Mama Tess is adjusting very well on the Theraplate!
IF you were all in my barn listening to the vibration, you’d know how scary it could be to a horse… this thing VIBRATES and HUMS! The higher it is cranked, the more it GOES!
Any horse would snort at it – for sure.
So, it is best to start out slowly. It goes from 10 – 100.
Right now, she is up to 40. Slowly I will get her used to higher.
But now, she is really coming along and willing to hop right up there!
All I have to do is walk with her (filled) bucket onto the Theraplate and she follows. No halter, no lead, no nothing!
As soon as she is on board, I put the bucket onto the stepladder and bungie it there.
(I know, I know… I’m goofy-rigging everything… My excuse is that I have ONE MORE WEEK on this commercial and then I am done and I can be FREE to hang with Tess, make all the right bucket holding devices and clean the barn.)
Anyway, Tess doesn’t care… ;) As long as she eats, she is fine with my rigs.
When she is done with her bucket, I give her hay in her Portagrazer.
After about 3 minutes she really relaxes. R-e-a-l-l-y relaxes.
She will stand there for 20 minutes easily.
Nice.
For the first week, she is doing very well.
I took This photo tonight as I fed.
Mama Tess is very comfortable getting onto the Theraplate now. No halter needed. (I promise I will clean the barn and make a proper bucket hanger once I am off this job and am FREE! – Oct 1!)
After she is done with her bucket, I give her hay in her Portagrazer. She stands there easily for 20 minutes. I have not gone above 40 (it goes to 100) but this is very good for the first week.
I bought these gel mats at Bed Bath and Beyond. I wish they had the longer versions… Anyway, Tess was having trouble putting her sore feet that far down when she stepped off of the Theraplate. These mats ease her landing and she likes them. I also place them around her Portagrazer and in other ares where she tends to stand and look outside.
A BIT OF INFORMATION
I was put in contact with a Rehab Facility in Creston who use the Theraplate:
…and she told me that some horses are sore when they first begin to use the Theraplate because the new blood vessels are being stimulated which creates a prickly, hot feeling – kindof like when your arm ‘goes to sleep’ if you lay on it wrong.
So, I’ll look out for that…
This is the website of Los Laureles Equine, the rehab facility that uses the Theraplate. They have been kind enough to give me some insight into what to expect – they are very positive!
As an aside, isn’t Creston beautiful?! This is exactly where we tried to purchase 4 different homes last year. We were unsuccessful (cash buyers…) every time. Love it there, sigh.
GWEN
I put Gwen on the Theraplate yesterday and she wasn’t too sure… but got the hang of it fast. As long as there was food, Gwen was OK with it.
I noted that Gwen was quite willing to put weight on her foot with the torn suspensory/deep and superficial digital flexor tendons. She actually weighted it and lifted her other foot.
Good.
She liked the feeling, I’m guessing…
This is Gwen’s first time on the Theraplate. She was fine with it. Gwen has a torn suspensory and both superficial and deep digital flexor tendons on her right rear. Yikes.
“HEY, WAIT A MINUTE, THAT’S MYYYY THERAPLATE!”
When I had Gwen on the Theraplate, I had to lock up MT because she intimidates (on purpose) her daughter.
As you can see by this photo, Tess was a bit miffed that Gwen got to use HER Theraplate…
The Queen was upset that someone else DARE use her Theraplate!
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September Bucket Fund is the pilot program :Train to Sustain! FRED is doing great work and he is able to sucessfully train these mustangs who are languishing in holding pens… get them adopted!! Click image to support the program!
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I pray that it works, I think I told you I lost my beloved horse Peaches to Founder about 12 years ago. It was heart breaking for me. I pray this works…thanks for all the information. If I ever know of anyone else I will be sure to pass the information along as this disease is terrible. Great job for hanging in there with her!
How great that you could talk to someone at the rehab facility. I sent the posts about Theraplate to my vet – she’s fabulous, and open to new ideas. Sending love to Mama Tess….
Keep positive Dawn. It all looks to be going well.
Chris, England.