NASA Technology Helps American Horses Get A Jump on Their Competition

"Gem Twist," a gray stallion to be ridden by USET member Laura Chapot of Neshanic Station, N.J., has been fitted with newly developed magnetic hoof protector pads and is to wear them while competing. One of the show jumping horses of Vintage Farm, to be ridden by 1996 Olympic contender Michael Matz of Collegeville, PA., also is to be fitted with the pads in time for the World Cup competition.

According to their designer, Linda Hamilton Greenlaw, the pads are now being marketed worldwide under the name "Power Pads." Greenlaw says Power Pads support and cushion the impact of walking, running and jumping on the horse's hooves and legs, serving as an injury-prevention product, similar to sneakers for human beings. Magnets implanted in the pads increase blood circulation in the horse's hooves, reducing the chance for injury, yet do not overheat the area. If any injury does occur to the hoof, the magnetic pad enhances blood flow to the area, speeding the healing process and helping to prevent permanent damage, Greenlaw says.

The magnetic material in the pads also works with the naturally occurring electrical impulses of the horse's nerves to reduce or eliminate pain from injuries to the hooves. According to an article, "Magnetic Fields in Animal Health," by Dr. Roger L. DeHaan, D.V.M., published in the February-April 1992 issue of the Journal of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association: "Magnets have been used successfully in medical therapy for humans and animals for hundreds of years, particularly for the treatment of osteoarthritus."

According to Dr. DeHann's article, experiments at Loma Linda University in California, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and several universities in Europe have shown that magnetic devices improve blood flow to damaged tissues, speeding the healing process. Magnetism, the doctor writes, helps to order and align tissue salts in damaged cells. Electromagnetic stimulation gets the damaged tissues' fluids flowing again, helping to speed the elimination of waste products, reduce swelling, and restore normal function.

Magnetic material cannot be inserted directly into the hoof wall, as this can be toxic, thus the pads are the best way of providing the benefits of magnets without the hazards. The pads "fill the need to use magnets in the hoof area without heat buildup or toxicity," Greenlaw said. "Through field testing, we've discovered that the magnetic pads will cause the horse's foot to grow faster and become more resinous, thus correcting the medical problem of 'brittle hooves,' caused by riding a horse on hard ground.

The cushioning material and the magnetic material in the prototype pads were fabricated and stress analyzed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., by materials engineer Deborah Dianne Schmidt and materials technician Anthony J. Schaffer.

"I conducted a fatigue stress analysis of the pads' magnetic inserts and sought to determine the best configuration for them," Schmidt said. "The analysis led to the optimal configuration for durability of the entire pad design. Also, I was able to recommend a simple method to place the magnetic inserts in the hoof pads so as to prevent material failures caused by stress. The hoof pad material is subjected to a good deal of stress as the horse walks, runs and jumps," she said. "The basic design uses a piece of magnetic material held in a cutout area inside each pad." Schaffer cut the pads and magnetic inserts with "surgical precision," Schmidt added.

The magnetic pads are placed on the horse's hooves, then the animal's metal horseshoes are fitted onto the pads. Conventional horseshoe nails hold the pads and horseshoes onto the hoof. They also may be attached with "Easy Glu" horseshoes. The pads are durable enough to be used more than one shoeing and should last six months to a year.

"The pads -- for a horse -- are the equivalent of a human being taking off leather street shoes and putting on the proper track shoes for an athletic event. By cushioning the horse's feet from injury, the pads are preventative as well as therapeutic," Greenlaw said. "The pads can be used by horses in any type of situation that puts stress on the animal's hooves and legs, including racing, rodeos, walking, show jumping, mounted police and military operations, and polo, in addition to simple recreational riding." Persons interested in more information about Power Pads should contact: Equine

Enhancement Products, Inc., 37A Everett St., Woburn, MA 01801. Greenlaw, a former champion equestrian in the New England area, was left partially disabled following an automobile accident in 1991. Her love of horses led her to develop this product for the animals.