CAN THE THERAPLATE HELP TESS?…






I’m hoping that Tess just got really lucky…

Here’s the story:

Three weeks ago – when I got the call from the specialist vet who said he had conferred with several other specialists and that Tess’ venogram indicated that she would never recover and should be put down – I was desperate for answers/ideas/whatever to help my girl.

One idea came through a reader who said that she knew of a rehab facility that used a Theraplate with amazing results.

Hmmmmm

The rehab facility, Los Laureles Equine Rehab, looked phenomenal and I loved the facility (right where I want to live someday – Creston, CA) but I could see no way of transporting Tess for that long of a ride – let alone funding another long rehab stay.

However, the more I read about the Theraplate, the more I was interested to try it for Tess.

Could this new technology help her?!

Could this new technology help her?!

Theraplate in action.  Simple.  Passive muscle stimulation.

Theraplate in action. Simple. Passive muscle stimulation.

 

THERAPLATE

I had seen this device at the Western States Horse Expo.

Since the product didn’t speak to my needs at the time, I didn’t hang out in the booth.

But I should have… the Theraplate Home Page had two photos that not only spoke to me, they YELLED at me.

Venograms.

THIS is the photo series that got me.  A Venogram.  Tess' venogram was worse than this - and she was declared unfixable.  Yet, here was proof that the vessels did regenerate and bloodflow could come back!

THIS is the photo series that got me. A Venogram. Tess’ venogram was worse than this – and she was declared unfixable. Yet, here was proof that the vessels did regenerate and bloodflow could come back!

I was looking at a Before and After set of venograms.  And, to my eye, the ‘before’ was worse than Tess’.

As you can see, the venogram got better… circulation was improved.  This mare whose venograms I was staring at so closely, was going to be OK.

Wow.

MORE READING ON THE SITE

The more I read on the site, the more I thought I needed to try this.

Of course, when a product claims to do several things, usually it doesn’t.   However, what interested me was the passive nature of the device.  Since Tess cannot move for long periods of time, 20 minutes of standing on a device that works for her, could be a horsegodsend.

And, like I’ve said before, exercise (and healthy eating) can change a multitude of issues in a human, so why can’t a simple invention that stimulates muscles and circulation (passive exercise) – do the same for a horse?

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How can it help so many issues? I think the way ‘exercise’ helps so many issues… But whatever, since Tess cannot work her muscles right now, this is totally worth a try!!

Screen Shot 2013-09-15 at 12.20.00 PM

Totally sounds worth a try – especially after reading the testimonials.

HOW CAN I GET TESS ON ONE?!

There are no units nearby – and even if there were, the treatment is 3x a day… so she would have to be transported there and stay there.

The best idea would be to have one here… I wondered if I could rent one?

So, I emailed the owner of the company, Chip.

CHIP

Almost immediately, I received this email from Chip.

Any chance we could talk about your horse?

Thanks,

Chip
Owner and Founder
TheraPlate Revolution
817 629-5171

I was floored!  I called him right back.

Chip took all of my pointed questions and had answers.  He told me how the product was developed from his own needs and through his love for horses.

A the end of the conversation, Chip said that he would send me a unit to use for 4 months at no charge – and all I had to do was write about it.

He was that confident.

He also said, very humbly, that most people find so many uses for the device that they generally keep it.  However, I could return it at no cost.  Chip also said that if I did decide to keep it, they could set up a payment plan that was very easy to maintain.

“It is really all about getting these out there to help the horses.  The Theraplate is so revolutionary, many, many horses are now surviving traumatic injuries.”

OK!

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Another happy customer from the FB page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/TheraPlate-Revolution/204967719544726

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This unit has the ramp and the rails…

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Using the Theraplate with a draft horse that clearly has feet issues.

IT ARRIVED!

Well, Chip was a man of his word.

A week later, I received a call that the delivery truck driver was on the way to my house.

Except, he was trapped on a small, windy road and could I redirect him?

“Where are you?”

He told me and I thought that if that road was too small and windy, my road would be prohibitive.

So, I told him to meet me in the large parking lot of the CVS pharmacy nearby.

He agreed, if he could get his truck turned around… poor guy.  I imagined a very, very large truck trying to turnaround up here… yikes!!

I ran outside to detach my truck from my trailer and meet the driver – assuming he ever got turned around.

As I was saying… I ran outside to detach my truck from the trailer.

It wouldn’t.

I swear to you, the ball hitch thing on the gooseneck was absolutely stuck.

When I tried to unhook it, the lever lifted the entire truck off of the ground, but wouldn’t let go.

I was sweating by this point.

OMG!  The truck driver is down at the CVS Pharmacy cooling his heels, waiting for me, on a very hot day with several other deliveries to go, and I’m up here fiddling with my truck and trailer!

Arrgh.

So, I just left with my truck and trailer attached.  Hopefully, the device would fit in my trailer.

Off I went!

Another from the FB page.

Another from the FB page.

LOADING IT

OMG!  I wish I had my camera… except I think the driver would have been pissed that I was taking photos of this Keystone Cops ridiculous thing we were trying to do…

First off, I arrived with a trailer attached to my truck, which made for two huge vehicles in the CVS parking lot…

Then, the truck driver told me that his back door had broken and he wasn’t sure how he was going to lift it to get to the Theraplate trapped inside.

We decided that he would lift it a little and I would shimmy one of the pallets under the massive rolling back door.

O…K…, I was a bit nervous.  I could see the thing slamming down on my hand or head.

But, with the 1-2-3 method of all good pairings, we were able to lift and slide successfully!

Phew.

Then Mr. Driver used his massive muscles to lift the door and hold it open while we tied it to something I hoped would hold it.

OK… now time to get the Theraplate into my trailer.

…Normally, one takes a burly dude with one to do this sort of thing.  But, since I got the call last minute and there were no burly dudes here or nearby, I was stuck with just… me.

Mr. Driver was very kind and he helped me move the entire Theraplate into the horse trailer – which proved to be the perfect loading device because it was low to the ground.  Aha!  Horsegods were protecting me even when I was cursing them earlier for not allowing me to remove the trailer from the truck.

Another... I hear the Dressage world loves it! Helps so many suspensory and digital flexor issues - just like what Gwen suffered recently.

Another… I hear the Dressage world loves it! Helps so many suspensory and digital flexor issues – just like what Gwen suffered recently.

I DROVE HOME AND PARKED.

Unfortunately, I had to leave the next day for my big shoot in Los Angeles.  So, the Thermaplate lived in my trailer for the duration.

Today, Hubby and I set it up.

Actually, Hubby set it up and I tried to do anything to facilitate him and not annoy him.  You know how that goes…

We used mats on top of the hard ground in the aisle.  After we had set it up once, we realized that it would be better against a wall, so we moved it (Hubby was not happy).

Now, we are going out to Home Depot so I can get a new broom so I can clean up the walls before I take photos for the blog.

MT and Gwen are quite interested.

The driver and I loaded it off of the huge truck and into my trailer.

The driver and I loaded it off of the huge truck and into my trailer.

MT and the new Theraplate on loan... she put her front feet on it already!  Tomorrow we start!

MT and the new Theraplate on loan… she put her front feet on it already! Tomorrow we start!

 

THE VIDEOS

I had a million questions on how to get the horses to step onto it.  So, I googled “Theraplate videos” and found several.

Here is one from Australia.

Clearly, the horse had no issue getting on.

Most of the videos are exactly like this.  Kinda boring – in that nothing happens.

So, I feel confident that all will go well on our first day – TOMORROW!

Screen Shot 2013-09-15 at 1.49.22 PM

Click image to watch the rather boring video – only because it was so uneventful. The horse had no issue whatsoever getting onto and staying on the device. He looked very relaxed.

FB PAGE

Their FB page seems to only have happy customers… You might want to take a look!

Click image to go to the FB page.

Click image to go to the FB page.

HORSE AND MAN is a blog in growth… if you like this, please pass it around!

newrule

THE SEPTEMBER BUCKET FUND to support Fred (pictured here on a previously captured wild mustang) in a pilot program to train and adopt out the captive mustangs.  Click image!

THE SEPTEMBER BUCKET FUND to support Fred (pictured here on a previously captured wild mustang) in a pilot program to train and adopt out the captive mustangs. Click image!

 

Your purchase with Riding Warehouse through this portal benefits the Bucket Fund!

Your purchase with Riding Warehouse through this portal benefits the Bucket Fund!

 





HORSE AND MAN is a blog in growth... if you like this, please pass it around!



6 comments have been posted...

  1. Sandra Lingwall

    Good Luck Dawn…..I’m so hoping you find some relief for Mama Tess and for Yourself as well…I wish I was there to help you to navigate through this process…You are such a strong woman…through your struggles/worry, you continue to inform all of us…Thank-You…

  2. Paula Esposito

    Hi,
    I am not about to be negative, but factual and dealing in reality as I always have about this mare Dawn. I do hope that when she does cross the rainbow bridge, whenever that may be, you have no regrets. I know you feel she is happy and she does look fantastic, but do you ever look at the pictures of the way she used to move and now? It is very sad. Anyway, I agree with this ;post that I found on chronofthehorse. When i saw that they are claiming to fix EPM and OCD’s that kind of let me know that this is quackery. If you know what causes EPM (a protazoa migrating up the spine) please explain how vibrations can rid a horse of that. And as far as ocd’s, they are fissures in the cartilage in the joint that need surgery to clean up the fragments and the fissure. If that is not done, the horse will continue to have pain and more fragments will continue to break off. And I would love to understand how vibrating a horse help with bleeding.

    This is another quick fix scheme to make money (similar to what was being sold by vets – KESMARC – in FL about hyperbaric oxygen until the chamber exploded, killing the horse and an operator).

    I was involved with the NASA work 20 years ago. There is a reason the technology never was applied, it only works in very specific cases and instances. I know many here will chime in with anecdotes, however, the medical and scientific literature tells a very different story. For example, the vibration rates touted by the manufacturer has little effect on bone and tendon. We found that low frequencies (20Hz) can help bone mass and tendon thickness but there has to be shock loading involved. Otherwise it is no different than trying to leg up a horse tooling around a groomed arena.

    There is absolutely no evidence that this can help with cartilage, etc. When a company promises the list they present (over 28 things listed on the website) it becomes apparent that they have no idea how or why or if their device works. The company is simply trying to sell snake oil. And their list of literature, is limited with all the studies listed stating that WBV is only effective if used in conjunction with conventional therapies. None prove the bone mineral density claim made by the manufacturer.
    Last edited by RAyers; Jul. 21, 2013 at 11:55 PM.o be negative but I don’t want you to get your hopes too high Dawn. Here is a post I found on Chronofthehorse.

    Good luck to you, with this mare and I think it is great that you are sharing this experience (yours is the first email I open up every morning, I really enjoy your blog) but I am concerned about the mare’s pain. Lying down is not from tiredness in foundered horses, it is from some relief from the relentless pain. However, her appetite is a good sign and if she does pull out of the feed tub or hay rack I hope that you will do right by her;. My Mom had an Arabian that she raised that was 23 years old and she had a big bump on her knee with degenerative joint disease;. When I went to see my parents 5 years ago the mar was sound (I rode her). However, she got progressively lame and my mom wanted to wait to euthanize her until I came to visit (she is in NY I am in fl). However, the mare pulled out of the feed tub and that was the sign, so I told mom she could not wait for me so the was put to sleep then.

  3. Arliss

    This looks wonderful — indeed like a godsend!! Sending prayers and good thoughts for it to work for Tess!

  4. MARY

    I think the next couple of posts are going to be really interesting!

    BTW, How is Gwen? Hope she is healing too. I’m assuming the Theraplate can help her too???

  5. Debra Weber

    I meant that I am glad you think it might help and were able to get it. Prayers that it works! :)
    Debra

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