Our salt therapy chamber is just one of several innovative tools at our disposal at Thorpe Farm to support the health and wellbeing of horses. Whether they are here for rehabilitation livery, pre-training or visit just for a few hours to have their treatments, our services ensure that all horses, from performance horses and racehorses to riding horses and pets, can get the benefits of our complementary treatments.
Salt therapy is one of our lesser-known treatments, but it’s highly effective to boost respiratory and skin health. We use dry salt for our equine salt therapy, which is 100% natural and drug free. It is used in aerosol (airborne) form and is non-invasive and there’s no recovery or withdrawal time needed. That makes it an attractive choice for owners targeting specific issues or wishing to support their horse’s wider health and wellbeing at any time of year.
How our equine salt chamber works
Our special salt therapy machine projects microscopic particles of salt into the air into the chamber, which are breathed in by the horse. Horses stand quite happily in our salt chamber – in fact, some horses seem to find it so relaxing they will try to drag us in there after their first treatment! Horses are left to breathe in the salt particles as they are piped into the chamber for 20 minutes. We recommend between three – seven sessions depending on the severity of the case with a top up two weeks later.
Any particles which aren’t breathed in will simply fall to the floor, and lots will settle on the horse’s coat, working their way to the surface of the skin. This is what gives salt therapy its dual benefit. Not only are the microscopic salt particles being breathed deep into the horse’s lungs where they can provide all the respiratory system benefits above, they also work their magic on the skin.
What are the benefits of salt therapy?
So what are the benefits for a horse who breathes in aerosol particles of salt for an hour and has it sitting against its skin? The secret lies in the antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties of salt. When it’s breathed deep into the lungs the salt helps soothe inflamed airways and breaks down mucus. This can help to improve lung function and help a horse suffering from allergies or respiratory issues to breathe more easily.
The salt particles which land on the coat and sit against the skin help to ease inflammation and itching. That means salt therapy can offer relief from skin issues such as sweet itch, ringworm and dermatitis and improve skin health in just several sessions. For sweet itch sufferers, that break in the cycle of itching helps the skin to recover and the coat, mane or tail to begin growing again.
Learn more and book salt therapy
If you would like to bring your horse to Thorpe Farm to have salt therapy or one of our other treatments, please drop us a line. We have a water treadmill and TheraPlate as well as gallops for hire. Our new cross country schooling ground will be opening soon, so keep an eye out for more details soon!