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BMC veterinary research2025; 21(1); 495; doi: 10.1186/s12917-025-04950-2

Evaluation of water treadmill training, lunging and treadmill training in the rehabilitation of horses with back pain.

Abstract: Data about efficacy of different training modalities during rehabilitation of horses with back pain is scarce. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of water treadmill training, lunging and dry treadmill training in horses with back pain. Methods: Eighteen warmblood riding horses referred with confirmed clinical signs of back pain including abnormal responses to passive mobilisation were randomized into three groups to participate in a 6-week water treadmill training, lunging or dry treadmill program under otherwise identical conditions. Two clinicians, one blinded to the program, performed a structured clinical examination of the back at three time-points (baseline, week 3, week 6). Mechanical nociceptive thresholds were determined with pressure algometry. Results: Visual muscle development scores for the lumbar region (p = 0.001) and palpation sensitivity scores along the thoracic and lumbar region significantly improved at week 6, compared to baseline (p  0.05). At week 3 and 6 of all programs mechanical nociceptive thresholds significantly increased at the level of the 10th to 18th thoracic (T18) and 3rd lumbar vertebra (L3) compared to baseline. Unassigned: Small group size, lack of control group with ridden rehabilitation exercise. Conclusions: Different training programs without a rider could be beneficial for horses with back pain. Water treadmill training seems equivalent to dry treadmill training and lunging to increase mechanical nociceptive thresholds in the region with main saddle contact.
© 2025. The Author(s).
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Publication Date: 2025-07-29 PubMed ID: 40731015PubMed Central: PMC12305931DOI: 10.1186/s12917-025-04950-2Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article investigates the effectiveness of three types of training (water treadmill training, lunging, and dry treadmill training) in rehabilitating horses with back pain. The study demonstrated that all three methods significantly improved muscle development and reduced sensitivity in the thoracic and lumbar regions over a 6-week period, with no real difference observed between the three training modalities.

Objective of the Study

  • The study aimed to scrutinize the efficacy of three distinct training modalities – water treadmill training, lunging, and dry treadmill training – in the rehabilitation of horses experiencing back pain.

Methodology

  • The researchers enlisted a sample group of 18 warmblood riding horses suffering from confirmed back pain.
  • The horses were split into three groups, each following one of the three training programs over a six-week period.
  • Two clinicians conducted structured clinical examinations of the horses’ backs at three separate junctures: at the commencement of the program (baseline), halfway through (week 3), and at the program’s conclusion (week 6).

Results

  • All three training methods significantly enhanced visual muscle development scores for the lumbar region and decreased palpation sensitivity scores along the thoracic and lumbar region by week 6, in comparison to the baseline scores.
  • No differences were observed between the effects of water treadmill training, lunging, and dry treadmill training at any of the evaluation points, indicating that they were equally effective in treatment.
  • Notably, by week 3 and 6 of all programs, mechanical nociceptive thresholds (the measurement used to determine the horses’ level of sensitivity to pain) significantly increased at the level of the 10th to 18th thoracic (T18) and 3rd lumbar vertebra (L3) compared to the baseline.

Conclusion

  • The research concluded that different training programs, without a rider, could be beneficial for horses with back pain.
  • No training modality stood out as superior to the others. Therefore, water treadmill training, dry treadmill training, and lunging can be interchangeably used based on the needs and circumstances of individual horses, as all three have been found effective in increasing mechanical nociceptive thresholds in the region with main saddle contact.

Cite This Article

APA
Geiger T, Lindenhahn L, Delarocque J, Geburek F. (2025). Evaluation of water treadmill training, lunging and treadmill training in the rehabilitation of horses with back pain. BMC Vet Res, 21(1), 495. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-025-04950-2

Publication

BMC veterinary research
ISSN: 1746-6148
NlmUniqueID: 101249759
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 21
Issue: 1
Pages: 495
PII: 495

Researcher Affiliations

Geiger, Tobias
  • Clinic for Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover, Bünteweg 9, Hannover, 30559, Germany. tobias.geiger@tiho-hannover.de.
Lindenhahn, Liesa
  • Clinic for Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover, Bünteweg 9, Hannover, 30559, Germany.
  • Tieraerztliche Klinik Für Pferde Wolfesing, Wolfesing, Germany.
Delarocque, Julien
  • Clinic for Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover, Bünteweg 9, Hannover, 30559, Germany.
Geburek, Florian
  • Clinic for Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover, Bünteweg 9, Hannover, 30559, Germany.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Horses
  • Horse Diseases / therapy
  • Back Pain / veterinary
  • Back Pain / rehabilitation
  • Physical Conditioning, Animal / methods
  • Male
  • Female
  • Exercise Therapy / veterinary
  • Exercise Therapy / methods
  • Water
  • Exercise Test / veterinary

Conflict of Interest Statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study was approved by the ethics committee of the responsible German federal state authority (State Office for Nature-, Environment- and Consumer Protection North Rhine Westphalia, AZ: 81–04.13). Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

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Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
  1. Pécresse B, Moiroud C, Hanne-Poujade S, Hatrisse C, De Azevedo E, Coudry V, Jacquet S, Audigié F, Chateau H. Group and Individual Changes in Spinal Mobility During a 12-Week Rehabilitation Program Including Swimming in Horses with Axial Musculoskeletal Lesions. Animals (Basel) 2025 Dec 30;16(1).
    doi: 10.3390/ani16010103pubmed: 41514790google scholar: lookup
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