Saddle Fit and FES – Functional Electrical Stimulation Therapy

 

Last year while I was working in West Palm, Florida, with some of our clients, I met Dr. Sheila Schils of EquiNew LLC, one of the pioneers of FES in horses. At the time, we had discussed perhaps working together in some way to develop a research project involving FES and saddle fit, and we parted ways with both of us promising to think about it.

(A brief aside: I am lucky enough to be able to teach the art and science of saddle fitting to veterinarians pretty much all over the world, however, the fact remains that I am not a veterinarian – and that probably impacts my credibility rating a bit. Veterinarians like to deal with other academics. So one of the things on my bucket list has always been to get involved as a partner on a research project and eventually actually publish a paper as a recognized co-author and contributor to a recognized scientific journal.)

Well, as it happens, a few weeks ago the stars all seemed to align in my favor. We had scheduled a training day to introduce our newest staff members to ‘why I do what I do’ and why it is what they do matters so much. Dr. Schils agreed to come up from Minnesota (where she lives most of the time), and Dr. Katrina Merkies, head of the Equine Sciences department at Guelph University also joined us. Dr. Schils and I had just reconnected this spring in Florida, and so this seemed like the perfect opportunity to begin exploring the possibilities – which was why we thought it made sense to also involve Guelph.

The session went well and the next day we all met again at Guelph University to continue the discussion. Dr. Schils had a plane to catch but left with the action assigned to draft the outline for a research project. Dr. Merkies was tasked with possibly finding grant money for the research project. But the totally fantastic news is that she would like me to teach saddle fitting and ergonomics to her degree program starting in the fall as a guest lecturer – with the possibility of a faculty position starting in 2017! How exciting is that! This is also on my bucket list – becoming a teacher has been the profession of every first-born son in my family since the 1700s; as such I would finally be following in the family tradition.

So now we have to finalize the parameters of the project and determine timelines etc.  But what exactly is FES? There have been several articles about FES appearing in other publications over the last year, so it is becoming a recognized alternate therapy; for humans it has been shown to re-educate muscle memory. Basically in a nutshell, it may be used in horses as well to help create healthier muscle tissue that is better able to function during exercise.

Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) uses a pulsating electrical current to direct the movement of muscles, tendons and ligaments through the replication of the natural motor nerve impulses. FES has been shown to be an extremely effective type of electrical stimulation for the rehabilitation of injuries, as well as for reducing the stress and strain of training.

The treatment feels similar to a deep muscle massage. However, not only does the horse feel more relaxed during therapy, the deep muscle movement will release tension in areas that may have been constricted and sore for long periods of time. You will actually see the skeletal muscles of the horse move during treatment.

And here’s where it gets interesting and applicable to (poor) saddle fit:  Horses rehabilitating from injury or surgery can benefit greatly from the use of FES therapy to improve the quality of healing and reduce recovery time. In addition, horses with acute or chronic injuries involving muscles and joints will benefit from FES therapy. Past injuries can cause long-term muscle tightness and soreness for the horse.

Horses in serious training can dramatically benefit from FES therapy. Sometimes, these horses will not appear clinically lame. However, the rider will feel a lack of willingness, slow progress in training and a lowered quality of movement as training progresses. These are all behavioural indications possible resulting from a pinching gullet plate and an incorrectly fitted saddle.

So – FES becomes another tool around the circle of influence of the horse; not only for rehab purposes but also for maintenance in the healthy horse.

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