Opinions Please!

Aquatred vs. Swimming

I've read a decent amount on both - but I've learned that discussion is great and while there are articles galore on both types of exercise, experience speaks volumes!!!!!

As a note on all of this: BALANCE is important in everything and that INCLUDES work outs! We tend to change things up every few days, keeps the horses fresh and ready to work...same thing day after day gets old for me too!!!

Im curious if you use the aquatred exclusively in training do you have a loss of bone density as a result of less impact in training? I know in humans if you dont have high impact you have lower bone density.

Hmm, I dunno -
I would guess its the same...I know that for sales prep for yearlings the aquatred is used a TON...granted those babies are jogged...but one of the things people LIKE about the aquatred is that there isn't TOO much concussion on the young bones, just enough jogging to help them set but more muscle development...

Swimming, easier on the legs and increases lung strength.

I know swimming is good for endurance type stuff...because of the lung capacity like you said Triple J...

I know that BOTH can shorten a stride by increasing knee action...

Speaking from a halter standpoint. The aquatread only goes one direction and that is forward. Swimming can take them full circle.



For a halter horse I have seen them really built up in the front end with the aquatread and nothing on the shoulders. Swimming on the other hand builds them up all around.. I know that either way they are so tight you can bounce a quarter off them and less pressure on the joints is always a good thing.. If I was so lucky to have a choice I would choose swimming for what I like to do..

Kidd, tell ya what Rick's uncle used to do when he had race horses... this used to crack me up... They actually had a deal in the pond where the horses swam across this pond... and I'm talking this was one heck of a pond. I've seen them do it twice, and once the horses get accustomed it, boy on those hot days, they just literally dive in.

On a side note with humans... we were lucky enough to have at our high school, our very own swimming pool. So as soon as school started, coach, to get us back in shape, would take us to the swimming pool, and we'd jog in place, hands out, knees touching our hands... depending on your leg length and heigth, would depend on how deep you'd be... I was always out in the deep... but we all absolutely loved it, had a big time with it, and sure wish the boys had that opportunity! Course half of us had already took swimming lessons or been at the pool every danged day, so it was like old news to us, but we still had fun... course started getting a little chilly later! HA!

I can tell ya this, if I had the opportunity, I'd have my horses one day out in the pond or the tread and the next day I'd be golf-carting their booties up and down hills...(in your case on the track) man-oh-man, those suckers would be in some tremendous shape! And I think that's good for all of 'em!

Yeh - we've used both...there is a Great swimming facility about 5 miles away from the aquatred place...

I personally have pros and cons to both...

All of our guys get out - they rotate in their workouts...some days gallop/jog some days aquatred...lately we haven't been swimming as much even though up until mid july we were using a delightful pond about 2 miles from where the horses were until we moved them. That pond sounds just like what you were talking about 7cs...

That picture that you posted looks so cool! Makes me want to jump in, too!