Are Water Treadmills Good for Horses? Benefits, Risks and Rehabilitation Use

By Dr Duncan Houston

Water treadmills have become increasingly popular in equine rehabilitation centres, performance yards and veterinary hospitals.

They offer something ordinary exercise cannot easily replicate: the horse continues walking in a controlled, weight-bearing pattern while the water alters resistance, impact, joint movement and posture.

That can make a water treadmill extremely useful. It does not make it a universal treatment.

The result depends on the horse’s diagnosis, the water depth, treadmill speed, session duration and whether the horse can maintain a comfortable, symmetrical movement pattern. Used incorrectly, the same water level that helps one horse may create an unsuitable movement pattern for another.

Quick Answer

Water treadmill exercise can reduce limb segment acceleration, increase the range of movement of several joints and provide controlled resistance for conditioning or rehabilitation.

Small studies suggest that some protocols can improve aerobic capacity, endurance and back-muscle profile. However, water treadmills have not been proven to accelerate healing for every tendon, ligament, joint or back injury. They should be incorporated into an individual veterinary rehabilitation plan rather than used as a stand-alone cure.

What Is an Equine Water Treadmill?

An equine water treadmill consists of a moving belt inside an enclosed tank. The horse enters the empty chamber, the treadmill begins moving and water is gradually added to the selected depth.

The main variables are:

• Water depth

• Belt speed

• Session duration

• Treadmill incline

• Walking or trotting

• Frequency of sessions

• The horse’s head and neck position

• Whether the horse can maintain rhythm and symmetry

Water creates drag against the moving limbs. Increasing the water depth generally exposes more of the horse to that resistance while also changing buoyancy, impact transmission and movement.

However, deeper water does not simply make every session “better” or “harder”. Water depth and speed can produce different, sometimes opposing, effects on limb movement, back motion and overall workload. (PubMed)

What Did the 17% Water Treadmill Study Actually Find?

The study behind the frequently quoted 17% figure was conducted by researchers from the University of Calgary and Washington State University.

Nine unfit Thoroughbreds were randomly allocated to:

• Six horses completing water treadmill exercise

• Three horses completing dry treadmill exercise

The horses trained daily for 18 days. The water treadmill horses worked in water reaching approximately stifle height. Before and after conditioning, the horses completed an 800-metre maximal racetrack exercise test.

Following water treadmill training:

• Peak oxygen consumption increased by 16.1%

• Average speed over the entire 800-metre test increased by 17.4%

• Average completion time fell from approximately 92 seconds to 76 seconds

• Speed during the final 30 seconds increased by 12.1%

• Instantaneous maximum speed did not significantly change

The dry treadmill horses did not show the same improvements. (bvajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com)

What Does That Mean?

The study provides encouraging evidence that a relatively short programme using deep water may improve aerobic capacity and endurance in previously unfit horses.

It does not prove that water treadmill training:

• Makes every horse 17% faster

• Improves maximum speed

• Produces the same result in already fit competition horses

• Prevents injuries

• Accelerates healing after surgery

• Is superior to a well-designed land-based conditioning programme

The study involved only nine horses, with three in the control group. It should be treated as promising evidence rather than a universal prediction.

Did the Same Study Prove There Was No Concussion?

No.

The conditioning study measured oxygen consumption, ventilation, heart rate, lactate and racetrack performance. It did not directly measure concussion or lower-limb impact during the 18-day conditioning programme.

Impact was assessed in a separate study involving 21 horses walking on a water treadmill.

In that study:

• Peak accelerations measured at the hoof, cannon and radius were lower in water than on the dry treadmill

• Stifle-height water reduced acceleration more than mid-cannon water

• Stifle-height water produced greater impact attenuation than cannon-height water

This supports the claim that water can reduce the transmission of impact during treadmill walking. It does not mean that tendons, joints and bones are completely unloaded or that every form of tissue strain is reduced. (PubMed)

What Benefits Can a Water Treadmill Provide?

Reduced Impact During Walking

Water immersion reduced measured limb segment accelerations compared with dry treadmill walking, with the greatest attenuation in the highest water condition studied.

This may be valuable when a horse needs controlled movement but full-impact land exercise is not yet desirable. However, reduced acceleration is not the same as no mechanical load, and it does not prove that every injured structure is being protected appropriately. (PubMed)

Increased Joint Flexion and Range of Movement

Research in healthy horses found that walking in water increased the range of motion of the evaluated distal-limb joints compared with dry treadmill conditions.

The depth associated with the greatest movement differed between joints:

• Carpal movement peaked at approximately tarsal-height water

• Tarsal movement was greatest at approximately stifle-height water

• Fetlock movement increased at lower and intermediate depths

Most of the increased range came from greater joint flexion during limb advancement. (PubMed)

This may be useful when the goal is to encourage controlled joint movement. It may be unsuitable when excessive flexion, limb elevation or tendon excursion could aggravate a particular lesion.

Controlled Resistance

The horse must move each limb through water rather than air. This adds resistance while the horse remains at a walk or controlled trot.

Accelerometer studies found increased dorsoventral displacement and mechanical power at some water depths. However, the result depended on both speed and water depth. When speed was reduced in deep water, total measured power also fell. (PubMed)

This is why deeper water does not automatically create a greater strengthening effect. A horse moving slowly and poorly through high water may receive a less useful session than a horse walking rhythmically through a carefully selected lower level.

Changes in Back and Pelvic Movement

Water treadmill exercise alters thoracolumbar movement.

In 14 healthy competition horses, high water increased flexion-extension movement through several regions of the thoracolumbar spine. It also produced a postural pattern involving cranial thoracic extension and thoracolumbar flexion. (beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com)

A later study involving six Thoroughbreds found that water depth and speed increased:

• Flexion of several distal-limb joints

• Thoracolumbar flexion-extension movement

• Hindlimb retraction

• Movement of the head and trunk

These findings support the use of water depth as a targeted rehabilitation variable. They also show why the same setting should not be prescribed for every back or hindlimb condition. (PubMed)

Potential Back-Muscle Development

A small study involving six horses used:

• Mid-cannon water

• A 4% treadmill incline

• Fifteen-minute sessions

• Twenty-four sessions over four weeks

External measurements of the back profile increased progressively, beginning after approximately two weeks.

The result is interesting, but the study was small and had no untreated or dry-treadmill control group. External back-profile changes are also not the same as directly measuring muscle strength or proving improved ridden performance. (PubMed)

Potential Cardiovascular Conditioning

The 18-day Thoroughbred study demonstrated improved peak oxygen consumption and endurance despite the water treadmill exercise itself being relatively low intensity. (bvajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com)

A preliminary 2026 study followed six experienced showjumpers after adding two 20-minute water treadmill sessions per week for ten weeks. The horses showed changes in several echocardiographic measurements and completed a field jumping test at a higher average speed after training.

However, the horses continued their normal training programme, there was no separate control group and only six horses were studied. The improvements therefore cannot be attributed exclusively to the water treadmill with confidence. (ScienceDirect)

How Hard Is Water Treadmill Exercise for a Horse?

It depends heavily on the protocol.

One study measured oxygen consumption and cardiorespiratory responses at different water heights and walking speeds. Water depth had a greater effect on workload than the relatively small changes in speed used.

The highest workload occurred with water at stifle height and a speed of 1.39 metres per second. Even then:

• Median heart rate was approximately 69 beats per minute

• Blood lactate did not meaningfully increase

• The exercise remained low intensity

This means ordinary walking in water is generally an aerobic, submaximal activity. It can still challenge posture and musculature, but it should not automatically be described as an intense cardiovascular workout. (PubMed)

An earlier four-week study involving five horses used progressively longer water treadmill sessions and found no measurable improvement in the tested cardiovascular or muscle-metabolism outcomes. The researchers concluded that a more demanding protocol would have been required to create a training effect. (beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com)

The practical conclusion is simple:

A water treadmill is not one exercise. Water depth, speed, duration, incline and frequency determine what the horse is actually being asked to do.

How Does Water Depth Change the Exercise?

The ideal depth depends on the therapeutic goal rather than on the assumption that more water is always better.

Water depth	Likely effect	Practical use and caution
Hoof to pastern	Minimal immersion, relatively similar to dry walking	Useful for acclimation and assessing whether the horse can maintain rhythm
Fetlock to mid-cannon	More resistance, greater joint flexion and some reduction in impact	Often useful for early conditioning and controlled limb movement
Carpus or tarsus	Greater distal-joint movement, resistance and trunk displacement	Can increase muscular and postural demand; monitor symmetry and head position
Stifle or higher	Greater impact attenuation and substantial drag, with altered spinal and limb movement	May be useful for selected conditioning or rehabilitation goals but requires careful veterinary planning
Shoulder-level water at trot	Strong buoyancy and major changes in trunk movement and stride frequency	Specialist use only; posture, waves, fatigue and the specific injured structure must be considered

These are broad tendencies rather than a prescription. Research shows substantial variation between individual horses, and the response changes again when treadmill speed or gait is altered. (PubMed)

Higher Water Is Not Always Better

High water may:

• Reduce measured impact

• Increase drag

• Increase flexion of several joints

• Alter head and neck carriage

• Increase thoracolumbar movement

• Change forelimb and hindlimb protraction differently

• Cause some horses to adopt compensatory movement patterns

In one study, high water increased cranial thoracic extension. The researchers specifically cautioned that high water should be avoided when the rehabilitation goal is to promote thoracic flexion. (beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com)

Does Speed Matter?

Yes, and small adjustments can change the horse’s movement.

A 2026 crossover study of nine dressage horses found that increments of only 0.2 km/h changed stride timing, stride length and upper-body movement in mid-cannon water. Movement patterns were more consistent at 3.8 to 4.2 km/h than at the lowest speeds studied. (ScienceDirect)

This does not mean that 3.8 to 4.2 km/h is the correct speed for every horse. It shows that speed should be selected according to the individual movement pattern rather than copied from a standard chart.

The right speed is usually the one at which the horse:

• Maintains a steady rhythm

• Stays in a consistent position on the belt

• Does not rush or lag behind

• Clears the water without exaggerated struggling

• Keeps the pelvis reasonably symmetrical

• Does not stumble

• Maintains an appropriate head and neck position

• Finishes without marked fatigue

Can Water Treadmills Help Horses With Back Pain?

Potentially, but they are not proven to be superior to every other form of rehabilitation.

A 2025 randomised study assigned 18 Warmblood horses with chronic back pain to six weeks of:

• Water treadmill walking

• Dry treadmill walking

• Lunging

All three groups showed improvements in several back-pain and muscle-related measurements. There were no significant differences between the groups in mechanical pain thresholds.

The researchers concluded that all three non-ridden exercise programmes could be beneficial, with water treadmill training appearing equivalent rather than clearly superior. (Springer Link)

This is a useful reality check. Water treadmills can be part of back rehabilitation, but the expensive watery option does not automatically beat carefully performed land exercise.

Can Water Treadmills Help Tendon or Ligament Injuries?

They may be useful during selected stages of rehabilitation because water can reduce impact while allowing controlled movement.

However, direct evidence showing that water treadmill therapy causes a specific equine tendon or ligament injury to heal faster or return to full strength is limited.

The movement created in water must also match the injured structure. Water can increase:

• Joint flexion

• Tendon excursion

• Hindlimb retraction

• Trunk displacement

• Resistance during limb advancement

These effects may be useful during one phase of rehabilitation and undesirable during another. Studies involving sound horses cannot be assumed to predict tissue loading in every acutely injured horse. (PubMed)

A horse with an acute tendon or ligament lesion should not begin water treadmill exercise merely because it is described as low impact. The lesion must first be diagnosed, imaged where appropriate and assigned a controlled loading plan.

Can It Be Used After Surgery?

Sometimes, but only after the surgeon or treating veterinarian has cleared the horse.

Important considerations include:

• Whether the incision is fully closed

• Infection risk

• Whether the horse can enter and exit safely

• Weight-bearing restrictions

• Stability of the surgical repair

• Whether increased joint movement is desirable

• Whether the horse can balance without panic

• The consequences of slipping or stumbling

Water treadmill treatment should not be used over a fresh, draining or inadequately healed surgical wound unless the treating veterinary team has specifically approved the protocol.

Can Healthy Performance Horses Use a Water Treadmill?

Yes.

Potential goals include:

• Adding low-impact aerobic work

• Maintaining fitness during reduced ridden work

• Improving controlled joint movement

• Varying the training stimulus

• Developing back and postural musculature

• Providing exercise without rider weight

• Supporting recovery between harder sessions

The water treadmill should complement rather than replace the training required for the horse’s discipline.

A showjumper still needs to jump. A racehorse still needs progressive speed work. A dressage horse still needs balance, collection and ridden neuromuscular training. Water cannot teach the horse every sport-specific skill simply because it arrives dramatically through a stainless-steel tank.

Who Needs Extra Caution?

Veterinary assessment is particularly important when the horse has:

• Active or unexplained lameness

• A recently diagnosed tendon or ligament injury

• Back or sacroiliac pain

• Previous surgery

• Thin soles or significant hoof pain

• Neurological disease or poor balance

• Severe arthritis

• Respiratory or cardiac disease

• An open wound

• Fever or infection

• Marked weakness or muscle loss

• A history of panicking in confined spaces

• Difficulty loading into narrow structures

The issue is not merely whether the horse can walk through water. It is whether the movement being produced is appropriate for the pathology.

When Should a Horse Not Use a Water Treadmill?

Postpone the session and contact the veterinarian when the horse has:

• Sudden or worsening lameness

• Non-weight-bearing pain

• Suspected fracture

• Acute laminitis

• Severe tendon or ligament disruption

• Fever

• Coughing or nasal discharge with systemic illness

• Active colic

• Diarrhoea with dehydration

• Neurological incoordination

• A fresh or infected wound

• A surgical incision that has not been cleared for immersion

• Severe respiratory difficulty

• An inability to enter, stand or exit safely

A water treadmill should never be used to “work through” unexplained pain.

How Should a Horse Be Introduced to the Water Treadmill?

Horses need time to learn how to coordinate themselves on the moving belt and tolerate the filling tank.

Studies of inexperienced horses found that movement became more consistent after several introductory sessions. One study found stride frequency had stabilised by approximately sessions four to six. Another found that heart-rate acclimation generally required at least two 15-minute non-sedated sessions. (beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com)

A Practical Introduction

First Session

• Allow the horse to inspect the machine

• Practise entering and exiting before adding water

• Begin with the treadmill dry

• Use a slow, comfortable walking speed

• Add only shallow water

• Keep the active session brief

• Stop before the horse becomes tired or anxious

Following Sessions

Progress only when the horse:

• Walks rhythmically

• Remains centred on the belt

• Does not scramble or rush

• Maintains normal breathing

• Is willing to enter again

• Remains sound after the previous session

Increase one variable at a time:

1. Duration

2. Water depth

3. Speed

4. Incline

5. Frequency

6. Gait

Increasing depth, speed and duration simultaneously makes it impossible to know which change caused fatigue, asymmetry or soreness.

How Long Should a Water Treadmill Session Be?

There is no universally correct duration.

Research protocols have ranged from brief three-minute measurements at each water level to programmes involving 15 to 30 minutes of active exercise. Conditioning studies have also used very different frequencies, including daily training, five sessions per week and twice-weekly sessions. (beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com)

For a healthy, acclimated horse, a session may eventually include approximately 15 to 30 minutes of active walking. A rehabilitation horse may require a much shorter starting period.

The correct endpoint is not when the booking finishes. It is when the horse can still maintain the desired movement quality.

How Often Can a Horse Use a Water Treadmill?

Frequency depends on:

• Diagnosis

• Stage of healing

• Current fitness

• Other exercise

• Water depth

• Session intensity

• Recovery

• Whether soreness develops

Healthy conditioning horses may use it once to several times per week. Some research programmes have used five sessions per week or daily sessions, but these controlled protocols should not be copied automatically into clinical rehabilitation. (bvajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com)

A horse undertaking hard ridden work may need fewer water treadmill sessions than an unridden rehabilitation horse. Count the water treadmill as part of the total weekly workload rather than as harmless bonus exercise.

A Practical Progression for a Healthy Horse

This is an example framework for a sound horse, not a prescription for an injured horse.

Week 1

• Two sessions

• Dry-belt warm-up

• Shallow water

• Approximately 10 to 15 minutes of active walking

• Focus on rhythm and confidence

Week 2

• Two or three sessions

• Approximately 15 to 20 minutes

• Water increased towards fetlock or mid-cannon level

• Small speed adjustment only when movement remains consistent

Weeks 3 and 4

• Two or three sessions

• Approximately 20 to 25 minutes

• Depth, speed or incline selected according to the goal

• Continue monitoring land-based movement and recovery

Do not progress simply because the horse completed the previous session. Progress when the horse completed it comfortably, symmetrically and without increased soreness afterwards.

What Should Be Monitored During a Session?

Watch the whole horse rather than concentrating only on the splashing legs.

Monitor:

• Head and neck position

• Ear and eye expression

• Breathing rate and effort

• Heart rate where available

• Position on the treadmill

• Stride rhythm

• Left-to-right pelvic symmetry

• Stumbling

• Toe dragging

• Unequal limb elevation

• Reluctance to advance

• Excessive tail swishing

• Repeated contact with the front or rear of the machine

• Signs of panic or fatigue

Water depth and speed can change movement considerably even in sound horses. Individual monitoring is therefore more useful than insisting that every horse reaches the same painted line on the tank. (PubMed)

What Should Be Checked After the Session?

Immediately after the horse exits, assess:

• Gait at the walk

• Willingness to turn

• Limb heat or swelling

• Digital pulses

• Hoof comfort

• Back sensitivity

• Breathing recovery

• General demeanour

• Any cuts or rubs

Recheck later that day and the following morning, particularly after:

• The first session

• An increase in water depth

• An increase in speed

• A longer session

• The introduction of incline

• A return after injury

Delayed stiffness or swelling matters just as much as what happens inside the tank.

Water Treadmill Risk Framework

Lower Risk

The horse is:

• Sound

• Healthy

• Accustomed to the machine

• Using the treadmill for general conditioning

• Moving rhythmically and symmetrically

• Recovering normally after each session

Action: Continue the planned programme and monitor movement quality.

Moderate Risk

The horse has:

• Mild stiffness

• Reduced fitness

• An old, stable injury

• Mild arthritis

• Minor asymmetry

• Limited previous treadmill experience

Action: Use a conservative introduction and obtain veterinary or rehabilitation guidance before increasing depth or intensity.

High Risk

The horse has:

• Active lameness

• A recent tendon or ligament injury

• Back or sacroiliac pain

• Recent surgery

• Poor balance

• Marked muscle loss

• A significant change in gait during water exercise

• Worsening soreness after sessions

Action: Stop progression and have the horse reassessed. The depth, speed, duration or entire exercise choice may be unsuitable.

Critical

The horse develops:

• Collapse

• Severe incoordination

• Inability to bear weight

• A suspected fracture

• Acute laminitis signs

• Uncontrolled bleeding

• Severe respiratory distress

• Panic with repeated falling or scrambling

• A major wound while inside the machine

Action: Stop the belt, drain or open the machine according to its emergency procedure and obtain immediate veterinary assistance.

When Is This an Emergency?

Stop the session immediately if the horse:

• Falls or becomes trapped

• Repeatedly stumbles

• Becomes severely distressed

• Cannot maintain balance

• Develops sudden severe lameness

• Will not bear weight

• Shows rapid, laboured breathing

• Develops weakness or collapse

• Sustains a significant wound

• Shows neurological abnormalities

• Becomes acutely painful

What To Do Right Now

1. Stop the treadmill using the emergency control.

2. Drain the water or open the safest exit according to the equipment’s protocol.

3. Do not stand directly in front of or behind a panicking horse.

4. Do not force a severely lame or neurologically abnormal horse to walk repeatedly.

5. Move the horse only when it is safe to do so.

6. Contact the veterinarian.

7. Record what happened immediately before the incident, including the speed, depth and duration.

8. Inspect the horse after exit, even when the problem appears to have resolved.

Common Water Treadmill Mistakes

Assuming Higher Water Is Always Better

Deeper water changes posture, joint movement and resistance. It may help one rehabilitation goal while working directly against another.

Using It Before Diagnosing the Lameness

“Low impact” is not a diagnosis. A tendon lesion, laminitis, back pain and a joint injury require very different loading plans.

Increasing Everything at Once

Depth, speed, incline and duration should not all be raised during the same session.

Chasing Fatigue

A tired horse may shorten the stride, lose symmetry, raise the head or begin stumbling. More minutes do not create a better session when movement quality has deteriorated.

Calling Every Session Cardiovascular Training

Many walking protocols remain low intensity. Water treadmill exercise may challenge muscles and posture without meaningfully training peak aerobic fitness unless the protocol is sufficiently demanding. (PubMed)

Assuming Reduced Impact Means No Tissue Load

Water reduces measured accelerations, but the horse remains weight-bearing and continues moving joints, tendons and ligaments.

Ignoring the Head and Back

The legs may look impressive while the horse travels with a raised neck, hollow back or asymmetric pelvis. The whole movement pattern matters.

Using It as the Only Rehabilitation Exercise

Water treadmill training cannot reproduce every type of bone loading, balance task, surface response, ridden demand or sport-specific movement the horse will ultimately need.

How Can Water Treadmill Treatment Be Made Safer?

Before beginning:

• Establish a diagnosis

• Define the exact rehabilitation goal

• Record baseline lameness and movement

• Confirm that wounds are suitable for immersion

• Check the horse’s cardiovascular and respiratory status

• Select depth according to the injured structure

• Acclimate the horse gradually

• Use trained handlers

• Confirm that emergency-release procedures work

During the programme:

• Measure rather than guess progression

• Record speed, depth and duration

• Film the horse from consistent angles

• Monitor movement before and after the session

• Change one variable at a time

• Schedule regular veterinary or rehabilitation reassessment

• Integrate appropriate land-based loading

The goal should be specific, such as:

• Maintain controlled walking fitness

• Increase a particular joint’s flexion

• Improve back movement

• Reduce impact during early loading

• Develop endurance

• Restore symmetry

• Prepare for a return to land exercise

“Do some hydrotherapy” is not yet a rehabilitation plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a water treadmill build a horse’s hindquarters?

It can increase resistance and alter hindlimb flexion and retraction, which may contribute to muscular development. Small studies support changes in back profile and movement, but the result depends on water depth, speed, incline and frequency.

Is a water treadmill good for tendon injuries?

It may be useful during selected stages because it allows controlled movement with reduced impact. However, it is not appropriate for every tendon lesion or every healing phase. Veterinary diagnosis and ultrasound-guided rehabilitation are still required.

What is the best water depth for a horse?

There is no single best depth. Lower levels may suit acclimation or modest resistance, while deeper water changes joint movement, impact attenuation and posture more substantially. The correct depth depends on the clinical goal.

Can horses trot on a water treadmill?

Some specialist facilities use controlled trotting. Trotting produces different trunk and limb mechanics and may substantially increase the demands placed on the horse. It should only be introduced in an experienced, sound or appropriately rehabilitated horse under professional supervision. (DOI)

Can a water treadmill replace normal riding?

No. It can contribute to fitness and rehabilitation, but it does not reproduce rider weight, turns, terrain, jumping, collection or discipline-specific skills.

Final Thoughts

Water treadmills are genuinely useful tools, but their value lies in how precisely they can be adjusted, not in the fact that they contain water.

The best evidence supports several real effects:

• Reduced limb segment acceleration

• Increased movement of several joints

• Altered back and pelvic mechanics

• Controlled resistance

• Potential improvements in endurance and aerobic capacity

• Possible development of back and postural musculature

The evidence does not support presenting water treadmills as a guaranteed shortcut to healing or performance.

The frequently quoted 17% figure came from a very small trial of unfit Thoroughbreds and referred to average speed during an 800-metre field test, not a universal increase in maximum speed. Reduced impact was demonstrated in a separate biomechanical study.

Used well, water treadmill exercise can bridge the gap between rest and full land-based work. Used without a diagnosis or progression plan, it is simply another way of loading an injured horse, only with considerably more splashing.

---

ASK A VET™ can help you organise rehabilitation plans, lameness videos, session depth, speed, duration and post-exercise observations so that changes can be reviewed in context with your veterinarian. A horse with sudden lameness, swelling, severe pain, breathing difficulty or loss of balance still requires direct veterinary assessment.