Although it is unknown exactly if magnets work or to what extent they work for a horse many riders choose to use them as an aid to recovery or for overall wellness. Saying that Mercola stated "In the more recent study, the researchers used magnets on rats’ paws that had been treated with inflammatory agents to simulate tissue injury. The magnets significantly reduced swelling in the rats’ paws by up to 50 percent when applied immediately after the injury. " so perhaps we are starting to understand the reason why some are reporting positive results.
So where to put the magnets and for how long? Personally I choose to leave my horses magnetic wraps on for only a few hours as I do not want the horses legs to over heat. I tend to use them mainly on colder days and days when they are in for longer periods of time.
I have been able to trial the new magnetic wraps from Equine-Innovations over the past few weeks, they are different to most on the market in the fact they are an all in one wrap rather than the under bandage/boot pillow and boot combination. Being all in one it makes them quicker and less fiddly to put on and fits a wider range of leg widths. They are made with a wickable material in the first half where the magnets sit and the soft material on the outer half. I'm impressed with the amount of magnets they have and the distribution of them meaning the whole cannon bone is covered providing a broader contact area than some other similar products on the market.
Now my favourite part of the boots! These boots contain a pocket which can hold an ice pack! Now for me this is what makes these boots stand out! Many turn to icing the horses legs post strenuous exercise or injury, this is when the horse's injury/ potential injury would be at it's most acute stage. EquiSearch suggest using ice when an injury is fresh, less than 36 hours old, during this time damaged blood vessels beneath the skin are hemorrhaging, leading to inflammation and bruising. The injury site is normally tender and shows diffuse swelling. During this time, cold therapy will decrease the permeability of the blood vessel walls, slowing the leaks and keeping healthy, undamaged tissues from "drowning" in excess fluids. So with this said the combination of icing and magnets may potentially be a double boost to prevent injury.
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