Heated blankets can be used after exercise to keep muscles from cooling down too quickly, as well as before exercise to warm up muscles prior to competition. By warming up and loosening muscles before exercise it can help reduce the risk of injury. Additionally, infrared heat blankets provide a drug-free modality to use during competitions.

Benefits

Infrared heat therapy works as an analgesic and it has many beneficial therapeutic effects. Additionally, the Thermotex blankets have no negative side effects. The infrared heat blankets are able to increase blood flow, increase metabolic activity in the cells, decrease stiffness, decrease pain, and increase flexibility in tendons and ligaments.

Common Uses

• Reduce muscle inflammation and muscle stiffness
• Help alleviate tying up
• Address compensatory lameness
• Relieve general soreness
• Provides an easy all-body treatment
• As a preparation for exercise
• To help improve performance

  

About Infrared Therapy

Infrared heat blankets incorporate two types of therapy – light therapy and heat therapy. Most of the heated horse blankets use infrared light therapy, which are longer wavelengths than visible light and extend past the red edge of the spectrum. This non-visible range of light can be incorporated into wearable products, and it is often found paired with visible red light when used in handheld light therapy devices and neoprene pads.

To make equine therapy blankets, the infrared material is impregnated into fabrics and materials to trap the infrared frequency signature. For equine use, there are heated versions and non-heated versions. The heated infrared products, such as Thermotex and ExoGlo, are a step-up from the infrared-only materials because they provide additional therapeutic benefits. Adding heat allows for deeper penetration and improved circulation.

Anyone that has used a heating pad knows that it will do a better job than just a blanket for aching muscles. The problem with traditional heating pads is that they tend to dry out and irritate skin. Additionally, heat from traditional electric blankets is actually considered unhealthy! The equine infrared heat blankets provide the benefits of warmth and infrared without the irritation or drying out.

Thermotex equine infrared heat blanket offered by Matrix.

Common Misconceptions

It is commonly asked, are infrared (heated) blankets the same as magnets? The answer is no, infrared blankets are not static or pulsed magnets.

Here is a basic outline of products that are often considered to be the same, but are actually quite different.

• Static Magnets: safe and some benefit.
• Pulsed Magnet: low levels for a specific treatment are okay, however they’re often misused and higher levels can be unhealthy (re: Cross Currents by Dr. Bob Becker.)
• Non-Heated Infrared products: safe and some benefit
• Heated Infrared Products: safe and higher level of therapeutic attributes

About the Equine Blankets’ Heat Technology

About Thermotex: The Thermotex™ products’ infrared panels are made out of carbon impregnated fiberglass and they use long waves of low frequency to generate heat. This creates deep penetrating heat that safely travels beneath the surface of the skin. During this process there is no overheating of the skin, dehydration, or irritation. In equine studies, the Thermotex™ delivery system has been shown to raise temperatures as deep as 2.36 inches beneath the surface of the skin after just 20 minutes of use.

Get Started Today

Check out the Products page to find the right option to add to your therapy toolbox