Freelance gear editor Allison Lowther:
Could using magnetic products on your horse boost his health and well-being? Allison Lowther takes a closer look at this alternative therapy
There’s something mysterious about magnetic therapy. A lot of people think it’s mumbo jumbo, but having seen its positive effects on my horses I believe it does do something.
MAGNETIC THERAPY HAS been used for thousands of years on humans and animals. With the advent of modern materials, and the availability of strong and smaller magnets, the number of products available to use on your horse is growing. Magnets can be easily integrated into rugs, boots and other products.
Magnetic therapy is natural and non-invasive, but it’s important to note that the magnets themselves don’t heal — they help to support the right environment for the body to heal itself. Magnets work by supporting increased blood flow to the areas below them. The blood flow brings increased oxygen levels, helps remove waste products and aids a reduction in inflammation.
Magnetic therapy is also used for a range of conditions including stiff joints and muscles, after strenuous work and also for general relaxation. Magnetic therapy can help to increase the rate of healing when treating inflammation, swelling and the symptoms of arthritis. Using magnetic therapy can also help your horse recover more quickly from injury or a chronic condition.
Magnets are now integrated into a range of products — rugs, boots and wraps — and each will contain a number of magnets that are positioned over key areas of the body. These make using magnetic therapy as part of your daily routine with your horse quick and easy.
How does it work?
When you use a magnetic rug or boots on your horse a magnetic field is generated by the magnets when it comes into contact with your horse’s body. This magnetic field penetrates through your horse’s muscle and soft tissue, and cellular activity is increased. It is thought that this assists and increases the body’s natural healing process and helps to speed up recovery by increasing the rate at which cells regenerate and repair.
However, there is very little scientific evidence on exactly how magnets work to back up these claims. But there is plenty of anecdotal evidence that magnetic therapy can be helpful, and there are many horse owners — including myself — who have seen the benefits of using magnetic therapy on their horses.
Magnet types and strengths
There are many different types of magnets available. The strength of the magnet depends on its size and type. The strength of a magnet is often referred to in gauss. This is a measurement of surface strength of the magnet — what makes it stick to a metal surface. This surface measurement isn’t necessarily the level of therapeutic effect the product will have on your horse — it’s the magnetic field strength away from the surface that tells you how deep it penetrates the body’s tissues.