Equilibrium Therapy® XL Massage Pad

New and Updated

Now with 6 massage motors to cover an even larger surface area, ideal for horses in 6’6″+ rugs or those particularly long or broad in the back.

• Battery operated 30-minute sessions – give your horse a massage while you complete other yard tasks.
• Choose the intensity of the massage from 3 different programs.
• Lightweight and portable – take it with you where ever you go.
• Massage more and charge less with our high-performance battery & universal charger.
• No hassle return or replacement if anything goes wrong in the first 2 years with our guarantee.

Contains 1 x Equilibrium XL Massage Pad, 1 x Equilibrium Bag, 1 x Equilibrium Battery, 1 x Equilibrium Charger.

Equilibrium Products Equine XL Massage Pad

Designed especially for the bigger horse, the Equilibrium XL Massage Pad includes all the proven features of our Massage Pad but shaped for broader or long-backed horses. We would recommend it is suitable for horses who wear over a 6’6″ rug and/or are over 16.2hh.

Developed through trials at Myerscough College, UK, this innovative design provides effective, affordable equine massage. Proven to improve back flexibility and promote relaxation in horses, the Equilibrium XL Massage Pad was created to help a successful ex-racehorse through the retraining process. Combined with the Equilibrium Magnetic Back Pad, he went on to pursue a new career in Endurance!

• Clinically proven to improve back flexibility and promote relaxation (see trial results)
• Shaped to follow the contours of the horse’s back, providing coverage from withers to quarters.
• Battery operated 30-minute sessions.
• Three different, easily adjustable programs allow you to choose the intensity of the massage.
• Perfect before exercise as part of the warm-up.
• Fits a wide range of horses and ponies.
• Easy to fit, clean & store with a modern & practical carry bag.
• High-performance battery & universal charger*.
• 2-year product warranty.

How does the Massage Pad work?

The Equilibrium XL Massage Pad has three different settings, which can be selected easily from the controller. This allows you to select the intensity of the program to suit your horse. Each program has three types of massage: pulsing, vibration, and stroking, which ensures muscles are worked in different ways.

The Equilibrium XL Massage Pad can be incorporated into your warming up and cooling down routine.

The low setting can be used to cool down after work.
The medium setting is ideal to warm up muscles before exercise.
The high setting for when your horse requires a more intense massage.

Each session will last for 30 minutes however, this can be manually stopped at any time.

It comes in a handy carry bag, which makes it ideal for use at home and away. It is easy to store in the tack room and can be wiped clean. The bag also has storage spots that can be used for items such as the battery and charger.

The Equilibrium XL Massage Pad is now the choice of many Olympians, world champions, and top producers.

It can be used on its own or in conjunction with the handheld Massage Mitt or the Massage Mitt Hotspot for an all-over massage.

When to use Massage

The Equilibrium XL Massage Pad can be used for:

• Horses on box rest to maintain good blood flow
• After exercise to help support recovery
• Before exercising as part of warm-up
• At a show to relax after traveling
• On your horses day off as part of a maintenance program
• Anytime as a reward.

Benefits of Massage

Massage is well known for its ‘feel good’ factor and has been shown to aid relaxation, and assist with the maintenance of healthy muscle and muscle function. Tension is often one of the most common reasons for poor performance. By increasing relaxation and improving back flexibility, the negative effects of tension can be reduced. A relaxed horse, with relaxed muscles, will move with fluidity and suppleness which is particularly important for competition horses performing dressage movements, and those jumping technical fences.

Clinical Trials

As part of our commitment to research and product development, the Equilibrium Massage Pad was tested by Myerscough College in Lancashire, UK.

The results showed that the massage pad offers significant benefits to working horses, which include improving back flexibility and promoting relaxation, and can show an increase in stride length.

Test Methods

The trial investigated the effects of massage on well-schooled horses. Signs of stress or relaxation were measured immediately before, during, and after the application of the Equilibrium Horse Massage Pad over a six-week period. Secondly, the horses were assessed in terms of flexibility and suppleness. There were two groups of horses – a treated group and a control group.

The ‘Arch Dip Test’ was used to assess back flexibility, which involves pressure stimulus to generate a reflex in the horses’ back. Pressure applied to a specific region in the spinal area results in the horse ‘dipping’ away from the pressure. A more flexible back allows the horse to exhibit a greater ability to dip away from the source of the pressure. The arch test involves the application of pressure to the horses’ midline. This stimulates an upwards arch reflex in the horses’ back away from the source of pressure. Similarly, a more flexible back allows the horse to exhibit a greater ability to arch the back upwards away from the pressure. The horses that had used the pad showed a significant improvement in back flexibility of 46%.

The horses also had their heart rates monitored as a measure of relaxation.

FAQ's

What setting should I use?

Low – Most gentle massage ideal for: box rest and after exercise as a gentle warm down

Medium – General everyday setting for use: before exercise as a warm-up, at a show to help relax after traveling, on your horses’ day off as part of a maintenance program

High – Use for a more intense massage.

All horses are different and you will get to know what your horse enjoys and finds relaxing. Some horses will prefer a gentle massage on the low setting and some may enjoy a more intense massage.

How often does the battery need charging?

The battery will last at least twelve 30 minute massage sessions, however, you may find it does more than this. Charge when the massage feels weaker.

How should the Massage Pad be stored?

Store the Massage Pad somewhere dry and safe inside the sports holdall it comes with. Avoid extreme temperatures to prevent damage to the battery.

Can my horse travel in the Massage Pad?

We do not advise traveling in the massage pad for 2 reasons. The first is that if a horse leans on the Massage Pad on the partition this could damage the massage pad. Secondly, to get the most benefit out of a massage the horse needs to be stood at rest.

How often should I use the Massage Pad to see a difference?

In our clinical trial, the massage pad was used 6 days a week. Using it frequently showed significant improvements in back flexibility and overall relaxation. Therefore we recommend using it at least this often to see the maximum benefits.

Can I use the Massage Pad more than once a day?

Yes, use the massage pad up to 3 times a day. Especially at a competition, you may wish to use it before you ride as a warm-up and in-between phases or rounds.

Should I use it before or after exercise?

You can use it either before or after exercise, or both! Use before exercise as a warm-up, or after exercise to support recovery. Especially if you have worked your horse harder than usual.

I’ve read the massage from a Massage Pad or Massage Mitt isn’t deep enough to affect the horse, is this true?

This is a comment we occasionally see on social media where individuals have misunderstood the purpose of our massage products. The Massage Pad and Massage Mitt were developed to provide a superficial (surface) massage to maintain the horses’ well-being. This was proven in our tests by showing an increase in back flexibility and overall relaxation. The Massage Pad was not developed to replace the manual techniques of a qualified physiotherapist or massage therapist. Only a trained professional should carry out a massage to your horse that is able to reach the deeper muscles.