Equine Aqua Training has led the way in equine hyrdrotherapy performance since opening in 2012. We have worked with over 750 horses from Olympic level to pony club and from every discipline . With over 25,000 treadmill sessions under our belt we are the most experienced and professional operators of aqua treadmills in the UK. In 2019 we are expanding our services to include residential classes and stays for riders.
Back in early 2012 I was struggling to keep a lovely young horse sound. There were veterinary interventions on offer but I wanted to try something else. I had successfully rehabilitated a dog using hydrotherapy a decade earlier so I began looking at options for horses. I liked the idea of water’s buoyancy supporting the horses large skeletal frame and the increased resistance of training in water but I also wanted low level impact conditioning so swimming was not the answer.
Research led me to Moulton College who had an aqua treadmill which they agreed to let me bring my horse to. After a three week stay during which the horse went on the treadmill daily the changes in the horses strength and posture were remarkable. He had developed the core strength he needed to support his naturally extravagant movement. More significantly the horse would recover easily from work which normally left him sore. I was back out eventing the next week and won and the next day the horse trotted up sound.
I realized that I could not as a rider emulate this kind of work and in order to keep the stabiliser muscles recruited and effective I would need to keep on visiting the aqua treadmill. The college was a three hour drive away and there was only one commercially operating water treadmill in the UK which was five hours away.
At this time I took “the leap of faith”. I ordered a treadmill! This was a significant investment and I had to sell my rental property to finance it. I had never run a business before and was very apprehensive about starting one. I decided I would only be open to friends or friends of friends. In October 2012 I opened my doors and one of my friends, dressage rider, Amy Stovold rehabilitated her fabulous horse MacBrian on the treadmill who went back out competing successfully at Grand Prix level. Amy inspired me to open up to the public and I have never looked back.
It is now 2019 and I have learnt so much from so many wonderful people and horses over the last seven years. I think the most interesting thing I have learnt from the horses is just how much they will give us and how resilient they truly are. Every horse is an individual, every horse has a unique personality and pattern of movement and a unique will to perform. It has been an honour to improve and enhance the performance and soundness of so many of the remarkable and talented horses that have come our way.
Pip Stone - January 2019