Photon and Magnetic therapies are included in all livery packages.    On short breaks these modalities can enhance your horse’s well being, potentially making a real difference to performance.  

Additional therapies can be arranged during your horse’s stay at The Therapy Barn.  These might include Acupuncture, Chiropractic Physiotherapy, Aromatics or Bowen therapy for example.

Photon Therapy (also known as Low Level Laser Therapy)

A photon is the energy particle of light that acts as a catalyst for increased cellular activity.  Cells deficient in energy absorb photons making use of the extra energy with the following effects:

• increases the production of ATP (cellular energy)
• release of endorphins
• increases cell membrane permeability
• induces a cascade of metabolic effects

These changes at cellular level promote:

• tissue repair
• inflammation control
• pain relief
• collagen production
• circulation
• lymphatic drainage

Short Break Photon Therapy

To gain maximum benefit from photon therapy over a short stay, your horse is scanned from head to tail with a point finder.  This device locates differences in electrical activity within cells just under the skin.  These points often correspond to acupuncture points and trigger points.  Some points may indicate an underlying site of injury.  Scanning your horse does not provide a diagnosis.  The point finder simply locates points with electrical differentials. 

As described above, cells that are deficient in energy will absorb photon energy enabling them to function better.  By scanning the horse for electrical differentials i.e. we can apply photon energy where it is most likely to be needed.

For each point, between 3 and 5 j/cm2 of photon energy is applied.  This is sufficient to penetrate the skin to a depth of up to 8mm delivering photons to cells that need the extra energy.  Depending on the horse, the scan and treatment take around two hours.  During this time, horses often doze off and sometimes have big stretches as tension releases.

Short break liveries receive one photon treatment on the first day.  This is often enough to begin a cumulative cascade of biological events that help relieve pain and release tension thus allowing the horse to work in a more relaxed way.  One rider described the effect as ‘opening the door’.

Photon therapy for longer stay liveries is tailored to suit each horse’s requirements.  Where particular problems have been diagnosed a treatment plan will be devised to include photon and magnetic therapies in consultation with either your vet or ours.   Additional treatments prescribed by the vet will be incorporated into the treatment plan in order to give the horse the best chance of recovery.

For horses with non-specific un-diagnosed issues both photon and magnetic therapies are useful tools to support horses in their work.

We have found photon therapy to be particularly useful in the following cases:

• reduction in swelling caused by cellulitis
• acupuncture point sedation
• pain relief
• tension release
• surface wound healing

Static and pulsed magnetic field therapy are fast becoming a key method of treating a variety of ailments in both humans and other animals. 

“Wherever there are moving electrical currents, a surrounding magnetic field exists.  Because of the moving ions in our cytoplasm, humans and horses are electrical beings” (Porter M., The New Equine Therapy, 1998).

Cells within our bodies have an electrical charge.  By influencing cells with pulsed electromagnetic fields biological changes take place which affect cell metabolism.  These changes modify healing processes allowing injuries to resolve more quickly.

We have found magnetic therapy to be useful in the following cases:

• pain relief
• relieving muscle spasm
• soothing an irascible horse prone to panic attacks
• loosening an older horse before work
• relaxing an older horse after work
• reduction in swelling caused by joint degeneration