Response of twenty-seven horses with lower leg injuries to cold spa bath hydrotherapy

The influence of hypertonic cold water (5-9°C) spa bath hydrotherapy on the response of 27 horses with various lower leg injuries is described. Fifteen horses with grade 2 or 3 superficial digital flexor tendon damage and four with suspensory ligament injury treated for 10 minutes three times a week responded with markedly improved ultrasonographic echogenicity and fiber realignment of injured tissues. All but two of these horses when placed back into training returned to compete successfully within six months without re-injury. Two equestrian sports horses with traumatic contusion injury treated twice daily were able to compete successfully 72 hours after injury without supportive drug therapy. Responses of six individual horses with other leg conditions also responded to hydrotherapy faster than expected. The responses indicate hypertonic cold water spa therapy could be a valuable addition to therapeutic regimes with or without other therapies.