Does anyone have one? Have you ever used it to build muscle? All the people I have talked to say to draws blood to the hind end (and elsewhere) and minimizes pain. But, it seems that no one has used it to help add muscle.
I have contacted the Thera-Plate people; they think it is the second coming for all that ails you. But I would love to hear some personal stories.
The horses seem to enjoy being on it, but I haven’t seen any benefit from its use, including muscle building, recovery, rehab…
Went to their website and there was no peer review data at all. Nor is there any I can find on horses. There has been some on people
I recall your horse’s problems but not all you’ve done. If he were mine, I would look for a place to swim him. Swimming is great for building muscle and is low impact. I think theraplates are a bunch of hooey.
Thank you all for saving me from myself. I am so anxious to make da Goobs better that I have been considering even far out options.
The vet thought it would be a good idea to do a full body scan and a set of neck x-rays. She has seen a horse who went through all the rehab, for PSSM only to find out he had another problem which they had failed to address. A BNT told me a similar story.
I called the insurance company and my “ticket” from the initial butt biopsy is still ‘open’, so I might as well go ahead with it.
In the meantime, I am doing everything that I have been told to do. I look at him every day and, if I squint, I can see some improvement. 
But he has lost his wonderful overstep and that worries me.
I had to laugh at how you put that. And I totally understand being there.
@Lord Helpus - Your money would be better spent looking into diagnostics. I would do that.
I hope you find a way to help “da Goobs” get better soon!
My very large gelding was on stall rest with limited hand walking for 5 months. He was on the Thera Plate every day and I noticed a significant reduction in the amount of muscle atrophy that he would have normally experienced. It relaxed him and he loved being on it. His feet were good and grew “normally” during this time.
He liked it so much I bought one and love it. I use it as well and feel really groovy after. Probably depends a lot on the horse but I’ve found it really good for my other two as well.
To each their own.
Lord Helpus, I think you can rent them too if you wanted to try it and not commit.
I always kid that putting the trailer tires on the rumble strips on the side of the highway is the poor man’s TheraPlate.
I would do the additional diagnostics and consider aqua tread mill rather than swimming. With aqua tred you can walk, trot or canter them. They don’t hold their head up and the back hollow, which for many horses can be beneficial. A person that knows what they are doing with the aqua tread can encourage them to travel straight. I feel that there is much more control with the aqua tread mill.
When Sonny had a torn hind suspensory the surgeon recommended aqua tread rather than swimming. The kicks with the hind legs can sometimes reinjure a hind suspensory.
I am sure there are benefits to swimming that you can’t get from the aqua tread mill that I am unaware of.
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