovitis
- Joint injuries
- Back Pain
- Laminitis
- Chronic Pain
- Wound Healing
- Nerve Regeneration
- Stimulation of trigger & acupuncture points
- And much more!
Treatment protocols depend on the type and extent of an injury. Some horses respond in 2-3 treatments while others take 6-10. Each treatment takes between 5-10 minutes. Some chronic cases may require monthly maintenance treatments in order to continue to progress.
To purchase a package of Class IV Laser treatments or to rent our Class 3B Laser, please contact our office by phone at: (970) 368-3125 or by email at: [email protected].
Equicore Concepts EquiBand ® Pro System
The Equiband® Pro System uses strategically placed, non-latex bands to provide stimulation to the receptors in the horse’s skin and hair follicles. One band crosses under the horse’s abdomen while the other sits behind the horse’s hindquarters. In response to the stimulation that the bands provide, horses activate their abdominal, oblique, sublumbar and deep neck and back muscles. This helps engage the hindquarters and stabilize the horse’s spine, effectively strengthening the horse’s core and postural musculature and ultimately reduces risk of injury or re-injury.
The abdominal band has been beneficial for horses that are recovering from colic surgery, have poor posture, and horses that have kissing spine or other back conditions. The hindquarter band helps with the horse’s proprioception - or awareness of their limbs in space. It can be used for asymmetrical hind limb movement, poor engagement, poor development of muscle groups in addition to horses with musculoskeletal or neurologic conditions.
The Equiband® Pro System can be used for young and aged horses, retraining, physical conditioning, and especially rehabilitation. It can also be used when the horse is ridden, lunged or for in-hand exercises.
For more information or to find out how to purchase your own Equiband® Pro System, contact our office at [email protected] or call us at (970) 368-3125.
Rapid Release Therapy (RRT)
Rapid Release Technology (RRT) uses resonant frequency compression waves to relieve myofascial pain. The Mayo Clinic describes myofascial pain this way: “In a myofascial pain syndrome, pressure on sensitive points in muscles (trigger points) causes pain in seemingly unrelated parts of the body. This is called referred pain. Myofascial pain syndrome typically occurs after a muscle has been contracted repetitively.” High-frequency RRT technology and RRT is widely used in human sports medicine. It is a painless, non-invasive treatment applied to the skin's surface.
Rapid Release Technology (RRT) releases Myofascial trigger points and knots while increasing circulation, relaxing muscles and releasing stress and tension. It also targets and breaks down scar tissue and adhesions that are formed to replace damaged tissue following an injury. Improperly formed scar tissue can squeeze or pinch nerves in the surrounding tissue causing pain and lameness. Rapid Release Technology shatters the scar tissue like an opera singer shattering a glass with her voice, thus relieving pressure on the nerve(s) and enabling the body to dispose of the shattered scar tissue and to re-heal through natural processes.
While single or periodic RRT treatments by the Veterinarian are often sufficient, certain injuries benefit from multiple weekly RRT treatments until healing is realized. In cases where a veterinarian recommends frequent treatment, we can teach owners how to treat the specific injury using the RRT Pro 2 or its cousin, the Juvenate. When frequent treatment is recommended, it is often cost-effective for owners to rent a Juvenate from Front Range Equine or to purchase an RRT Pro 2 or Juvenate, by clicking here.
For a discount, please use our code: FREP.
TENS Unit
TENS stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. It is a safe, non-invasive and drug-free therapy that can be used to reduce both acute and chronic pain. When using the TENS unit, electrodes are placed at specific sites based upon the location of the pain. A low intensity electrical current is then passed through the electrode to the skin, causing a tingling or massaging sensation. This helps to reduce the perception of pain by flooding the nervous system, reducing its ability to transmit pain signals to the spinal cord and brain while also causing a release of endorphins to act as a natural pain reliever.
Some things the TENS unit can be used to treat include:
- postoperative pain
- osteoarthritis
- chronic musculoskeletal pain
- neuropathic pain
For questions regarding the TENS unit, please contact our office at (970) 368-3125 or [email protected]