Horse Health: A Hydrotherapy Center in England

A modern rehabilitation center with a pool.

Horse Homes completed this full-service rehab facility equipped with equine solariums, a pool, and spa in Wiltshire, England in 2006. Horse Homes is headed by Liz Newman. Liz and her team focus on advising architects, construction companies and private clients undertaking new and renovation equine projects in Europe, the United States and the Middle East. The company is a distributor of Kylix NL – Kylix manufactures top-of-the-line equine water treadmills and solariums.

The hot walker is by Claydon.

There are 16 stalls in the barn along with 2 cross tie areas with solariums by Kylix NL, a hot / cold wash down area, blanket room, an in-floor Horseweigh Kentucky horse weigh area and farrier area. The stall gates are by Monarch Equestrian. There are polycarbonate roofing panels in the pool barn and the stall barn. The panels are by Kalwall and let in plenty of natural light.

A horse being supervised on the treadmill.

This is the Equine Spa by Horse Gym USA. The spa contains water at a temperature between 36F and 39F, with a high concentration of salt. It’s used for treating aching joints and reducing swelling in horse’s legs, which speeds up recovery from injuries, as well as hoof issues including bruising and laminitis.

A solarium.

The Pool

The installation of an equestrian pool requires knowledge and experience, Horse Homes have installed over 100 pools throughout the years.

After an injury, stall rest is generally recommended while the horse heals. During a recovery period, the horse looses muscle mass, making them prone to re-injury. Swimming provides a horse with stimulation and allows the body to continue to heal without putting too much stress on it.

Swimming is extremely beneficial to the horse. This exercise helps the horse gain (or regain ) muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness much quicker than horses who exclusively do ground work. Swimming builds up the lungs and heart without stressing bones, joints and soft tissues from impact and traditional force. Horses are natural swimmers and generally enjoy their aqua sessions.