Equilibrium® Massage Pad Heatsense
Achieve ultimate relaxation with comforting heat and massage.
Combining reliable, tested and intelligent heat with proven massage*, the NEW Heatsense is a great addition to your horses’ daily routine to maintain good back health.
- The choice is yours – pick from heat and three intensities of massage.
- Reliable, tested therapeutic heat output with sensors to turn off/on depending on your horse’s temperature.
- Heat targeted to the most common areas of weakness.
- 6 Massage motors evenly distributed across the pad.
- Fits into your daily routine with a 30-minute programme.
- Shaped to follow the contours of the horses back with 90cm coverage from withers to quarters.
- Battery operated to take it with you wherever you go.
- Covered by a 2-year guarantee.
- Contains 1 x Massage Pad Heatsense, 1 x Storage Bag, 1 x Equilibrium Heatsense Battery, 1 x Equilibrium Heatsense Charger.
Now available in two sizes:
Heatsense Small: to fit ponies 14hh and under, or 5ft6 rug and under.
Heatsense Standard/XL: to fit horses and ponies 14.1hh and above or 5ft9 rug size and upwards.
*Based on the popular Equilibrium Massage Pad clinically proven to improve back flexibility and promote relaxation tested at Myerscough College, 2007.
What inspired the Massage Pad Heatsense for horses?
With the Massage range already helping horses worldwide, it seemed only natural to add the next best thing – heat! Heat that is reliable, tested and targeted to reach safe recommended therapeutic temperatures (42 degrees Celsius).
How can Massage and Heat benefit horses?
Our horses work hard for us with a lot of pressure being put onto their muscles through exercise. Massage and heat are two simple ways in which we can help support healthy muscle function in our horse.
Massage
Performance depends on freedom of movement, full flexibility, and an absence of musculoskeletal pain, all of which can be improved using massage (Gellman, 1998).
Benefits of Massage include:
- Helps maintain healthy blood and lymph circulation.
- Preparing muscles for work/exercise?
- Soothes tired muscles.
- Supports recovery after exercise.
- Promotes relaxation.
Heat
Heat is non-invasive, gentle, and well accepted with many associated benefits, including:
- Maintaining good oxygen supply to muscles.
- Encouraging muscle relaxation.
- Increasing flexibility and elasticity of tissue.
Using heat is a great way to help sensitive horses who may find massage too much. Research suggests that tissue temperature needs to increase by at least 3 to 5°C from the resting temperature (Bockstahler et al, 2004). Amongst many other sources, AAEVT’s Equine Manual for Veterinary Technicians by Martha Mallicote from University of Florida, et al states: ‘Applying heat at temperatures of 40-45°C for 15-30 minutes results in vasodilation, increasing blood flow.’
Who is the Massage Pad Heatsense for?
All horses and ponies could benefit from the Massage Pad Heatsense, including:
- Horses on box rest to maintain good blood flow.
- After exercise to help support recovery.
- Before exercise as part of warm up.
- At a show to relax after travelling.
- On your horse’s day off as part of a maintenance programme.
- Anytime as a reward.
Heatsense is available in one size designed to fit horses 14.1hh and upwards.
What is it made of?
The Massage Pad Heatsense is made up of polyurethane, or PU, with foam padding. The PU outer makes the product extremely hardwearing, but also hygienic – which is ideal if it is shared between many horses and ponies. It is resistant to water and grease, but also to fungus. This material paired with the padding also makes it comfortable for the horse.
Six massage motors are positioned in the target areas for horses and ponies. There are two either side of the wither, two mid-way down the pad and another two behind the saddle area. The careful design of the massage pad then facilitates the spread of the massage along the back muscles.
The heating element is housed within the back third of the Massage Pad and heats a gel pad, which in turn will heat the horse. This ensures that the heat is evenly dispersed and consistent. It also acts as a safety barrier. This part of the Massage Pad also has a sensor to ensure the horse doesn’t overheat, for example when using the pad in warmer weather or after exercise when the horse is naturally warm.
How do I care for the Massage Pad Heatsense?
The Massage Pad Heatsense just needs a gentle wipe down with a damp, clean cloth if the material gets scurfy. For Battery and Charger care, please see their safety instructions included in the packaging.
Caution! Do not use on the following:
- Open wounds, new injuries, or new swelling (for the first 48 hours).
- Where there is suspected infection or malignant tumours.
- Burn injuries or deep vein thrombosis.
- Over the abdomen if pregnant, or at all during the first trimester
- Circulatory problems, causing hypo or hypersensitivity to heat.
- Active bleeding, bruising or haematoma.
- Bony areas such as the wither, point of shoulder or hip.
- Do not apply more than 1 heat session at a time on the same horse.
Battery Life:
The high performance Heatsense Battery can deliver up to ten sessions of effective Heat & Massage therapy. This is equivalent to five hours of use. In extreme cold conditions this may reduce to eight sessions.
To preserve the life of the battery we strongly recommend unplugging the battery from the cable after every use.
After ten heat and massage sessions we recommend charging the battery, this ensures that the Heatsense can deliver the heat therapy at the required temperatures. After ten uses the heat may still be delivered but it is unlikely to be at the optimum temperature.
Reviews:
I was lucky enough to be one of the riders who got to trial the Equilibrium Heat Sense. I had use of it whilst as Osberton International competing in the CCI2* with 21 year old Prime Time II. At his age, getting through trot both trot ups was a little nerve wracking. However the Heat Sense, along with the magnetic boots, helped keep Fred relaxed, warm and supple which meant he flew through both trot ups easily. On dressage day, Fred wore the heat sense about an hour before his test while he was being plaited up. He was so relaxed in the prelims and seemed to really enjoy the treatment. He then went on to do his best ever international dressage test to score a 33. He was so cooperative and on side. He can be a real nervous horse in this phase, so for him to finally show what he can do was very emotional. I will definitely be getting my own Heat Sense ready for next season to work alongside all the other amazing products from Equilibrium that help my horses perform at their best.
Emily Mustow Eventing
Aero (Riversides Caballero) is a 15.3hh, 9 year old, Warmblood x Part-Bred Arab, chestnut gelding. He was a late starter and I bought him as a very green project from his breeder two and half years ago. Unfortunately he sustained an injury on day 10 and had to be turned away for 6 months. I then re-backed him and re-habbed him for 6 months and we started doing Intro dressage 18 months ago. He is a really sensitive horse but has a heart of gold, keen to learn and very eager to please, after a lot of very hard work we finally nailed the canter! He gained a lot more confidence in himself, it soon became apparent that he enjoys dressage the most, and takes it very seriously! We started doing dressage to music this year so were delighted to qualify for both the Prelim and Novice 0 Points on our first attempt earlier in the year with my own floorplans. It was a bit touch and go for the Championships as it became very apparent the week before that Aero had tweaked his back and required an emergency chiropractic treatment the night before we were due to leave! However, we won both our Prelim Championship classes the day before our Music Championship, which was amazing, but he still felt a little tentative. On the Sunday I was very grateful that we had booked the new Equilibrium Heatsense pad to trial before my music tests. We finished 3rd in the Novice with 70%, and to top off an already incredible weekend we WON our Prelim with 73% - they were big classes and many superb horses competing so never did I imagine we could do so well! After using the Heatsense pad he really felt great, tried hard, and absolutely gave me everything. The mounted presentations were a dream come true, it was very emotional! I have the original Equilibrium pad which Aero enjoys and uses regularly as it relaxes him before riding, although I'd been a bit slack lately. The new Heatsense pad is a better fit on him with the extra length, and with him being quite round and flat backed the three elasticated belly straps provide more security so that it doesn't slip. I like the 6 massagers instead of the 4 as on the original. The heat targeted the exact area of his back that had become tight, the original pad doesn't quite reach far enough. I said that if he did well I'd have to treat him to one, but had actually decided to go for it before we knew the results of my second test because he had gone so well and felt so much free-er though the back. I'm very much looking forward to it arriving!
Tamsin O'Connor,
We are very lucky to have been given the opportunity of trialling for a few weeks, the new Equilibrium Massage Pad HeatSense. This was launched at the beginning of this month and so far it is proving very much loved by our patients.
Most of them have experienced it now and they all fall asleep. We use an array of the Equilibrium Products anyway for the physio and rehab of our horses and the addition of the heat to the massage pad is a welcomed one.
Each of our horses have an individual programme of treatments and plans and the massage pad features heavily in it. It works amazingly at helping to reduce tension in their back, especially when on box rest and maintaining a good level of circulation. With the heat addition, it helps to warm the muscles as well as providing that massage effect.
We love it at Sky Equine and so do our horses. It's on the Christmas Wish List
Sky Equine Kate Rogers
Mega has been lucky enough to trial the Equilibrium Products HeatSense Massage Pad over the last month or so.
I bought the standard massage pad for Mega over 2 years ago and I’ve always seen benefits of using it on Mega so was intrigued to see the differences vs the new HeatSense pad.
- I love the extra length of the pad to provide full coverage across their entire back
- the self temperature regulating heat element of the pad gives me complete reassurance that Mega is benefitting from the optimum temperature for her muscles
- the elasticated belly straps make securing the pad fast and easy - no having to adjust them if you’ve put the pad on over a rug
- the additional motors in the massage pad seemed to noticeably provide further relaxation vs the standard pad
- the option to run just the massage function or heat or run them together! Full multi purpose/use item making it great value for money!
Lauren Lanik