They state it in the blanket description; not a deal breaker for me:
The OMI PEMF Horse Blanket comes with a control unit and a DC adapter for power supply. This product requires an A/C power supply or a portable A/C battery.
That’s a deal breaker for me. The convenience of throw it on and go do other things is my reason for considering a Bemer rather than a machine.
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That looks interesting. I might be willing to deal with the cord and have a portable battery. I’d be willing to deal with that inconvenience if it’s otherwise similar in effect to Bemer.
I went to a hoof care workshop last week and there was a Bemer in use there that was clearly helping keep horses calm and comfortable. One of the instructors showed us how to double up the cuffs to make sort of a splint for a front leg on the very arthritic old guy we were working on. So now I really want to buy something in the next couple months. If I do, I’m hoping to defray some of the expense by offering sessions for horses at my barn, and Bemer definitely has the name-recognition behind it, whereas I’m not sure people would pay for sessions with a system they haven’t heard of.
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Gosh…what a good idea!
I bought an OMI leg wrap and didn’t like where the coils were placed (didn’t seem like enough) so I returned it. Because they also sent me the wrong size because it was listed wrong on the website - even after I reached out to them to confirm the height of the boot, since what was on the website didn’t make sense - I asked for a refund, and they jerked me around about it. Eventually I had my credit card just do a charge back since I had all the records of my communication with them and they were just being shitty.
So, be aware that it’s kinda a crappy company, and, in my experience, also a kinda crappy product. BUT for less than 1/2 the price of a Bemer, maybe it’s enough? Just ask all your questions of them before ordering, and keep a paper trail.
Edit: Admittedly my experience was ~ 1.5 years ago. Maybe they are different now.
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That is really good to know, thanks for sharing. I hate it when companies get squirrely.
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I rented a Bemer from a friend who can’t use it for a stretch, and put it on my girl after our ride last night. I didn’t see a reaction until I put the cuffs on her neck. Wow, she loved that; I’ll be doing it every day while I have the blanket. Tonight I’ll go see what my retired guy thinks about it on his crunchy broken knee.
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Is OMI new? When I bought my Bemer 2 years ago they said the Bemer used the lowest strength of signal of all PEMF devices. Unlike other PEMF devices, the Bemer isn’t just pulsing full-strength, single frequency, on off signals, it has a rapid series of different frequency pulses (and a different series for each setting 1-3).
The low strength of the Bemer compared to other PEMF devices was part of the argument made to permit it’s use in FEI competition.
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My understanding is BEMER is much less intense than something like MagnaWave, which can really be cranked up. Most people aren’t going to physically feel the BEMER, horses may being more sensitive but it’s not going to make the muscles visibly twitch like MagnaWave…which I’ve heard some people prefer because they can “see it working” vs something like BEMER. My human PEMF devices I can’t feel in a major way, depending on the settings I can sometimes tell something is going on but it’s incredible subtle.
I don’t know when OMI hit the market nor how much lower intensity they are than BEMER; it’s an interesting statement for them to make. I believe some of the programs BEMER has patented as well.
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I have stacked the Bemer cuffs, which is great for if you want to do hocks because they won’t slip down if you have a cuff or boot on below them. However, I found the cuffs won’t go around my horses’ hocks or knee/upper leg without my using a velcro strap around them because their straps are too short. I got a roll of double sided velcro (loop on one side/hook on the other) and made some straps to keep the Bemer cuffs on the hocks.
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With my big mare, I ended up using two cuffs around her gaskin and down to the hock, and just do one at a time. I did some more “normal” horses at the barn today and was able to just turn the cuffs upside down and velcro at the top and bottom to get their hocks. If I buy one I’d definitely be making an accessory to hold the cuffs on the neck.
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If its the newest model, the velcro sizing slides on the side can be used to attach one of the bemer leg wraps. My guy has stifle issues and thats what i do. Works great
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I am late to this response but about 9 months ago I got the a low level MagnaWave for about $2K off. Demo or reconditioned or something. It is perfect for me as a horse owner that occasionally uses for friend’s horses and on friends and myself. Keep an eye on sales. If I was using it for a business I might have stepped up to a higher model. I did go through the whole certification process as that was included.
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I was at Dressage at Devon a few years ago. Bemer put something on my knee. I felt no difference afterwards.
I own a Magnawave. It is primarily for personal use but I will throw it on friends and friend’s horses. Even with a basic on-line certification course I feel like I get more feedback from where a horse is reactive with the Magnawave. I have certain horses that are great with a higher intensity on the left hip but I have to move back to a lower intensity on the right hip. I feel like even though a traditional PEMF system versus a Bemer system is more labor intensive you get better feedback on where a horse may be sore. This in turn can lead to changes in padding a saddle, training, looking for injuries.
I routinely change the level of intensity based on area and that horse’s reaction. I do not see how you can get that feedback from a blanket you put on and walk away from. I would think you would need to set the intensity at the most minimal level tolerated by the most sore area of the horse. But as I have not used a Bemer type blanket I acknowledge I cannot directly comment on the differences.
Do you mean that you Do feel a difference with the magna wave?
I’ve tried the BEMER mat few times at their booth at multi day shows. The first day I can’t notice it at all, on the second day of using it, I can feel a slight tingling sensation in my legs. I didn’t have a specific injury to test it on though so I don’t know if it did any good.
I’m interested in a mat for a dog with arthritis. Trying to figure out if one brand or another would work better for a dog and be helpful for arthritis.
I look at MagnaWave and BEMER a little differently. As far as I understand, they are both PEMF, MagnaWave can crank up the intensity which is when you can see the muscles twitch. I’ve had MagnaWave done on me several times and liked it, but I don’t like how a “little too much” felt for me.
I own my own human PEMF devices which are much less intense and has different frequency programs like the BEMER does. You don’t feel much during a treatment but it absolutely helps with circulation and things of that nature. It’s part of my daily maintenance for all my health issues.
Charlie did something to his front end about a month ago and I rigged my stuff up to use on him and it really seemed to help even though you don’t get that immediate feedback like you do from MagnaWave.
I actually have a BEMER blanket and leg cuffs in the works now! I’m kicking off a hybrid human/horse wellness LLC and liked the idea of being able to do BEMER treatments for clients horses while during health coaching type sessions with them.
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Bemer is definitely about the long game. Regular, routine use improving the horse’s general health. There are times you can see immediate results in the horses (relaxation, reduced back pain, gut sounds starting again in a colic event), but for the most part effects appear over time. Though I personally find a horse cuff very helpful when my restless legs are bad. 
I used to ask my Wobbler if he wanted a Bemer, and sometimes tried different settings to see if he was objecting to the Bemer or just that program. He was quite clear when he didn’t want it, or just wanted a different program.
My senior shows little response most of the time. He colicked before Christmas and when he completely lost gut sounds on day two I put the Bemer on him and had some gut sounds afterwards. He was also clearly more comfortable after the Bemer. But for him the effects show in his general health and recovery from more demanding days, whether that’s a long, return trailer trip with ride in between, or several days of forest fire smoke. I haven’t had to increase his heaves control drugs the last two years, and have significantly fewer occasions to use his emergency drug.
The Bemer has a different effect, and is a product with a different purpose.
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I think you quoted the wrong person?? I’ve only used a BEMER on a horse a few times but his issues are so extreme, I didn’t really see any difference. Like, shock wave is the only thing that seems to even remotely help. To be fair, he has been retired because of his issues as he has become mildly neuro.
So really most of my personal experience is with an actual PEMF machine. Having used it on myself, I can feel a difference. I had a pulled outside calf muscle at a major show several years ago. It was bad enough that about 5 minutes in to a ride, I would lose control of my lower leg and couldn’t keep my calf on. I had it pulsed once and while the soreness didn’t particularly go away, I didn’t lose control of it again and was able to get through the show without incident.
A few years ago a friend and coworker woke up to a pinched nerve in his back. To the point it took an hour or more to get out of bed and dressed for work. He couldn’t even remotely bend over and had some numbness in his legs (in hindsight, he probably should have gotten that looked at…). But due to fear of being grounded (aviation), he refused to do anything about it. I had a PEMF technician come out for him and threw a couple horses in to make her drive worth it. By the end of that session he could reach his toes and walked out of my barn relatively normal.
So those are my experiences with actually feeling it working. I did put my hand up under the BEMER while I was using it on the dumpster fire and in certain places I could feel some muscle twitching, like you would see with a pulse machine but lighter. I wasn’t sure if it was my banged up braiding hand, or if it was his back muscles reacting. So I do believe you can “feel” it if there is something to be felt.
But it would seem, as best I can tell, and from other’s testimonies here, if there’s nothing damaged per se, you might not notice a BEMER “working”. But at the same time, if an injury or condition is too extreme, neither therapy will truly heal it. Though I don’t doubt these therapies can play a part in a comprehensive healing/rehab plan.
I still need to contact a friend to see if I can borrow a BEMER for a weekend or so, and see how my creatures like it. It would also be worth a try for aforementioned friend/coworker for a few days in a row to see if he would benefit.
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Does anyone know if one can use a bemer and a laser on the same day? If so, how far apart timewise should they be?
I have (my young horse with the sore back), but I have no scientific reason for it.
I broke four ribs in September and used the Bemer cuffs on it. They totally helped to take away the horrible pain I was feeling. By the end of the day, my pain would be so bad that I’d be nauseous, and the Bemer would definitely make it so that I could sleep. I was completely healed within two months.
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