Aquatic treadmill therapy and spa treatments provide rehabilitation benefits for horses with musculoskeletal conditions, with growing evidence supporting specific applications.
Hydrotherapy provides welfare benefit by enabling exercise and rehabilitation during periods when conventional work would worsen injury. Horses on box rest for tendon injuries face both physical deconditioning and psychological welfare costs of reduced movement. Aquatic treadmill therapy maintains cardiovascular fitness and provides movement enrichment without loading the healing structure. Evidence for hydrotherapy in equine musculoskeletal rehabilitation is growing, supporting its use as part of evidence-based rehabilitation programs.