Equilibrium Massage Pad Heatsense

Equilibrium® Massage Pad Heatsense

Achieve ultimate relaxation with comforting heat and massage.

Combining reliable, tested and intelligent heat with proven massage*, the NEW Heatsense is a great addition to your horses’ daily routine to maintain good back health.

• The choice is yours – pick from heat and three intensities of massage.
• Choose heat alone or massage alone or have them both on together! Whatever suits your horse.
• Reliable, tested therapeutic heat output with sensors to turn off/on depending on your horse’s temperature.
• Heat targeted to the most common areas of weakness.
• 6 Massage motors evenly distributed across the pad.
• Fits into your daily routine with a 30-minute programme.
• Shaped to follow the contours of the horses back with 90cm coverage from withers to quarters.
• Battery operated to take it with you wherever you go.
• Covered by a 2-year guarantee.
• Contains 1 x Massage Pad Heatsense, 1 x Storage Bag, 1 x Equilibrium Heatsense Battery, 1 x Equilibrium Heatsense Charger.

Heatsense is available in one size designed to fit horses 14.1hh and upwards.

*Based on the popular Equilibrium Massage Pad clinically proven to improve back flexibility and promote relaxation tested at Myerscough College, 2007.

What inspired the Massage Pad Heatsense for horses?

With the Massage range already helping horses worldwide, it seemed only natural to add the next best thing – heat! Heat that is reliable, tested and targeted to reach safe recommended therapeutic temperatures (42 degrees Celsius).

How can Massage and Heat benefit horses?

Our horses work hard for us with a lot of pressure being put onto their muscles through exercise. Massage and heat are two simple ways in which we can help support healthy muscle function in our horse.

Massage

Performance depends on freedom of movement, full flexibility, and an absence of musculoskeletal pain, all of which can be improved using massage (Gellman, 1998).

Benefits of Massage include:

• Helps maintain healthy blood and lymph circulation.
• Preparing muscles for exercise.
• Soothes tired muscles.
• Supports recovery after exercise.
• Promotes relaxation.

Heat

• Heat is non-invasive, gentle, and well accepted with many associated benefits, including:
• Maintaining good oxygen supply to muscles.
• Encouraging muscle relaxation.
• Increasing flexibility and elasticity of tissue.

Using heat is a great way to help sensitive horses who may find massage too much. Research suggests that tissue temperature needs to increase by at least 3 to 5°C from the resting temperature (Bockstahler et al, 2004). Amongst many other sources, AAEVT’s Equine Manual for Veterinary Technicians by Martha Mallicote from University of Florida, et al states: ‘Applying heat at temperatures of 40-45°C for 15-30 minutes results in vasodilation, increasing blood flow.’

Who is the Massage Pad Heatsense for?

All horses and ponies could benefit from the Massage Pad Heatsense, including:

• Horses on box rest to maintain good blood flow.
• After exercise to help support recovery.
• Before exercise as part of warm up.
• At a show to relax after travelling.
• On your horse’s day off as part of a maintenance programme.
• Anytime as a reward.

Heatsense is available in one size designed to fit horses 14.1hh and upwards.

What is it made of?

The Massage Pad Heatsense is made up of polyurethane, or PU, with foam padding. The PU outer makes the product extremely hardwearing, but also hygienic – which is ideal if it is shared between many horses and ponies. It is resistant to water and grease, but also to fungus. This material paired with the padding also makes it comfortable for the horse.

Six massage motors are positioned in the target areas for horses and ponies. There are two either side of the wither, two mid-way down the pad and another two behind the saddle area. The careful design of the massage pad then facilitates the spread of the massage along the back muscles.

The heating element is housed within the back third of the Massage Pad and heats a gel pad, which in turn will heat the horse. This ensures that the heat is evenly dispersed and consistent. It also acts as a safety barrier. This part of the Massage Pad also has a sensor to ensure the horse doesn’t overheat, for example when using the pad in warmer weather or after exercise when the horse is naturally warm.

How do I care for the Massage Pad Heatsense?

The Massage Pad Heatsense just needs a gentle wipe down with a damp, clean cloth if the material gets scurfy. For Battery and Charger care, please see their safety instructions included in the packaging.

Caution! Do not use on the following:

• Open wounds, new injuries, or new swelling (for the first 48 hours).
• Where there is suspected infection or malignant tumours.
• Burn injuries or deep vein thrombosis.
• Over the abdomen if pregnant, or at all during the first trimester
• Circulatory problems, causing hypo or hypersensitivity to heat.
• Active bleeding, bruising or haematoma.
• Bony areas such as the wither, point of shoulder or hip.
• Do not apply more than 1 heat session at a time on the same horse.

Battery Life:

The high performance Heatsense Battery can deliver up to ten sessions of effective Heat & Massage therapy. This is equivalent to five hours of use. In extreme cold conditions this may reduce to eight sessions.

To preserve the life of the battery we strongly recommend unplugging the battery from the cable after every use.

After ten heat and massage sessions we recommend charging the battery, this ensures that the Heatsense can deliver the heat therapy at the required temperatures. After ten uses the heat may still be delivered but it is unlikely to be at the optimum temperature.

Sensors

Due to the risks associated with heat, and the narrow target window for therapeutic heat, we developed an intelligent monitoring system that is constantly checking the temperature being delivered to the horse. This adjusts accordingly to ensure a repeatable session is experienced each time the pad is used.

This is especially important in a product that is strapped to the horse, that they cannot easily move away from.

As the temperature reaches the target of 42 degrees Celsius power to the heat pads will cut out. As the temperature drops again, power to the heat pads will resume. This process continues to ensure the horse receives 15 minutes at the target temperature.

This monitoring system will also help prevent the pad heating tissue that is already hot, whether that is due to ambient temperatures, or if the horse has just been exercised. The left and right side of the pad also work independently of each other, meaning one side could be receiving heat, even if the other is too warm.

Our sources include, but are not limited to:

1. King et.al, 2016; Rehabilitation of the Equine Athlete, An Issue of Veterinary Clinics of the Equine Athlete, B. Bockstahler et al, 2004; Essential Facts of Physiotherapy in Dogs and Cats: Rehabilitation and Pain Management, M. Mallicote et al, 2009; AAEVT’s Equine Manual for Veterinary Technicians, M Bromiley, 2007; Equine Injury, Therapy & Rehabilitation, C. Wayne Mcllwraith et al, 2016; Joint Disease In The Horse, C Schlachter, 2016; Electrophysical therapies for the equine athlete, M.E Goldberg, 2017; Physical Rehabilitation for Veterinary Technicians Nurses.