BY KAYLEIGH TANSEY
At my small private farm, I provide individualized rehabilitation and senior care for horses who need more support than a traditional boarding environment can always offer.
My job is to turn veterinary recommendations into a daily routine that may include controlled exercise, turnout management, icing, medications, nutrition, hoof care, bodywork, and other supportive therapies. I am always interested in adding useful tools, but they need to be practical, easy to use consistently, and affordable enough to make sense.
Those were my considerations when I received the Assisi EquiLOOP™ and LOOP Lounge® devices through a product-for-content partnership with Zomedica. Both use targeted pulsed electromagnetic field therapy, or tPEMF™, and I was excited to put them into rotation in my program.
Adding the EquiLOOP to Hopscotch’s Rehabilitation
Hopscotch is rehabilitating from a ruptured peroneus tertius tendon in his left hind leg in April and he joined my program in May. This significant soft-tissue injury disrupted the coordinated movement of his hock and stifle and created a risk of hyperextension and further damage.
This particular injury was new to me, but rehabilitating significant soft-tissue injuries was not. Successful rehabilitation depends heavily on protecting the damaged tissue while it repairs and then reintroducing movement and load at the right pace. I am always looking for supportive therapies that make sense for the injury and can be used consistently within the veterinarian’s plan.
His initial rehabilitation included stall rest, icing, close monitoring, and building a ramp over the threshold between his stall and medical turnout area so he would not have to take a large step up or down.
The injury affected a large area in a difficult location where no standard wrap or boot was designed to fit. Being able to position the 20 cm Assisi EquiLOOP™ device exactly where he needed it and secure it over the full treatment area was extremely valuable.
More importantly, it fit seamlessly into an already demanding routine. I could strap it on when I went out to feed, press the button, and continue with my chores while it completed its automatic 15-minute treatment.
Hopscotch received one or two sessions daily. Sometimes I removed it before his hand walk, while other times I secured it so he could walk while the treatment was running. It provided another supportive therapy without requiring a practitioner to visit for every session at an added expense to his owner.
As his rehabilitation progressed, his prescribed hand walking increased each week and his turnout area gradually expanded. The EquiLOOP device remained easy to use even as the rest of his schedule changed because I could apply it before, during, or after exercise depending on what worked best that day.
At his June veterinary recheck, ultrasound showed continued tendon damage, but the fibers were better organized and the injured area had developed more defined borders. His hock and stifle were once again moving in synchronization, indicating that the tendon was functional and ready for gradually increasing exercise.
Hopscotch is now back in full turnout and preparing to begin tack walking. His progress reflects the complete rehabilitation program, including veterinary oversight, protected movement, progressive exercise, and supportive care. The Assisi EquiLOOP device has been one of the easiest parts of that program to maintain, which is exactly what made it so valuable.
Supporting the Barn Dog
We invest so much in keeping our equine partners comfortable, supporting their recovery, and managing the wear and tear that comes with an active life. Our barn dogs work right alongside us and deserve that same level of care.
Louie is my 12.5-year-old professional barn dog supervisor. He has spinal degeneration, has undergone TPLO surgery on both hind legs, and now has osteoarthritis associated with those orthopedic issues. Staying comfortable requires extra support, especially when he takes his barn duties so seriously.
Louie uses the Medium Assisi LOOP Lounge® system daily in one of his regular resting areas. There is no device to hold and no separate treatment session to schedule. Because it is battery operated, I can move it wherever he chooses to settle and let him receive his treatment while doing something he already takes very seriously: napping.
Since adding the LOOP Lounge to Louie’s daily routine, I have noticed that he seems more comfortable in his body and continues to stay active. He voluntarily chooses the Lounge and remains on it for the full treatment. Even as a senior dog, he is still happy to trot and run outside, and the Lounge has helped support that mobility and comfort throughout the summer. It has been incredibly easy to give my barn dog the same thoughtful, consistent support I expect for the horses in my care.
Has tPEMF Earned a Place in My Program?
For me, yes.
The Assisi EquiLOOP™ and LOOP Lounge® devices are easy to use in the barn and at home, require very little setup, and fit into routines I am already completing. They also become an affordable, added value to my program when I consider how frequently I can use them without paying for a separate professional appointment each time.
They do not replace veterinary care, medication, rehabilitation, injections, surgery, or appropriate exercise. They simply provide another accessible way to support the plans already in place.
That is what I want from a rehabilitation tool: something useful enough to add value and practical enough that I will continue using it.
Disclosure: The Assisi EquiLOOP™ and LOOP Lounge® devices were provided through a product-for-content partnership with Zomedica. All experiences and opinions are my own.
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