From The Floor Up
Stall flooring surfaces affect horse health in many ways. It can be good or bad for rest and sleep and for hoof and joint health. It can even impact respiratory health because surfaces that require bedding for cushion usually add a considerable amount of breathable dust to horse habitats.
KF Equine Fitness and Rehab just recently opened its doors for residential patients, but Dr. Kaleena Kuehler already saw the benefits of the ComfortStall Sealed Orthopedic Flooring installed in 8 stalls earlier this year.
A Blended Approach
Along with her veterinary degree, Dr. Kuehler is certified in animal chiropractic (AVCA) and equine rehabilitation and performance. Since graduating from the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, she’s blended traditional care and holistic approaches to improve performance and reduce discomfort. Chiropractic and therapies including cold laser, laser acupuncture, trigger point release, Tui Na, stretching and other exercises are among her tools for returning horses to optimal health and well-being.
She’s grateful to her husband Dave, an engineer, for identifying ComfortStall as an option for their rehabilitation facility. “He knows that I’m all about things that are evidence-based,” Dr. Kuehler shares. Cornell University Veterinary Hospital’s role as a co-developer and longtime user of ComfortStall caught Dave’s attention early in the facility planning process. “We looked at a few other floorings, but none with the research ComfortStall has behind it.”
One caveat about the flooring -- as a treatment surface, ComfortStall is not ideal for taking x-rays, the veterinarian points out. The built-in cushion and give for which the flooring is famous requires tiny muscle adjustments for the horse to stand on it. The effect is just enough to make x-ray images a bit blurry.
Benefits Abound
For everything else, however, that give and cushion are great for horse health. “Motion helps decrease inflammation,” Dr. Kuehler explains. “The more the horse is shifting its weight a little bit, keeping their joints moving, the better it is for circulation within those joints.”
A corrective farrier with whom Dr. Kuehler works is excited to study how horses on ComfortStall adjust their hoof angle to bear their weight most comfortably. “He thinks that how he sees horses angle their hoof on this flooring will help him determine their ideal trim and shoeing.” He expects the surface will let the horse present its preferences.
Letting horses find their own hoof balance is a purpose of stability pads used by many sporthorse physios. “ComfortStall is almost like letting them stand on a stability pad all day,” Dr. Kuehler says.
