Cottage Farm carries for sale and uses several different photobiomodulation therapy, PBM, products/devices. You may be more familiar with the older term of Low Level Light Therapy or LLLTT. I use this pretty much everyday for a myriad of issues from wound healing, pain relief, arthritis , summer sores, stimulating accupoints, tendon/ligament in.muscle injuries. Many people ask what is the difference between the two modalities so here is a brief and basic description them.  

LASER, which stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, is created when electrons become “excited,” or more energized, after absorbing energy from an electrical current. Laser's contain one large diode which produces a single, specific wavelength that concentrates their energy in a small area but travel deep into the tissue. It produces a coherent light.

Once these excited electrons return to their normal state, they release that energy as particles of light called photons. These photons all exist at the same wavelength, and they are propelled in the same direction, giving them the coherence that allows lasers to exert significant effects on tissue.
 
Low-level laser (LLLT) therapy, uses LED's Light Emitting Diodes and involves exposing tissues to red/near infrared (NI) light, which are lower in energy than the lasers used in surgery.

When lasers come into contact with cells, they act on the mitochondria to increase adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production. In turn, that increased ATP production can lead to faster production of collagen, vascular structures, DNA, RNA and other materials essential to the healing process.

In contrast, LEDs emit incoherent light in a broader range of wavelengths. Their power output is significantly lower than that of lasers, and so treatment time may be longer for each session or over a longer period of days. They are  less invasive and less potentially harmful to targeted tissues, which makes them ideal for home use.
Still, they exert the same end effect on ATP production and healing as lasers, albeit to a different degree.

The answer is that both  laser and LED therapies have significant bodies of evidence backing their efficacy.
For instance, one of the first uses of LLT was in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome, where it has proven  effective in reducing pain and improving grip strength in mild to moderate cases. It has also shown promise in the treatment of chronic pain and a variety of injuries in both human and equine as well as canine individuals. Likewise, LEDs have clear benefits for wound care, burns and skin conditions, where they work on the dermis and epidermis,  and with  the treatment of muscle damage and inflammation with the deeper reaching infrared. 

You can lead a horse to water, but can you be sure he drinks?
​Remember the horses body is approximately 70% water and is an essential nutrient, meaning that a horse cannot survive for very long without it. 
What are a few ways you can help to make sure your equine partner  is getting sufficient water into their system?

Some are very easy:

1. Give your horse access to clean water. 
2. Take familiar water with you if traveling away from home.
3. Add salt to your horse's diet. 
4. Soak your horse's hay and grain, again a great fix if you are trailering 
5. Cool your horse off, after work or even on a hot day to in the field to minimize heat stress.
6. Ensure your horse gets salts and minerals in form of blocks, free choose and electrolytes. Our electrolyte of choice is Buckeye Perform N Win.

​What are the signs that maybe your horse is not getting enough fluids.
How do we check for that if we aren't able to do a visual check. Maybe your stable has an auto watering system or  he/she is in a herd out in the field where each individual is difficult to monitor, this last one goes for feed/hay as well  by the way. 

Horses normally consume between 5 and 15 gallons of water during a 24 hr period. With a stabled horse this is  easy to monitor as in general we use 5 - gallon buckets. During the summer months I always make sure they have 2 five gallon buckets if stalled for any length of time, some people add a bucket of electrolyte water as well especially if the horse is working hard.
I personally offer electrolytes all year round as during the Fall/Winter with the increase of hay and  pastures offering less moisture it is more likely to see an increase in impaction colic.

Signs of dehydration:

• Fails pinch test (When skin is pinched near base of the horse's neck for 2 seconds, then released, it should return to normal immediately.)
• Sluggish activity and loss of glossy coat.
• Muscle spasms and signs of pain.
• Lack of saliva resulting in decreased feed intake.
• Impaction colic or constipation

​What about you? Are you taking care of yourself ? See below!

Are you, the rider, taking care of your Hydration needs ?

Water plays many important roles within the body. Water is the major part of most of the body’s cells (except for fat cells) and it also cushions and lubricates the brain and the joints. It transports nutrients and carries waste away from the body cells. It also helps regulate body temperature by redistributing heat from active tissues to the skin and cooling the body through perspiration.

​How many times do you head for the barn in the morning, coffee in hand, but you don't drink a glass of water before leaving the house. Hands up if this is you !
Drinking  a glass or two of water first thing is probably the best thing you can do for your body. Remember you have been sleeping for a good 6 - 8 hours which is a long time without water.
One of the biggest indicators of lethargy or low energy in the morning or anytime is that you are dehydrated.

My go to in the morning is adding an electrolyte to my water. I try to drink that before I do anything else, mainly because if I don't do it then I will forget.  Sigh!
Since I have been doing this I find myself much more ready to face the day and my energy level is so much better.
My favorite is Electrolyte Fizz . Click on the links below to check out all the yummy flavors!