MagnaWave Therapy for Horses

Although I have had many forms of alternative medicine and therapy - chiropractor, massage, and ultra sound mainly, it took me awhile to accept these types of therapy for horses.

At my wits end concerning a severe lameness issue on one horse years ago, a chiropractor and a massage therapist resolved this debilitating issue and since then I'm more ears and less mouth when approached with alternative methods to help horses.

The latest new method I was exposed to is called MagnaWave Therapy. Claudia Lukason, a lady who I have known for years and who has decades of experience training and running barrel horses as well as managing her own boarding stables, told me about her therapy business treating horses using MagnaWave. Since she has a ton of credibility with me, and the fact that I have learned that my ignorance is generally a weakness, I consented to her offer to first come out and see one of my horses who has the occasional problem of falling out on the back end.

So Claudia comes come, gets out of her truck and from 40 yards away say's "I can see one isue with him right now where his back on the left side ties into his hip." This was an area I thought he may be having problems with, but I've been riding him for 13 years, and she just saw him for the first time. She went around him using her hands to manipulate several points where the horse had discomfort and said he would likely benefit from MagnaWave, so we set the next weekend for a session.

Come next weekend, Claudia shows up and sets up her machine which transmits pulsed energy, through what looks like garden hoses, generating an pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) which are designed to energize the cells, increase cellular metabolism of the body and stimulate the body’s own natural healing process through increases of oxygen in the blood, which allows for quicker recovery and less inflammation.

Since the electromagnetic pulses coming out of the hose type tubing can be uncomfortable if on high levels, the therapist has to be able to read the horse in order to know when the pulse is too much or not enough. That may be a misnomer saying that the pulse could be not enough. From what I understand, the lower pulse settings just require a longer session. In any event, when you see a horse with his head down, drooling and lip quivering, something good is going on.

A few days later when I rode this horse, he trotted easier and loped without falling out on his back end like he previously did before. Since then I had had a repeat session on him and plan on having a few more. The misperception on alternative therapies like MagnaWave or massage therapy is that you have to do it for the rest of your life. This is not true, treatment is often culmaltive, each session building on the previous one to produce longer lasting effects.

Claudia discovered MagnaWave after being injured time and time again, with multiple surgeries, and one of her barrel racing friends treated her with positive results. I had the MagnaWave therapy on myself with the same positive or even better results that I have received with massage therapy, Chiropractor adjustment or pain meds. She also treats dogs. My friend's heelers are happy that she does!

If you think this is something that may help your horse, you can go to the MagnaWave website, www.magnawavepemf.com and look for the "Find a Treatment" tab a the bottom, or call Claudia if you are in the West Texas- Southern New Mexico area.

Claudia Lukason, The Edge Canine and Equine Solutions
4TheEdgeSolutions@gmail.com
(915) 487-7231

TheraPlate - Whole Body Vibration Therapy for Horses

A friend of mine told me he was bringing in a young man to demonstrate the TheraPlate on his horses. When he explained basically what it was, I have to admit that I had a recollection of those old television ads where women on stood on a platform with a vibrating belt around their waist.

In any event, it sounded interesting and I said to count me and one of my horses in on the deal as I was primarily interested in seeing one of my react to a vibrating platform. Any affects of the treatment were really secondary at this point as I was unconvinced of any therapeutic value.  

So a few days ago, Travis Gonzales from Las Cruces, New Mexico showed up and explained what the TheraPlate and whole body vibration treatment was all about. Not giving my horse a whole lot of time to think about, I led him onto the platform and Travis began the session.

You would think that as cautious horses are to footing, most would have at least an initial issue to a vibrating plate, but Travis said most horses don't have a big issue with the TheraPlate. Even then  starting at a low motor speed is the ticket. And judging from my horse licking, I think he liked it...even when Travis dialed up the motor. I think he spent about 20 minutes on the plate and Travis moved his hands and fingers all over the horse trying to find sore spots.

For the next horse, see the video on the gray mare below, Travis used a thermal camera powered by an app on his phone. The thermal camera showed heat differences on the horse which can likely detect where the horse is sore due to the inflammation creating higher heat signature.

The photo above shows the thermal camera attached to the phone scanning the horse in the background. You can make out the hot spots (darker spots) up on the withers and in front of the shoulder bone.  Travis can use the camera after the TheraPlate session to show any positive effects of the whole body vibration therapy session.

The TheraPlate website states that their TheraPlate has differences compared to other Whole Body Vibration (WBV) technologies. TheraPlate advertises that their proprietary 4 Zone Vortex Wave design and operation is the result of more than 30 years of working with this same technology in the treatment and prevention of injuries and other debilitating conditions in Horses, and Humans. TheraPlate further states that this therapy does not aggravate injuries and can improve chronic conditions, speed healing, and prevent injuries.



This is not a one time treatment deal. Travis told us that routine therapy is the key, sometimes several times a day, for around 20 minutes at a time, is usually indicated for chronic conditions. My friends said that the two horses they put on the Theraplate seemed to move much freer afterwards so they believe the TheraPlate can help and that they will be brining Travis back - I'm in for that as well. Travis also said that while enhancing circulation, the TheraPlate can help with laminitis and other hoof issues, improve soreness, and reduce pain in joints. You'll have to go to the website linked above to see the complete lists of what conditions and injuries that TheraPlate say's they can help.

Travis Gonzales is based out of Las Cruces, but he travels around with his business called "One Stop Horse Shop", where he also does non-sedation equine and bovine dentistry, and shoes horses.  To reach Travis - phone number 575-973-4403 or on e-mail at wildhorse.travis.g79@gmail.com