Recovery treatment

Recovery treatment for sport horses – after work and competition

A structured, technology-based recovery routine for the period after hard work: controlled limb cooling with compression, red and near-infrared light, and PEMF – at your stable or the show ground.

Mobile, on site
1 session or 3 / 5 / 10-session course
Price: on request

When is it recommended?

When recovery is part of the plan

After intensive work

May help support your horse’s recovery processes and can be an ideal addition to the routine after greater physical effort.

After competition

A comprehensive post-competition recovery treatment that gives your sport horse a structured routine after a demanding day.

At multi-day shows

May help support recovery between competition days and fits into your horse’s daily routine over the weekend.

In a busy season

Can be built into the management of hard-working sport horses as a regular recovery programme.

After travelling to shows

Can be used as part of the recovery routine after the increased demands of travelling and competing.

With a proactive mindset

Recovery doesn’t start only when there is a problem – it is part of thoughtful workload and recovery management.

What’s included?

One treatment, three complementary modalities

We tailor each Recovery treatment to the day’s workload and your horse’s condition. Some modalities can run in parallel, so the session doesn’t become unnecessarily long.

Controlled limb cooling with pneumatic compression (Polar Stride) – to support dissipation of heat built up during work
Red/NIR photobiomodulation (XLR8 Redline, 660 and 850 nm) – a complementary technology in the recovery routine
PEMF (MagnaWave SEMI 10) – a non-invasive complementary modality
Brief observation and documentation before and after

Thoughtful recovery is part of a sport horse’s long-term management.

The aim is not to diagnose or treat injury or disease, but to support your horse’s recovery and physical condition alongside regular sport.

Research

What we know about compression cooling

Compression cooling is the best-studied part of the Recovery treatment. There is less, and weaker, evidence for red/NIR light and PEMF in horses – so we use them as complementary modalities.

−10.8 °C

Mean drop in the core temperature of the superficial digital flexor tendon with a compression cooling system (deep digital flexor tendon: −9.8 °C) – more than with ice boots.

McCarthy, Ordóñez, Semevolos: Veterinary Surgery, 2025; 54(3):470–477

7.0 vs 3.2 °C

With intermittent compression, subcutaneous tissue temperature dropped more than with cooling alone.

Jacobs, O’Neil, Prange: Veterinary Surgery, 2022; 51(7):1070–1077

Active cooling

Studies in horses show that active cooling after work lowers some body-temperature measures faster than passive rest.

Takahashi et al.: Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 2020; 91:103130

These studies are small and were carried out on healthy horses under experimental conditions. They show that the method cools effectively – not that it prevents injury.

Evidence and sources

Honestly

What Recovery is for – and what it isn’t

What it is for

Supporting recovery after physical effort
Supporting your horse’s comfort after intensive work
Controlled limb cooling
Complementing your usual training and competition management

What we don’t claim

That it prevents injuries
That it guarantees better performance the next day
That it “flushes out lactic acid” or “detoxifies”
That it is guaranteed to reduce inflammation

Prices

Recovery – single session and courses

A single Recovery session is worthwhile; during the season a course is better value.

Sessions	Price
1 session	on request
3-session course	on request
5-session course	on request
10-session course	on request

Light Aftercare: treatments with a list price of 30 000 Ft or more include one pair of home-use red/NIR light units; for lower-priced treatments they are available for +6 500 Ft. On courses, the list price of the individual session applies.

Travel terms and multi-horse discounts are agreed when you enquire. For competitions: events.

How it works

A Recovery session

Booking

We agree the place and time – ideally in the period after work.

Brief assessment

We look at your horse and note the day’s workload and your observations.

Treatment

Cooling-compression, red/NIR light and PEMF – watching the horse’s response throughout.

Feedback

A written summary of the session; on a course we keep a session-by-session log.

FAQ

Questions about Recovery

When should I book a Recovery treatment?

In the period after effort: after intensive work or a competition, between days at a multi-day show, or regularly during a busy season.

Do I need a veterinary diagnosis?

Not for recovery of a healthy sport horse. If your horse shows swelling, heat, pain or lameness, the first step is a veterinary examination.

Does it prevent injuries?

We don’t claim that. Thoughtful recovery is part of a sport horse’s workload and recovery management and can offer additional support alongside appropriate training, rest, nutrition and veterinary care.

Can it be used at competitions?

Yes, we can set up at the venue. Complying with the rules of the competition is always the responsibility of the rider and the organiser; if needed, we agree details with the organisers in advance.

What do you need on site?

A quiet, ideally covered spot where the horse can stand or be held safely, and a 230 V power supply. The limbs should be clean and dry.

Booking

Book a recovery session

Tell us when and where you need the treatment – we will reply within one working day.

Single session or course
Discount for several horses
We also come to competitions