Professional human athletes experience strain from frequent, rigorous training and performance. They use various complementary therapies to accelerate their bodies’ natural healing process and ease the discomfort they experience so it doesn’t interrupt their performance. Equine athletes might also benefit from a variety of integrative therapies to help them feel and perform their best.

A significant advantage to using complementary therapies is that they are drug-free and most are allowed during competitions. Electroacupuncture, shock wave therapy, Class IV laser therapy, and cryotherapy are an exception because they are not permitted during FEI-sanctioned events. (Always check the rules governing your competition).

While many complementary therapies can be useful and incorporated into a horse’s wellness program, Tracy Turner, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, ACVSMR, founder of Turner Equine Sports Medicine and Surgery, in Stillwater, Minnesota, says he considers the cost/benefit ratio when deciding which to recommend to a client