Sugg studied 12 healthy and sound performance horses being stalled continuously—six received the WBV treatment, and six served as controls. | Photo: Courtesy Seneca Sugg

To put some science behind these vibrating platforms, Seneca Sugg, MS, a graduate student at Middle Tennessee State University, in Murfreesboro, conducted a study to determine WBV’s effects on horses’ stride length and gaits, heart rates, and cortisol (the stress hormone) levels. She presented her findings at the 2019 Equine Science Society Symposium, held June 3-6 in Asheville, North Carolina.

Sugg studied 12 healthy and sound performance horses being stalled continuously—six received the WBV treatment, and six served as controls. The treatment group horses spent 45 minutes on an Equivibe platform vibrating at 50 Hz five days a week for 28 days. The control group simply remained stalled.

Sugg collected data from all horses on Days 0, 1, 14, and 28. She used a heart rate monitor to measure heart rate, and saliva swabs to measure cortisol levels. Using a Lameness Locator, she measured stride length and gait normality as horses were jogged down a 30-meter (100-foot) track. Sugg found