Growing clinical evidence supports equine hydrotherapy as a welfare-positive rehabilitation tool, with studies documenting reduced pain indicators and faster return to function across multiple conditions.
The evidence base for equine hydrotherapy has strengthened considerably over the past decade, moving from anecdotal reports to controlled clinical studies documenting measurable welfare benefits. Horses rehabilitated with water treadmill programs show reduced pain indicators, maintain better muscle condition during recovery, and return to function more quickly than those managed with stall rest alone. The welfare benefits are multiple: reduced pain through buoyancy-mediated load reduction, maintained cardiovascular fitness preventing the secondary welfare costs of prolonged inactivity, and improved tissue healing quality through therapeutic exercise. The evidence now supports incorporating hydrotherapy into rehabilitation protocols as a welfare-enhancing tool rather than treating it as an experimental luxury.