Horse treadmill
A horse treadmill is a treadmill for horses , which is very similar to the treadmill for humans.
The devices from different suppliers can be divided into step, trot , gallop and water treadmills, so-called aquatrainers and vibration treadmills . Depending on the possible pace, the devices differ in their dimensions and safety designs. The frames are made of stainless steel or galvanized steel. The horse moves on a special, low-wear treadmill, which enables optimal footing of the horse. The drive of the treadmill is usually computer controlled. The side elements are made from break-proof and impact-resistant PE plastic. There are also versions in which the sides are open, but this is not recommended for security reasons.
Modern devices have hydraulics that enable the belt to be raised and tilted. The incline of the treadmill is intended to support the horse's weight bearing on the hindquarters and thus train the muscles of the entire back area. The inclination should generally be set to a maximum of 10 °.
Horse treadmills can be equipped with vibration plates. This prevents the hooves from becoming blunted when stepping. They can also be equipped with accessories such as coin-operated machines, scales, turbo dryers or ramp systems.
Horse treadmills are used as additional training equipment and are used in large sports stables, stud farms and professional riders as well as increasingly in the rehabilitation sector. The targeted training enables the precise and controlled muscle building, while the training in horse walkers aims at the endurance .
Web links
- The use of the treadmill in equine medicine , University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna (PDF file; 93 kB)
literature
- Michael Dahlkamp: Comparison of two training methods for six-year-old eventing horses with special consideration of mountain training (dissertation at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover; PDF; 5.7 MB)