Equilibrium
Equilibrium Massage Pad Heatsense
The Equilibrium® Massage Pad Heatsense - Give your horse ultimate relaxation and wellness with pleasant heat and massage.
The Heatsense combines reliable, tested and intelligent heat with proven massage* and is a great addition to your horse's daily care to help maintain good back health.
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The choice is yours - choose from heat and three intensities of massage.
- Reliable, tested therapeutic heat output with sensors that switch on/off depending on your horse's temperature.
- Heat focused on the most common weak areas.
- 6 massage motors evenly distributed over the pad.
- Fits into your daily routine with a program of only 30 minutes.
- Shaped to follow the contours of the horse's back with 70 to 90 cm coverage from withers to hindquarters.
- Battery operated so you can take it anywhere.
- 2 year warranty.
The Heatsense is available in 2 sizes.
The Standard is 90 cm long and is designed for horses from approximately 140 cm at the withers.
The Small is more suitable for ponies and smaller horses (up to 140 cm) and has a length of 70 cm.
*Based on the popular Equilibrium massage pad clinically proven to improve back flexibility and promote relaxation, tested at Myerscough College in 2007.
What inspired the Massage Pad Heatsense for horses?
The Massage line already helps horses worldwide and it seemed only logical to add the second best thing - heat! Heat that is reliable, tested and targeted to reach safe recommended therapeutic temperatures (42 degrees Celsius).How can Massage and Heat benefit horses?
Our horses work hard for us and a lot of strain is placed on their muscles. Massage and heat are two simple ways we can support healthy muscle function in our horse.
Massage
Performance depends on range of motion, complete flexibility, and absence of musculoskeletal pain, all of which can be improved by massage (Gellman, 1998).
Benefits of massage include:
- Helps maintain healthy blood and lymph circulation
- Prepares muscles for work/exercises
- Soothes tired muscles
- Supports recovery after exercise
- Promotes relaxation
Heat
Heat is non-invasive, gentle and widely accepted and has many benefits, including:
- Maintaining a good oxygen supply to the muscles.
- Promoting muscle relaxation.
- Increasing flexibility and elasticity of tissue.
Using heat is a great way to help sensitive horses who may find massage a bit too much. Research suggests that tissue temperature should be at least 3 to 5°C higher than the resting temperature (Bockstahler et al, 2004). AAEVT's Equine Manual for Veterinary Technicians by Martha Mallicote of the University of Florida, et al states, among many other sources: "Applying heat at a temperature of 40-45°C for 15-30 minutes results in vasodilation, which increases blood flow."
Who is the Heatsense Massage Pad for?
All horses can benefit from the Heatsense Massage Pad, including:
- Horses on box rest to maintain good blood circulation
- After training, to support recovery
- Before training, as part of the warm-up
- At a competition, to relax after traveling
- On your horse's rest day, as part of a maintenance program
- Whenever as a wellness treatment
The Heatsense is available in 2 sizes.
The Standard is 90 cm long and is designed for horses from approximately 140 cm at the withers. The width is 70 cm.
The Small is more suitable for ponies and smaller horses (up to 140 cm) and has a length of 70 cm. The width is 60 cm.
What is it made of?
The Heatsense massage pad is made of polyurethane, or PU, with foam filling. The PU exterior makes the product extremely durable, but also hygienic - which is ideal if it is used by many different horses and ponies. It is resistant to water and grease, but also to fungi. The material in combination with the padding also makes it comfortable for the horse.
Six massage motors have been placed in the target areas for horses and ponies. Two on either side of the withers, two halfway up the pad and another two behind the saddle. The special design of the massage cushion then ensures good distribution of the massage along the back muscles.
The heating element is located in the rear third of the massage pad and heats a gel pad, which in turn warms the horse. This ensures that the heat is distributed evenly and consistently. It also acts as a safety barrier. This part of the Massage Pad also has a sensor to ensure that the horse does not overheat, for example if you use the pad in warmer weather or after training when the horse is naturally warm.
How do I maintain the Massage Pad Heatsense?
The Heatsense Massage Pad only needs to be wiped gently with a damp, clean cloth if the material becomes slightly dirty. For maintenance of the battery and charger, please refer to the safety instructions in the packaging.
NB! Do not use in the following situations:
- Open wounds, new injuries or new swelling (during the first 48 hours).
- When infection or malignant tumors are suspected
- Burns or deep vein thrombosis
- Circulatory problems, resulting in hypo- or hypersensitivity to heat
- Active bleeding, bruising or hematomas
- Bony areas such as the withers, or hip
- Do not use more than 1 heat session at a time on the same horse
Battery life:
The high-quality Heatsense battery can provide up to ten sessions of effective heat & massage therapy. This corresponds to five hours of use. In cold conditions this can reduce to eight sessions.
To extend battery life, we recommend disconnecting the battery from the cable after each use.
After ten heat and massage sessions we recommend charging the battery, this ensures that the Heatsense can deliver the heat therapy at the desired temperatures. After ten uses, heat can still be emitted, but it is unlikely that the temperature will still be optimal.