The Research Behind the Horse Tendon Pad

The Horse Tendon Pad is designed to support horses recovering from tendon and ligament injuries, using focal vibration and acupressure. The studies below cover how equine tendons are injured and heal, and how vibration and pressure affect blood flow and tissue repair. Independent research on the Horse Tendon Pad is currently underway, and the results will be added here when available.

Equine tendon injury and its management

1. Barrett J, White NA. Introduction to equine tendon injury. American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP); 2008.
2. Dowling BA, Dart AJ, Hodgson DR, Smith RKW. Superficial digital flexor tendonitis in the horse. Equine Vet J. 2000;32(5):369–378.
3. O’Sullivan CB. Injuries of the flexor tendons: focus on the superficial digital flexor tendon. Clin Tech Equine Pract. 2007.
4. Dyson SJ. Medical management of superficial digital flexor tendonitis: a comparative study in 219 horses (1992–2000). Equine Vet J. 2004;36(5):415–419.
5. Fortier LA, Smith RKW. Regenerative medicine for tendinous and ligamentous injuries of sport horses. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract. 2008.
6. Ortved KF. Regenerative medicine and rehabilitation for tendinous and ligamentous injuries in sport horses. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract. 2018;34(2):359–373.
7. Smith RKW. Treatment of tendinopathies. Equine Vet Educ. 2024;36:659–672.
8. Kümmerle JM, Theiss F, Smith RKW. Diagnosis and management of tendon and ligament disorders. In: Auer JA, Stick JA, Kümmerle JM, Prange T, eds. Equine Surgery. 5th ed. Elsevier; 2019:1411–1445.
9. Kaneps AJ. Practical rehabilitation and physical therapy for the general equine practitioner. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract. 2016;32:167–180.
10. Lutter JD, et al. Medical treatment of horses with deep digital flexor tendon injuries diagnosed with high-field-strength magnetic resonance imaging: 118 cases (2000–2010). J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2015.
11. O’Brien C, Marr N, Thorpe C. Microdamage in the equine superficial digital flexor tendon. Equine Vet J. 2021;53(3):417–430.
12. Patterson-Kane JC, et al. The pathogenesis of tendon microdamage in athletes: the horse as a natural model for basic cellular research. J Comp Pathol. 2012.
13. Brokken MT. Digital sheath tenosynovitis in horses. Merck Veterinary Manual. 2015.
14. Adams SB. Disorders of tendon in animals. Merck Veterinary Manual. 2020.

Tendon biology and healing

15. Roberts TJ, Konow N. How tendons buffer energy dissipation by muscle. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2014.
16. Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG). What are tendons and tendon sheaths? InformedHealth.org. 2018.
17. Thomopoulos S, et al. Mechanisms of tendon injury and repair. J Orthop Res. 2015.
18. Khan KM, Scott A. Mechanotherapy: how physical therapists’ prescription of exercise promotes tissue repair. Br J Sports Med. 2009;43(4):247–252. doi:10.1136/bjsm.2008.054239
19. Adekanmbi I, Zargar N, Hulley P. An in vitro scratch tendon tissue injury model: effects of high frequency low magnitude loading. Connect Tissue Res. 2017;58(2).
20. Thompson W, et al. Low-magnitude, high-frequency vibration fails to accelerate ligament healing but stimulates collagen synthesis in the Achilles tendon. Orthop J Sports Med. 2015 May 27;3(5).

Vibration therapy

21. Lupowitz L. Vibration therapy – a clinical commentary. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2022;17(6):984–987. doi:10.26603/001c.36964
22. Cerciello S, Rossi S, Visonà E, Corona K, Oliva F. Clinical applications of vibration therapy in orthopaedic practice. Muscles Ligaments Tendons J. 2016;6(1):147–156.
23. Saggini R, Ancona E. The applied mechanical vibration as whole-body and focal vibration. In: The Mechanical Vibration: Therapeutic Effects and Applications. Bentham Science Publishers; 2017:25–88.
24. Lohman EB 3rd, Petrofsky JS, Maloney-Hinds C, Betts-Schwab H, Thorpe D. The effect of whole body vibration on lower extremity skin blood flow in normal subjects. Med Sci Monit. 2007;13(2):CR71–76.
25. Marotta N, Lopresti E, Prestifilippo E, et al. Mechanical focal vibration therapy for muscle injury recovery in a runner. Appl Sci. 2025;15(4):2022. doi:10.3390/app15042022
26. Mackechnie-Guire R, Mackechnie-Guire E, Bush R, et al. A controlled, blinded study investigating the effect that a 20-minute cycloidal vibration has on whole horse locomotion and thoracolumbar profiles. J Equine Vet Sci. 2018;71:84–89.
27. Schmidt TE, Gleason CB, Samaniego MR, White RR. Effects of wearable therapies on jump performance in sport horses. Front Vet Sci. 2023;10:1235932. doi:10.3389/fvets.2023.1235932

Acupressure, compression and circulation

28. Yasuda A, Sasajima S, et al. Effects of stimulation conditions and subcutaneous tissue properties on acupressure-induced changes in blood circulation of human tendons. J Phys Fitness Sports Med. 2023;12(6):147–154.
29. Hsiu H, Hsu WC, Chen BH, Hsu CL. Differences in the microcirculatory effects of local skin surface contact pressure stimulation between acupoints and nonacupoints: possible relevance to acupressure. Physiol Meas. 2010;31:829–841.
30. Dahl J, Li J, Bring DK, Renström P, Ackermann PW. Intermittent pneumatic compression enhances neurovascular ingrowth and tissue proliferation during connective tissue healing: a study in the rat. J Orthop Res. 2007;25:1185–1192.

Other treatments, for comparison

31. Kentucky Equine Research. Shockwave therapy for tendon injuries in horses: the good and the bad. 2013.
32. Beerts C, et al. Tenogenically induced allogeneic peripheral blood mesenchymal stem cells in allogeneic platelet-rich plasma: 2-year follow-up after tendon or ligament treatment in horses. Front Vet Sci. 2017;4.
33. Giunta K, Donnell JR, Donnell AD, Frisbie DD. Prospective randomized comparison of platelet rich plasma to extracorporeal shockwave therapy for treatment of proximal suspensory pain in western performance horses. Res Vet Sci. 2019;126:38–44.