Healing through
touch,
one horse at a time
Specialised soft-tissue therapy to restore comfort,
flexibility, and trust between horse and rider — on-yard,
at your yard.
Healing through
touch,
one horse at a time
Specialised soft-tissue therapy to restore comfort,
flexibility, and trust between horse and rider — on-yard,
at your yard.
SELF LEARNING
Balance Pad Therapy
Balance training is a great way to offer your horse a meaningful experience of self-learning. By using balance pads you can give your horse the chance to change his posture, behaviour and movement whilst improving his balance, confidence and core strength.Using balance pads for just a few minutes will create a calmness & a relaxed state.These improvements also continue even after the horse has walked off the pads.
BODY AWARENESS
How Balance Pads Work
Unstable Surface
Balance pads provide an unstable surface that forces the horse to make constant, small micro-adjustments to remain stable.
Core Activation
This process strengthens the horse's core muscles, including the deep stabilizers, to maintain their balance. The suttle shifting action encourages deeper muscles like the Multifidus & Iliopsoas to activate & support the horse’s spine & posture.
Improved Body Awareness
By engaging with the pads, horses develop a better connection between their brain, muscles, and spatial awareness. This process is known as proprioception.
PHYSICAL & EMOTIONAL
Body awareness & control
Promoting Stability
Balance pads work by creating a slight imbalance under the horse’s feet. This instability prompts the horse’s body to engage it’s core & stabalizing muscles to maintain balance. This process is called “proprioception”.
Proprioception - This is your horse’s sense of body position, movement & force in space. It relies on receptors in their muscles, tendons & joints. Proprioception is crucial for motor control, balance & coordination. It allows for actions such as walking, trotting, cantering Etc. without the horse having to look at its limbs. Proprioceptive input helps with calming & regulating the nervous system. When this system is not functioning correctly impairments, compensation patterns & injuries can occur.
Balance pads may appear to be a simple piece of equipment. But their use is very effective in promoting.
IMPORTANCE
A gentle & effective way to promote body awareness
improve strength & recovery
The pros of balance pads
Balance pads stimulate neuromuscular responses which make them a great intergration exercise to your daily routines.
What to expect
Basic movement & balance
Promotes correct weight-balance
Aids in rehabilitation
Coordination
Effective core engagement
Support for older horses
Long-term health support
Better balance control
Signs of imbalace in your horse
Difficulty in executing movements
Resistence to collection or extension
Lack of straightness
Tilting of head or neck
Inconsistencies in gaits
Uneven muscle development
Tension or stiffness
Tripping or stumbling
Reluctance to lifting feet
Changes in tail carriage
This list details some of the signs which may indicate a lack of balance in your horse. If in doubt always consult your vet or a qualified equine therapist.
PROPRIOCEPTION
Understanding the importance of balance in horses
Understanding how balance influences your horse’s movement, athletic ability and overall coordination is very important. A well balanced horse is better equiped to maintain sound physical health throughout its career. It also enables them to perform effectively in your chosen discipline.
Proprioception and balance are critical components of prehabilitation and rehabilitation. In fact:
Why balance is so important to your horse
Core Strength & Posture:
The micro-adjustments required to balance & activate the horse's deep postural muscles (such as the multifidus), leads to a stronger back & better overall alignment.
The goal of balance pad work:
Is to decrease postural compensations and compensatory gait patterns by targeting the proprioception and deep muscles in order to improve the horse’s proprioception, balance, coordination, and stability.
Enhanced Proprioception:
By challenging the vestibular system. It is the awareness of one's body location in space. It utilizes a closed neurological feedback loop that does not require any conscious thought.
Mental Relaxation & Confidence:
The passive nature of standing on balance pads can lower a horse’s heart rate, making it a useful tool for nervous & anxious horses.
Related Research:
Cathcart, J., Ellis, K.L., & Moorman, V.J. (2024). Short term use of balance pads on postural sway and
musculus multifidus cross sectional area in horses. Journal of Equine Rehabilitation Volume 2, 2024, 100006
Relationship between postural stability and paraspinal muscle adaptation in lame horses undergoing rehabilitation J. Equine Vet. Sci., 91 (2020), pp. 103-108, 10.1016/j.jevs.2020.103108
B.T. Halsberghe, P. Gordon-Ross, R. Peterson. Whole body vibration affects the cross-sectional area and symmetry of the m. multifidus of the thoracolumbar spine in the horse. Equine Vet. Educ., 29 (2017), pp. 493-499, 10.1111/eve.12630
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