Equine AquaTred
Tip Tuesday- March 5, 2024
This week we discussed the use of water treadmills for conditioning performance horses. Important things to remember are sending a horse to swim optimizes fitness but DOES NOT replace riding for conditioning; it is important to have your horse checked out by your vet if you have any concerns regarding lameness, illness or injury prior to sending them to swim.
For all the details on fast tracking fitness with the Aquatred, I called on trainer and good friend, RyLeigh Streich to answer some questions regarding last Friday's poll question. Ryleigh owns and operates Quarter Double R Equine Facility, LLC where she offers Equine Aquatred, training, lessons, dac supplements, and other knowledgeable equine services.
I asked Ryleigh the following questions and asked her to respond as though we were discussing a typical performance horse coming off a break over the winter. None of the advice in this group is meant to replace quality veterinary care. PLEASE be in contact with your vet if you have any questions about your overall health, wellness or soundness.
*She references a book that I recommended to her- one of my absolute favorites! I will link to the author's website if you're interested in ordering- we hope you'll love it like we do!
1. What is Aquatred and how does it help a horse with conditioning?
Aquatred helps a horse with conditioning as water is low impact, water is 790x more dense than air. It is able to correct compensation patterns in movement, retrain incorrect headset, balance out uneven stride lengths, and build muscle. We use a mixture of different water levels to make sure horses get custom workouts every time, this helps target and improve different groups of muscles. We also vary speed and distance each workout for each individual horse. Faster speeds create more resistance and build more air, while a slower workout is needed for slowly rehabbing a horse after surgery or injury. Going 1 mile on the tread is equivalent to 3 miles on land.
2. Can I send my horse to swim in the spring and then go to a competition?
No. Depending on how long your horse stays to swim, as an owner, you have to do your job at home. If the horse stayed for 30 days, we have done all the hard work for you and created a solid foundation of fitness that you can maintain at home but you still need to ride prior to a competition as the treadmill is only a straight line and one surface.
3. How do I prepare my horse before swimming them? Do I need to pull shoes?
If your horse has been off for an extended time, slowly start building their fitness. Short rides, lunging, anything to help build their fitness as the more fit they are coming into swimming, the more the horse will benefit.
If shoes are for therapeutic purposes, I do not require shoes to be pulled or for short stays. If the horse will be here for an extended period of time and they don’t need shoes for therapeutic purposes, I ask that they are pulled. Different facilities have different requirements.
4. How long should they swim when just starting to get in shape to compete?
Ideally 30 or more days, but no less than a 14 day stay; but as an owner, you will have to do more maintenance at home. During a 14 day stay, we are just starting to talk about muscle building and fitness. It takes nearly 20 days to make a change in the body or begin to correct issues, so you will have to continue the exercise process when you get home or you will lose everything you paid for in a 14 day stay. In a 30 day or longer stay, this is where the magic happens. We can see the horse through a complete change of fitness. If your horse has been off for an extended amount of time, they should be ready to ride. Your horse is going to have the best level of fitness possible. I highly recommend saving up for a longer stay but if the owner is willing to continue the exercise process at home, 14 days is beneficial.
5. What do you recommend I do with my horse once he comes home from swimming?
Once your horse goes home, we want your horse to keep the fitness that they just worked so hard for. I recommend purchasing the book "55 Corrective Exercises for Horses". This book will help give exercises to help continue to strengthen and encourage correct movement. Stretching your horse out will help keep their range of motion. Make sure you are riding balanced as horses tend to overcompensate, and a lot of their imbalances come from us. Make sure your horse is carrying their body correctly by driving with the hind end and lifting their core, if you can’t feel it there are training aides like the ProSix or Equicore band to help with this. Mixing up where you are riding so you are riding on different grounds as this helps horses work different parts of their bodies to continue to help improve fitness and overall strength and it decreases the chance of injuries. Try to not let your horse have more than 3 days off as you will begin to lose fitness.
6. How do you know how fast they should go or how deep the water should be?
The speed varies for each individual horse. If the horse is swaying back and forth or the horse is struggling by sticking their nose out/hollowing back, or the horse can’t keep up with the tread, the water speed needs to be adjusted so the horse has correct movement. The handler needs to make sure the horse is staying in the center of the treadmill and keeping their head down for correct movement. The faster a horse goes, the more resistance there is.
The water depth can vary through swim sessions.
Ankle depth puts all the resistance dragging on the hoof and lower leg. This is for extremely fit horses and really works on increasing the stride length.
Water below the knee has mild resistance. This level encourages horses to pick up their legs and over the water. This level is similar to a person training with ankle weights. This helps engage core and builds top line, mobilizes the same way working over poles does. This level improves balance and proprioception, builds forearm muscles, and improves cardio (with correct speed).
Filled above the knee is more for our performance conditioning, kissing spine and EPM recovery horses. This level helps keep the strain off the joints but encourages the horse to step up and over the water similar to a person walking on a stair climber. This level helps build a strong back.
Filled at the bottom to middle of the shoulder is more for post surgery or injured horses. This higher level takes the weight off the horse’s legs and allows them to build range of motion, muscles, and lung capacity without stressing joints or soft tissue. Most horses are 60% weightless in this depth of water.
7. Anything else people should know about Aquatred?
Swimming a horse does not substitute for vet care. If you are suspicious of an injury, please consult your vet. If a horse has an injury that you are rehabbing, have a good solid team working together for your horse! We want to work together to best help your horse!
THANK YOU RYLEIGH!!
If you are interested in talking more with Ryleigh about Aquatred or any of the services she offers, feel free to message her on FaceBook or give her a call/text at 701-509-3265
