Comparative effect of water treadmill training, lunging and treadmill training during rehabilitation of horses with back pain

Background
Data about efficacy of water treadmill training (WT) during rehabilitation of horses with back pain is scarce. Aim of this study was to analyze the efficacy of WT in comparison with lunge (LT) and treadmill training (TT).
Materials and 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 WT, LT or TT program at otherwise same conditions. Two clinicians, one blinded to the programme performed a structured clinical examination of the back at three time-points (baseline, week 3, 6). Mechanical nociceptive thresholds (MNT) were determined with pressure algometry by the latter clinician blinded to the values.
Results
Visual 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<0.001). No differences in MNT were detected between WT, LT and TT at any time-point (p>0.05). At week 3 and 6 of all programmes MNT significantly increased at the level of the 10th to 18th thoracic (T18) and 3rd lumbar vertebra compared to baseline. The biggest difference was detected for the parasagittal region around T18 (8.62 Ncm*2 vs. 10.29 Ncm*2, p=0.01).
Main limitations
Small group size, lack of control group with ridden rehabilitation exercise
Conclusions
Different training programmes without a rider could be benefical for horses with back pain. WT seems to be equivalent to TT and LT to increase MNTs in the region with main saddle contact.
Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Ethical committee: 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).
Sources of funding: Liesa Rogge was temporarily funded by “Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation”