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www.hartpury.ac.uk/eprc

GLOBAL IMPACT CREATING

We co-produced theworld’sfirst ever equine hydrotherapyguidelines, EquineWaterTreadmill Exercise: A Guide for Users , which are informing the training of hundreds of sport horses and racehorsesworldwide. Our facilities, academic experts and industry networks enable us to improve equine performance, health andwellbeing on a global scale. Identifying the challenge Water treadmills are increasingly used within sports horse management to maintain musculoskeletal health and improve performance. However, an international survey - supported by the British Equestrian Federation's World Class Programme, which was funded by UK Sport Lottery - revealed that staff in many commercial venues had no formal training, highlighting the potential for poor practice. This emphasised an urgent need to develop a set of industry standards to ensure the safety of horses on water treadmills and enable practitioners to achieve the right kind of outcomes.

Drawing on diverse expertise The HydrotherapyWorking Group was formed: a team of academic researchers at Hartpury, led by Hartpury's Associate Professor Dr Kathryn Nankervis, university academics, hydrotherapy centres, veterinary surgeons and physiotherapists from the UK, Europe, USA and China. Our extensive facilities formed the base for the important research; by asking the right questions and drawing on the right experts, the world’s first set of equine water treadmill guidelines were produced. Influencing the highest levels The guidelines have been endorsed by British Equestrian, informing the use of water treadmills for horses on the British Equestrian World Class Programme, as well as international governing bodies for therapists and equestrian sports in the UK and across the world. The protocols now inform the effective training of hundreds of sport horses worldwide on a daily basis in a safe way that achieves powerful results.

Our master's and PhD students apply theory to practice in our research environments . They also get involved with and build on important projects as part of and outside their studies.