Can red infrared at home light therapy work for horses? Horses are fit, muscular, majestic beings, but, as with all active creatures, their love of running and jumping can make them more prone to injury. Devastatingly, and as some of us know first hand, an injury to a horse can end their career or even life!
A horse with niggling inflammation or strains may get worse and worse until the injury is pushed over the edge. Surgery and physiotherapy can be exorbitant in price and excessive in the time and effort required.

We all love our pets and want to give them the best life possible, so how can we better look after our horses? Did you know that there is a way that you can reduce pain and inflammation to these large, incredible creatures without heavy medications, invasive treatment, surgery or costly physio visits?

That’s right; red light therapy at home is completely possible for horses.

LED red and near infrared light therapy has been introduced into veterinary medicine as non-invasive treatments for horses in musculoskeletal diseases, wound healing and pain management. This is backed by years of research showing the positive benefits of red light therapy in clinical trials on various horse breeds, including performance horses1,2,3,4.

One study in particular investigated the effects of low-level laser therapy versus chiropractic treatment on 61 competitive performance horses. The light therapy produced significant reductions in back pain, dorsal muscle hypertonicity (tenseness), and trunk stiffness for the horses. Interestingly, the chiropractic treatment on its own did not result in any significant changes in back pain, muscle hypertonicity, or trunk stiffness. In combination though, the light therapy and chiropractic treatment had additive effects in treating back pain and trunk stiffness1.

Testing infrared wavelengths alone, benefits have also been shown on performance horses where analgesic and anti-oedema (swelling) effects were observed for tendon and ligament injuries4. This injury is an important concern for horse owners and their large four-legged friends!

As we know, horses can be quite flighty and skittish. But don’t be concerned about how they might react to the light treatment. One study set out to determine the stress response of horses to different light wavelengths and treatments. They found, however, that regardless of the colour; the red, green, blue and yellow lights did not constitute a stressor but rather had a calming effect on the study horses!

So, if you’re interested in healing and calming your horse, we suggest looking at TLA’s red light therapy band products for an ideal infrared light wrap for horses. The large Red 660 Infrared 850 LED Light Wrap comes with two removable straps making it highly functional and versatile for a variety of uses on a large animal such as a horse. Daily use can help with healing any of their physical ailments.

I’m sure like me you have found many clinics charging in excess of $200 per treatment using their devices!
But you know what? You can do the exact same thing from your own home or stable. Just follow the care guides and watch your horse improve!

You can now even buy custom barn hanging red light therapy devices for horses from TLA, that contain 4 wavelengths of red and infrared light! We really have thought this one out to make red light therapy at home for horses possible for all!

For a similar blog about red light therapy for pets, click here!

References

1 Haussler, KK, Manchon, PT, Donnell, JR, and Frisbie, DD. (2020) Effects of Low-Level Laser Therapy and Chiropractic Care on Back Pain in Quarter Horses, Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 86: 102891

2 Yamada, H, Kameya, T, Abe, N, Miyahara, K. (2014) Low Level Laser Therapy In Horses, Laser Therapy. 1(1): 31-35

3 Gomez-Villamandos, R.J., Valenzuela, J.M.S., Calatrava, I.R., Gomez-Villamandos, J.C. and Jurado, I.A. (1995), HeNe laser therapy by fibroendoscopy in the mucosa of the equine upper airway. Lasers Surg. Med., 16: 184-188. https://doi.org/10.1002/lsm.1900160208

4 Zielińska P, Nicpoń J, Kiełbowicz Z, Soroko M, Dudek K, Zaborski D. (2020) Effects of High Intensity Laser Therapy in the Treatment of Tendon and Ligament Injuries in Performance Horses. Animals. 10(8):1327. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10081327

5 Burla, JB, Bachmann, I, Hillmann, E, Westerath, HS (2016) The Effects of Coloured LED Light on Behaviour and Physiology in Healthy Horses, Open Biological Sciences Journal, 2: 1-16