What are people’s experiences with the BEMER blanket system? It’s increasingly advertised by top riders and our barn has one although I’ve yet to use it. I used a magnetic blanket 10+ years ago and never thought it did much.
I’m doubtful given that I can only find one study on horses that appears statistically significant on it but I can’t access the full article.
This other study doesn’t appear to have a low enough p value to be statistically significant.
Thoughts, anyone? Has it helped your horse significantly?
I am not a scientist so my reading of these could be wrong. I did several stats classes buts it’s been a while!
It’s different than a magnet blanket. It’s PEMF- it’s a pulsing sensation.
The horses like it a lot.
The company-provided “scientific” literature on PEMF and how it works is a bunch of junk, but… it does something. A lot of horses (and people) show improvements with it.
One of the ruder reps I have ever met in my life was with BEMER this past fall. I knew I couldn’t afford it, but figured I’d got see if they had any offers or deals. They were running a sale- something like $5k for the horse set and a lot of extra goodies included. I said sorry but that’s out of my budget right now. The rep then started pressuring me by saying if I had to spend $5k on medical bills it would be no problem yet I balk at the idea of spending $5k on something they would prevent medical bills. Um lady, a surprise $5k bill of any sort makes a mess of my finances
I know a rep and she has given me units to use on myself and my horse. There is no sensation whatsoever when it is on. There is a little warmth, but you get that whether the unit is on or not just from that part of the body being covered (like a blanket). I know both of those statements (no sensation and warmth not from PEMF) because I have had it on myself both on and off (accidentally off, haha). I have noticed no difference with me or my horse as far as soreness or healing. There have been studies that show slight improvements, so I guess it works to some degree. It supposedly increases blood flow to the area. So, I guess it is at least as effective as a warm compress. My rep friend says you can put the whole body one on the horse and then you do not have to warm them up as the blood is already flowing, but I wouldn’t want to risk their joints on that. Just me and I definitely tend to be a cynic.
Other PEMF systems have more research of effects, and IIRC are more powerful and adjustable. My horses get bi-weekly treatments with a “Pulse PEMF” system by someone well versed in both PEMF and other modalities, so she can really zoom in on problem areas. I notice a difference . I have used it on myself and noticed a difference as well.
I am not a scientist, my hubs who is questions the PEMF claims - so of course I had the BEMER rep by anyway. Sensitive chestnut mare lost her everloving mind within seconds of the thing being near her. Lost. It. At. The. Rep. Bigtime. We had to stop and I had to apologize profusely to the kind rep who sensitive chestnut mare took a very serious lunge at (NOT a normal behaviour for sensitive chestnut mare).
So, my conclusion is it definitely does something. And that something is not something my SCM wants to enjoy. I’ll stick with her back on track sheets.
That is not typical to feel nothing. It’s weaker than standalone PEMF systems, which feel kind of like a TENS unit, but I can definitely feel the pulses and tingles.
I can, too. I do have a Bemer for my horse. I justified the cost based on the amount of chiropractic and body work I was paying for. Mine had a major muscle injury. I liked it so well that when the new bemer shape came out, I sold my old one and bought the new. The new bemer shape is significantly more effective because of the shape, I feel. It has helped him tremendously… more so than drugs or joint injections ever did. My sister borrowed the cuff of the old bemer to use on her knee. She said it helped so much she bought the people version. I am not remotely interested in being a distributor but I am very glad I spent the money for mine.
Oh, that is interesting. I have had a tens unit used on me and it was almost uncomfortably tingly. I felt absolutely nothing with the two different Bemer units I had on myself. They were both part of the horse kit.
I agree TENS can be uncomfortable- more like needle pricks almost. TENS’ results also don’t last like PEMF does. But it’s the closest comparison I can make. If PEMF is set really low you feel nothing, but when you turn it up higher it actually makes your muscles twitch and pulse.
When you use the big PEMF machines, different people feel it at different settings. The BEMER units aren’t nearly as a strong as those machines, so I imagine you would just need a higher setting to feel it.
I find PEMF so interesting because the rationale of why it works is so… quacky. But it definitely does something. It’s not a cure all, but it can help in certain situations. I had a mare with arthritis from a fracture and one PEMF session would have her moving more comfortably for weeks after.
The Bemer frequency is different from other PEMF devices’ frequencies. It’s a lower power and induces a parasympathetic response in the nervous system, and dialation of the micro blood vessels. Unlike most PEMF devices it is not designed to be a one and done treatment of a specific health issue. The parasympathetic response reduces stress and allows the body to do it’s normal function in healing, recovery, etc.
I bought a horse set in April 2022 for my older horse who has seasonal allergy induced heaves. I have been tracking his breath rate and listening to his lung sounds for several years, so when I say he had a lower resting breath rate and quieter lungs this year, it’s not my imagination. My horse doesn’t really show any change in behaviour when he’s getting a session. In his heave season I was using the Bemer 5-6 days a week, and cycling through the three settings (one setting per week), and using the cuffs on each side of his barrel on the lowest setting.
We did a fair bit of trailering out to ride this year and I found my 24yr old horse recovered faster from the long ride plus trailerings in general. I did back to back days one week. Day one was 2 hours each way in the trailer, two hours on the trail on a very hot day and he kept trying to turn away from the trailer parking when I started working my way back. Day two was 1 1/2 hours each way, over two hours on the trail with a friend and her endurance horse, on a hotter day plagued with deerflies, and he only started to fall behind at the very end (but he hadn’t had a drink from the puddle). Both days after returning to the trailer, untacking and him drinking, he was pulling me in the direction of the trail head to go out again. I was surprised how strong and loose he felt on the second day, and how well he handled the heat and humidity.
I also used the Bemer on my younger horse and saw distinct reduction in back pain in the spring. He does show behaviour changes and prefers sessions spaced further apart. I will turn the unit on and hold it near him and ask if he wants it today. Some days I get a definite no. He also prefers the lower settings over the high one.
Bemer is actively doing studies on the effects in various circumstances. For example they gave a vet two Bemers, one of which didn’t work. This vet performs something like 700 of the same eye surgery under full anesthesia each year at the same vet hospital, with the same team. They used one of the Bemers in each surgery without knowing which was the working unit. The horses with the working Bemer recovered from the anesthesia faster and more easily than the ones with the nonfunctional unit. They discovered that less anesthetic was needed with the working Bemer.
Not every horse will show dramatic behaviour responses to the Bemer and this prompts the “it’s not doing anything” human reaction. North American drug regulations prohibit Bemer from making specific health issue related claims about the device as well, which means a lot of vague statements about it’s. possible effects.
I borrowed my rep’s Bemer set prior to buying one. It has been 8 or 9 months since I bought mine. I have seen differences in my horse.
For one, my horses hates being brushed or touched. After a Bemer session, he will move around until my hand gets to the spot he wants scratched. This never happened before using Bemer. Now I’m not saying Bemer is some miracle cure for a horse who hates being brushed but definitely made a change in him.
I do notice him being more relaxed when I started my ride so warmup time is more productive.
There are days he can be a little anxious then I put his Bemer on and he relaxes especially when I put the cuffs on his neck. I use it when he gets shod too since he can be a little impatient. It makes a difference.
The results I have seen didn’t happen overnight. I just started seeing little things each time I used it. I will do a Bemer session whether I ride or not.
Someone at my barn recently got an equine massage certification and rents a Bemer periodically, so I’ve had her do my mares. They both seem to love it, and are that little bit looser and happier in our rides afterwards. The same person has been kinesiotaping one of my mares and it has made a ton of difference, so I’m excited to combine that with the Bemer when she has it again in January.
As far as sensation, I also have a 100X Equilaser, and my horses clearly respond to it, but when I use it on myself, I really have to concentrate to feel anything. They seem to be so much more sensitive to things like this than we are.
I don’t have a Bemer blanket so take my experience with a grain of salt, but I did choose to buy a full blanket system (with leg, hock, neck attachments) from Respond Systems. I have their Bio-Pulse System.
I had some real success with treating injuries with PEMF so that I why I finally decided to buy my own instead of relying on others to get treatments on occasion.
I did a lot of comparing, asking questions, and what research reading I could before deciding what to buy. I knew I didn’t want a MagnaWave or similar because I don’t have time to stand their physically holding the coils. Plus, I know that you can do harm with the MagnaWave system if you don’t know what you are doing. So I wanted something safe that I couldn’t screw up, LOL.
I personally decided against the Bemer system because I couldn’t really do the full body, without oddly having to jimmy-rig the boots somehow. (thinking neck, stifles, hocks, etc) I felt like it defeated the purpose if I couldn’t get the therapy right to where I wanted it. Bemer also was a little weird about NOT answering some of my specific questions. (Like they didn’t want to tell me their “secret”?) I don’t know - I was a little put off buy it.
But long story short, that’s how I ended up with the system I have. I think my horse’s sleeping expression says it all!
It takes a few minutes to put on. The rechargable battery is on the blanket. I can usually get around 8 full treatments (30 minutes each) before I need to recharge it, so it’s a pretty good battery. Yes, there are some cords to hook up so that the leg, neck, and hock wrap attachements have power but it’s not too bad. I put my BOT wraps on the back legs because it just helps the hock wraps stay in place better if they step around a bit. I love that my blanket comes with hanging things to treat the stifle. You’re basically getting coils everwhere you need them. The only spot that gets missed in the poll. I try to keepthe neck sheet pulled up as far as I can to get some there.
2022 was my first full year with my system as I bought it very late in 2021. So far, I LOVE IT. But I’m also a skeptic and curious to see how 2023 goes. The horse pictured, she is/was 6 years old this year. I did NOT have to inject her hocks like I did when she was 5 (when I bought her). Is that coincidence? Or was it the PEMF? I feel like if I can go through 2023 without having to inject her again, then I’ll know it’s not coincidence.
With my other main horse, he is/was 16 this year and had. His. Best. Year. Ever. Clocking some of his best times on his barrel runs. And he just felt good. (he has a lot of lameness issues) … Was it the PEMF? Would he have had a good year anyway?? Again, I am a skeptic so I am really looking forward to seeing how 2023 goes.
I will say that PEMF works the best when you do regular treatments. It’s not a one-and-done type of thing. So I would for sure make sure my horses got therapy twice a week, and I would sometimes try for more if I could find the time. I do a 30 minute session each time, as recomended. It automatcially turns off after 30 minutes. I usually do that Scan function, which means it cycles through all the Hertz levels 5 to 60. You can pick a specific Hertz level if you would like. Or change it during the treatment or do whatever you want.
I love the blanket b/c I can throw it on and go to other things while they stand their. Maybe load the trailer. Clean a saddle. Tack up another horse. Run in the house quick and take dinner out of the oven. Etc. While it takes time to do it, it’s a time saver that I can be doing other things while they get the treatment.
Got long winded there, but I’ve been very happy with my system.
Thank you everyone! A mixed bag of responses but generally positive.
I have the opportunity to have access to one for a flat monthly fee. However, I would not have time to put it on during the week before I ride. I have to come screeching into the barn 15 mins before my lesson after work. I am hesitant about paying a hefty fee to use it twice a week when people are saying consistent use is better.
Would you have time to put it on after you ride? It helps with recovery as well as warming up.
I bought one for my young horse and use it for recovery as well as relaxing him before a training session. While I don’t think the effect of the Bemer is dramatic, I do think it helps and I agree that it should be used on a regular basis. It goes on quickly and the longest session is like 15 minutes. I use a scrim under it to keep it clean (as the distributer showed me). It does not substitute for warming the horse up, but the horse will likely come through the back quicker after a Bemer session (at least that is my experience).
One Bemer rep told me the pre ride use on the horse) is for the rider, and post ride use is for the horse. As the rider gets an easier warm up, and the horse gets the time for the parasympathetic response to put their body in recovery mode.
I use mine after riding more often than before. Younger horse tends to be more receptive to a Bemer session after riding, and I do one for him 2-3 times a week rather than after every ride. The exception to pre vs post ride use was on hot summer days when I’d use it before just because I didn’t have time to wait for a fully cool and dry horse afterwards.
For some horses “regular use” is once a week and they do benefit.
My horse gets Bemer’d periodically. He could probably benefit from doing it more frequently, tbh. I’m not super knowledgeable about how exactly it works, his body worker has explained it to me in detail before but it was a lot of information to retain at one time.
He LOVES it. He’s a sensitive soul, both mind and body, and his level of relaxation when getting his Bemer sessions is unreal. He’s getting older and really appreciates it. He also gets Magnawave which he really enjoys, but I think Bemer is his preferred of the two.
so it must be good.
