Horses Health Farm

June 2004

Stuart and Gail Currie run the Northern Equine Therapy Centre, in Rathmell near Settle, North Yorkshire. They let me get hands on experience of their Health Farm facilities, ... but I declined a swim with the equines.

The Northern Equine Therapy Centre was established in 1991. It provides a unique centre for the treatment of injuries to horses and ponies, and helps to put an edge on the fitness of performance animals. It includes the hydrotherapy pool and solariium, and an all weather arena for schooling and demonstrations, as well as on-site veterinary facilities, including an operating theatre and farriers forge.

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Horse swimming gives exercise without jarring, hence it is a simple, effective method of dealing with injuries, post operative conditions, laminitis, arthritis; or for ensuring the horse's fitness before a period of strenuous work. The pool is filled with cold chlorinated water to a depth of 3.5 metres. This combination of cold and chlorine discourages the growth of unhealthy bacteria in the water.

A horse needs two handlers to guide it - one standing on a central island, which is reached by a death defying gang plank, the other walking or running around the perimeter. They keep the animal on course, and count the laps done. An experienced horse needs only one guiding rein from the island.

Before swimming, food is witheld for at least an hour to avoid cramp. The horse is brushed down and has its hooves cleaned out before being trotted in hand to check for any lameness or stiffness. Brushing boots and over reach boots may be fitted to prevent the animal from kicking itself whilst swimming. The horse is then walked into the pool, and is encouraged to do two laps before being brought to the chute to rest, and is then turned around and swum in the opposite direction.

After completing the swim, the handlers scrape off any surplus water with a rubber blade and then place the horse under the solarium, which contains both infra-red and ultra-violet lamps. The drying period normally takes 15 minutes and further improves muscle tone. Sessions in the pool are increased gradually. At the end of a week, a racehorse for example, may be doing 60 laps per day, divided into three or four pieces of work. As 7 or 8 laps in the water are roughly the equivalent of one mile on the ground, you can easily see the multiple benefits of this therapy.

Hydrotherapy is used for the following problems:- sore shins, concussion injuries, swollen joints or damaged muscles. The animal may be weak after box rest, or fat and unfit after a summer at grass.

website:
email: equinetherapy@btopenworld.com

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What to See

• Horses in the paddocks, including mares and foals.
• Indoor exhibition.
• Tea Room and souvenir shop.
• New Tack shop.
• Picnic Area.
• Large Free Car Park.
• Toilets and disabled provision.
• Racing Miniature Shetland Ponies.

Questions from
Visitors are Encouraged

Opening Times

Open
Easter Monday
and
Easter Tuesday
12 - 4pm
and then open each Monday and Tuesdays in August 12 - 4pm.

Admission
Adults £4
Child & OAP £3
Family 2+2 £12