Red Light Therapy: Supporting Your Horse’s Recovery at EquiMend

When your horse is healing from an injury, every step of the rehabilitation process matters. That’s why our program includes red light therapy- a safe, non-invasive treatment designed to encourage the body’s natural healing response.

How It Works

Red light therapy uses specific wavelengths of light to gently penetrate tissues. This light energy helps stimulate circulation, reduce inflammation, and activate cellular repair. In simple terms, it gives your horse’s body a boost in the healing process - helping tissues recover stronger and faster.

Benefits for Your Horse

• Tendon & Ligament Healing - Research shows that red light therapy can support the repair of soft-tissue injuries, helping horses regain strength and soundness more efficiently.

• Muscle Comfort & Relaxation - Horses with sore or tight muscles often benefit from the soothing effects of red light therapy, which promotes relaxation and reduces tension.

• Non-Invasive & Drug-Free - Treatments are gentle, painless, and safe to use alongside your horse’s other care and rehabilitation therapies.

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Why We Use It in Rehab

Veterinary studies have demonstrated that red light therapy, particularly in tendon and ligament injuries, can reduce pain, swelling, and lameness while improving recovery outcomes. In our rehabilitation program, we combine this therapy with individualized exercise plans and hands-on care to give your horse the best chance at a full recovery.

A Partner in Healing

Red light therapy isn’t a magic cure on its own- but when paired with expert veterinary guidance, therapeutic exercise, and careful management, it’s a powerful tool that can help your horse heal more comfortably and confidently.

For Veterinarians: The Clinical Perspective

From a veterinary standpoint, red light therapy (photobiomodulation) offers promising adjunctive benefits in equine rehabilitation, particularly for musculoskeletal injuries. Clinical studies report measurable improvements in tendon and ligament recovery, with reductions in pain, swelling, and lameness following structured high-intensity laser therapy protocols (Giannetto et al., 2020; Marchetti et al., 2022). Mechanistically, red and near-infrared wavelengths (600–1000 nm) penetrate tissue to stimulate mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase activity, enhancing ATP production, collagen synthesis, fibroblast activity, and angiogenesis. These effects may accelerate tendon remodeling and improve tissue quality during healing. While data on wound healing remain mixed, musculoskeletal applications appear more consistent, especially when proper wavelength, dosage (J/cm²), and treatment frequency are observed. For this reason, we incorporate red light therapy at EquiMend as part of a multimodal rehabilitation plan, complementing controlled exercise, physiotherapy, and ongoing veterinary oversight.