Sir Galahad enjoying his time on stability pads!
Stability Pad FAQ!
I get so many questions about using pads, so I decided to address the most common ones. Please let me know if you have additional questions and I will answer them, or direct you to some resources!
1. What do they do?
- Create an unstable surface for the horse to stand on in order to activate stabilizer muscles throughout the body. Great for stabilizing joints and activating the core muscles.
- Help to improve balance and proprioception (awareness of the body in space - think horses who seem "clumsy", clip ground poles, etc).
- Promote relaxation and stimulation of the vagus nerve (brings the horse out of "fight or flight" state and into "rest and digest" state).
- Bring comfort to sore muscles and joints by gently stretching and mobilizing them.
2. What are the benefits of using stability pads?
- Low impact, non-invasive muscle activation.
- The horse dictates what they need and the horse is never forced to stand on the pads if they choose to come off. Most horses will guide you to what leg(s) they want to put on the pads.
- The idea of choice builds trust in the horse. Especially useful for young or anxious horses.
- Increased postural awareness, allowing the horse to self correct their habitual posture and movement patterns.
3. How are they used in your sessions?
- I use the pads as part of my equine bodywork sessions without an extra charge. I incorporate them into my sessions as needed for the maximum benefit of the individual horse.
- I sometimes use them at the beginning of my sessions as an assessment tool, especially for a new client.
- I often use them at the end of my bodywork sessions as a nervous system integration tool, for the body to become aware of the changes that I made during the session.
- I use them for a nervous or extremely sore horse who is not yet ready to accept more direct, hands-on therapeutic techniques.
- Hands-on bodywork is not to be done while the horse is standing on the pads, as this can overload the nervous system.
4. How long does the horse stand on the pads?
- I let the horse decide, but if the horse is not used to the pads and not stepping off by himself, I will encourage them to step off after several minutes to avoid over-stimulating the nervous system. Even a minute or two of standing on the pads is hugely beneficial.
5. Can I buy them for my own horse?
- Yes. The brand name Sure Foot Pads are available for anyone to purchase and they have wonderful guides online to get horse owners started. I'm not a distributor, but you can purchase them online from the company directly or from a distributor in your area.
- Stability pads for humans are also available and some people choose to purchase them instead.
- If your horse benefits greatly from using my pads, I highly recommend purchasing your own - using them for a short time more often is most beneficial.
Check out my Equine Therapy page for more information and pricing!
Kaiti Elliott
Certified Equine Therapist
Fraser Valley, BC