Equine Therapy Centre

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Offering a superb learning and research environment, our Equine Therapy Centre allows students to gain real-world experience alongside or as part of their studies.

It provides the base for exciting research improving training and rehabilitation of all levels and types of equestrian sport. Student and staff research is having a positive impact on the way equine therapy and rehabilitation is approached throughout the world, including guidance for Equine Water Treadmill Exercise.

The centre runs a ‘Demo Horse Scheme’, involving student and staff horses in research projects, in return for exercising them on either or both of our treadmills free of charge.

The Equine Therapy Centre offers treatment and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal conditions using a combination of the most up-to-date facilities, physical therapy and techniques in veterinary medicine. Since 1999, the Centre has helped thousands of horses achieve their full potential whatever their role in life.

The centre has extensive facilities which support the treatment of horses. These include:

Sato high-speed water treadmill for valuable assessment and rehabilitation activities for horses of all levels
Equigait inertial motion sensor system, enabling tacking of horse and rider in the field, and a Qualisys 3D motion capture camera system, enabling tracking of skin surface markers (essential for accurate equine biomechanics studies)
Conformat saddle pressure mat for investigation of the horse-saddle interface – key to learning and research on saddle fitting
Delsys Electromyography system with integrated inertial motion sensors for measurement and evaluation of muscle activity
Veterinary facilities including an examination room where procedures such as nerve blocking, joint medication and radiography are carried out, and a 40mx4m trot up with 12m diameter trotting circle
Separate treatment box where electrotherapy and Zamar treatment is undertaken
Weighbridge, solarium, indoor and outdoor Andrews Bowen waxed arenas, off-road training track, Monarch horse walker and restricted turnout pens
Night cameras to support 24-hour observation of behaviour - used to observe and evaluate sleep behaviour in the stabled horse

"I got to see so many cases treated by our therapists and the Three Counties Vets while working at their Equine Therapy Centre. I loved seeing the rider work with the therapists and vets to rehabilitate the injured horse. It was so amazing to see."

Hannah (Saskya) Bingei - BSc (Hons) Equestrian Sport Science