Dutch international FEI rider Veronique Andre de la Porte has opened a brand new equine rehabilitation center in Meerle, Belgium, right near the Dutch border, with a focal point on swimming therapy. The swimming pool at Andre de la Porte's "Horse Care Center" is beneficial for the muscle building and conditioning of healthy and injured horses.
At Horse Care Center a heated, covered equine swimming pool of 50m long and 3m deep is used to train horses. The dimensions of the pool enable horses to swim in a long, straight line, avoiding any unilateral pressure on muscles, joints or tendons, which cannot be avoided in a walker or round swimming pool.
When a horse walks in water, in an aquatrainer or seawalker, the buoyancy of the water is not used. The horse carries its own weight and there is no relief of pressure in those hyped training devices. Only swimming gives the benefit of movement without muscle or joint concussion. The horse can move without any pressure on muscles, joints, tendons or ligaments! The water’s buoyancy carries the horse’s weight, so the horse can move freely.
Some of the most important benefits of swimming are:
For healthy horses:
- Increased flexibility: not just in the muscles, but also in joints, tendons and ligaments
- Full body work-out: all muscles and tendons work evenly
- Improved fitness: the water resistance makes swimming a hard work-out. They demonstrate the progress by monitoring the horse’s heart rate
- Improved muscle strength: the horse gains power.
For injured horses
- Beneficial for all horses with muscle and tendon problems, joint problems, conditioning after time off,...
- The horse can keep moving. This increases blood flow, which speeds up the healing process
- Conditioning after an injury is a lot easier, the horse maintains its muscles and is fit.
- Horses don’t get bored and can get rid of their energy!
The equine pool is heated to an average of 19°C. This temperature allows the muscles to stay relaxed, but the horse can diffuse its excess body heat. Swimming is hard work!
Salt water is being used, which means no chlorine is added to the pool. The water is disinfected by salt electrolysis. This is constantly monitored and adjusted, as is the pH-level of the water. The pool is also completely filtered every 3 hours.
"At Horse Care Center, we offer full-care for your horse. All horses are welcome: whether injured, or for conditioning, or even if you’d like your horse to stay fit while you’re away on holiday," Andre de la Porte told Eurodressage. "We also offer walk-in swims: we swim your horse and then you take it home.
Each horse is given an individual approach; we specify its program together with you (or your vet). Your horse is in the best possible hands at Horse Care Center."
For more information, visit www.horsecarecenter.be
or contact
Horse Care Center
Groot Eyssel 54A
2328 Meerle
België
Tel: +32 (0) 479 386 249