Congratulations to owner Mallory Greiner and trainer Chris Richard on the recent successes of their racehorse “UnderPressure,” who has won 2 out of 3 stakes races since he began wearing the Thera-Tree®.
We would like to recognize Mallory and Chris for being the first in the racing industry to be forward-thinking enough to explore what the Thera-Tree® can do for a racehorse’s performance, mental and physical condition.
This 5 year-old stallion by Birdstone, who has 29 lifetime starts with 10 wins, 6 seconds, 6 thirds and career earnings of $550,632, has been wearing the Thera-Tree® as part of his program since February.
As part of UnderPressure’s program, he wears the Thera-Tree® when shipping to races offsite at other tracks. This means he arrives in a relaxed, hydrated state so that he can run his race with ease and efficiency. Mallory reports that his recovery time after a race is shorter, and that each race seems to have taken a lot less out of him.
Mallory notes that in the stable, UnderPressure spends a lot more time being restful and his attitude is softer on the ground. “He has always been a pretty quiet horse but was a mouthy stallion. When he has his Thera-Tree® on, he’s more docile and less mouthy,” she says.
She has also noticed that he is holding his weight better, and that his food conversion is better, meaning that the percentage of nutrients that turn food into useful energy is higher—to the point that they have backed off the amount of feed he is getting.
Mallory says that there has been less tightness in her horse’s back with the Thera-Tree use, and his length of stride has improved.
As an athlete the importance of a horse being able to fully use his back cannot be overstated.
The power source for movement in all horses is in their hindquarters. In optimal performance, the horse's pelvis rotates, pulled forward by the abdominal muscles allowing the hind leg to reach well under his body. The further forward they can swing, the more powerfully they can create thrust and forward movement. As anyone who runs would know, back pain is the great inhibitor of power and thrust and limits athletic scope.
The length of stride of the front legs also is dependent upon full and unencumbered use of the back. The thoracic sling must be able to provide lift for the horse to have a fully developed stride. Free use of the scapula is also dependent upon the elasticity of the back muscle connection. Wither tension limits agility, alters hoof strike and causes more likelihood of injury, especially at speed.
Far too many equine athletes across all disciplines suffer from back pain. Too often they are asked to perform in this debilitated state, when they cannot possibly be at their athletic best. Far too often this leads to disability of one sort or another and often brings careers to a premature end.
At Tad Coffin Performance Saddles, we are committed to addressing the needs of the equine back in motion. We bring more research and more innovation to this topic than anyone in our industry.
If you would like to try a month-to-month rental of a Thera-Tree to see what it can do for the horses in your barn, visit www.thera-tree.com or give Tad a call directly at (434) 989-3229.
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