Superior Therapy, owned by Summer Terry, is located in central Oklahoma where EPM has become an increased issue for horse owners. Through the use of aquatic therapy with the AquaPacer underwater treadmill system, Superior Therapy has been successful in addressing this equine neurological disease by building back a horse in 30-90 days.

“We’ve had the AquaPacer Plus since we opened in 2017 and utilize it 17-20 times a day for all types of rehab and conditioning workouts,” said Terry. “We get referrals from veterinarians that have prescribed treatment for EPM because owners are looking for safe ways to restore balance, muscle loss, and body condition in their horse. The AquaPacer Plus has been instrumental in the recovery process and returning the horse to a previous level of performance.”

Terry said she prefers the AquaPacer Plus underwater treadmill from Hudson Aquatic Systems because of the ability to alternate between warm and cold water exercise, as well as the ability to vary the water depth, speed and length of each session. She also utilizes variations of multiple water levels to target several muscle groups during the same workout, which is truly a customized workout. According to Superior Therapy, they use a daily progress check and process to build a horse back through a 30-90 day stay with sessions 5-6 days a week.

“Many horses with EPM have muscle atrophy, nerve damage and swelling in the lower legs,” said Terry. “Sessions in the AquaPacer reduce excess fluid while building hip and topline muscle. We also look for how a horse balances with the tail instead of engaging muscle, muscle spasms or tension with fatigue, how head carriage affects movement, and single side dominance. These are all things that are easily missed when you are riding or ground working. In most cases, we are able to get horses strong enough to go back to riding after they leave our facility, which is great news to owners that had fears of having to retire them.”

For more information about Hudson Aquatic Systems AquaPacer Plus, go to www.hudsonaquatic.com. To learn more about Superior Therapy, visit www.superiortherapyllc.com. 

Link to FULL article in June 2020 Texas Horseman magazine pg 22