Thera Plate and Treadmills cost of use

[CRD]

We recently just got a treadmill to add to the program- we have a Thera plate and Equi vibe already and we have been changing $150 a month (in line with everyone else around here) that was for 3-4 days a week and then the clients could also have use when it’s not being used by staff and one of them always went to shows and the horses went on it everyday.

with adding the treadmill wondering what everyone else’s pay for use of that type of equipment- want to make a package deal, is it included in training if so what do you pay for how many rides/lessons and single use etc?

thank you

[CanteringCarrot]

Our treadmill is “pay on the spot” so that may not be super helpful. It is coin operated and I think I get about 5 minutes per 2 Euro. I just put some change in and go.

I use it 2-3 times a week on my own.

If I were to make clients pay an upfront amount every month I’d have to calculate a few things: cost of the machine, cost of operating, and value of time if I am doing it for the owner.

[OneTwoMany]

We have a treadmill on our private farm. It is an older model so our depreciation cost is super cheap. When a horse is on the treadmill a groom needs to be nearby to make sure nothing goes awry. I haven’t calculated the cost, but I would guess a 30 minute spin on the treadmill costs us no less than $25 in labor, electricity, repairs, cleanup (someone has to remove the manure left behind), depreciation, insurance, etc., and I’m probably low-balling. If someone can purchase 5 minutes on a treadmill for 1 Euro, that sounds like a super deal.

[CanteringCarrot]

Sorry, 5 minutes per 2 Euro. I either missed typed or had an aurocorrect moment from my mobile. Either way, I still consider it cheap too! The Solarium is also coin operated.

[beaujolais]

Theraplates (anything that vibrates) add to the breakdown of cartilage (as in joints) !! Beware!!

[Displaced_Yankee]

@beaujolais

Theraplates (anything that vibrates) add to the breakdown of cartilage (as in joints) !! Beware!!

Can you provide a link to this study/source?

[Polydor]

I think we charged $100-120 a month for min of 3 times a week. Sometimes as many as 5. Each session was 25 mins. And only done by staff. Clients helped train the horse in the beginning but then staff put horses on in the mornings.

The head train did use centurion and other therapies. Not sure if he charged extra or included in his training.

P.

[equiniphile]

@beaujolais

Theraplates (anything that vibrates) add to the breakdown of cartilage (as in joints) !! Beware!!

This!

Check out one of the recent threads on the Theraplate, where it’s pretty extensively discussed: https://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/forum/discussion-forums/horse-care/9850383-the-horse-study-on-vibrating-platforms

If you visit the sources on their website, not a single one supports the benefits of a Theraplate…most are completely unrelated, and others result in nullified hypotheses.

[Displaced_Yankee]

@equiniphile

Check out one of the recent threads on the Theraplate, where it’s pretty extensively discussed: https://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/f…ting-platforms

If you visit the sources on their website, not a single one supports the benefits of a Theraplate…most are completely unrelated, and others result in nullified hypotheses.

Thanks!

I followed that thread closely when it started. Although the study referenced didn’t explicitly indicate any negative side effects (and no obvious improvement other than disposition). The discussion continues to run a long the lines of “Some horses seem to enjoy it/get better. Some don’t care.” It is much like the Back on Track discussions!

That said I’m always on the lookout for definitive studies (good or bad). The above poster referenced a loss of cartilage with authority. I would love to read the study that it came from.

[Absolut_Equestrian]

@Displaced Yankee

That said I’m always on the lookout for definitive studies (good or bad). The above poster referenced a loss of cartilage with authority. I would love to read the study that it came from.

There are no definitive studies on cartilage loss associated with whole body vibration therapy in horses. I doubt there ever will be. Who would pay for that? The plate manufacturers certainly don’t want anyone to know.

However, in the species where it has actually been studied, whole body vibration does indeed reliably and reproducibly produce synovial joint damage as well as intervertebral disc degeneration. It’s becoming an increasingly popular way to model these processes in research setting, as it’s non-invasive and pretty rapid. One of the original references can be found here:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25891852

Disc damage in humans:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27043193

This reference is in a sketchy journal, but it does highlight the importance of selecting an appropriate vibration frequency for the species. This optimization has NEVER been done for horses.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28752971