The effect of this advanced engineering material occurs when minerals, incorporated into the fabric, absorb and emit body heat in the form of FIR, which will then stimulate circulation and boost blood flow. This helps support recovery and alleviates discomfort in overworked, overstretched muscles, tendons, and joints.

These positive results are excellently achieved through many of our products, that either cover specific regions or – as our horse rugs do - envelop more or less the entire body of the horse, thanks to their mere size.

Specific areas of interest, all treated simultaneously by our FIR radiating horse rugs, are the pectoral muscles, the deltoid muscle and the sacroiliac joint.

Flowing motion through synchronised muscle chains

A horse in motion is an awe-inspiring experience. The output of power has impressed people for thousands of years with its perfection and beauty.

Interconnected muscle systems work in unison along highly specialized, optimally efficient chains of movement. The muscular system and the skeleton – with all its joints and intricate networks of tendons and muscle attachments - form a structure in which all parts are connected to each other.

When a horse plunges forward, the whole body is involved. The legs will act as levers, propagating force from large muscle groups, with long, resilient tendons acting as elastic springs.

Powerful, yet delicate structures

However, the capacity for flight at great speeds has also introduced vulnerabilities to the horse’s anatomy. A horse using its full potential is constantly at the limit of what its tissues can withstand.

The load on the joints is immense, the tendons of the slender lower legs are unprotected and stretched to the limit, as well as heated to the point of hyperthermia. And everything is connected! A horse’s muscles work in pairs, groups and biomechanical chains.

This means that any imbalance, weakness or improper loading can lead to compensation mechanisms that may propagate the problem to other parts of the body - or cause symptoms elsewhere along a chain of motion. When this happens, it can be difficult to identify the root cause. Longterm sustainability of a horse will ultimately depend on attentive care of the entire body and protection from overexertion, misloading and injury.

What can Welltex® do for my horse?

What is Welltex®?

Welltex® is an innovative textile technology that adds a unique property to any functional fabric in which it is included. In practice, this means that a specific mix of minerals is melted into the threads of a fabric – and this process will convey the ability to absorb and emit far infrared energy (FIR) to any product made there-of.

When using an item with such a quality, FIR is continuously reflected back into the tissues of the wearer – be it a person, a pet or a horse - where it will exert a stimulating effect on circulation and blood flow.

The effect of this energy form, harnessed from the wearer’s own body heat, is well known to favour recovery, help enhance performance and mitigate problems with stiffness, soreness or swelling. It is known to help reduce joint stiffness and therefore increase mobility of horses suffering from osteoarthritis.

Important areas that our horse rugs will cover

A horse rug envelops the horse from front to back. Hence the horse will be well protected from harsh weather conditions and stay warm during transport or whilst winding down after sports performances.

A Back on Track horse rug, however, also contains Welltex® - and will cover entire chains of movement as well as particularly delicate and important parts of the musculoskeletal system with our FIR radiating material. These are some of them:

• The pectoral muscles

The pectoral muscles are located in the chest and are responsible for the movement and performance of the front legs. These muscles also work in unison with other important muscle groups, mainly in the trunk and neck. Stiff muscles in the chest area will therefore inevitably affect entire chains of movement – and may cause imbalances or misalignments elsewhere in the body.

• The deltoid muscle

The deltoid muscle is located at the shoulder and plays an important role in the biomechanical chain responsible for propagation of force to the front legs - and ultimately in the optimal function of the entire body. The shoulder region of the horse has some interesting features. The evolutionary process has completely eliminated the clavicle bones to not restrict movement. Hence, the forelimbs are attached to the body only through muscle. Evidently, the soundness, and health of this muscle apparatus is crucial.

• The sacroiliac (SI) joint

This plain and immovable joint is located between the sacrum and the ilium at the horse’s lower back. It is the meeting point between the spine and the pelvis, and when a horse transfers power from the hindquarters as it gallops or jumps, great forces are applied to it. Bones, cartilage and ligaments are subject to constant wear and tear and the joint itself can also be affected by osteoarthritis. Problems often manifest as stiffness and pain.

When FIR penetrates the tissues through the action of Welltex® - fused into an entire horse rug - the effect is evenly distributed over the body. This is highly beneficial for the overall well-being of the horse, and will hopefully, at the same time, help alleviate any problem the horse may experience in tired or strained muscles and joints!