Do magnetic sheets for horses actually work?

Written By Barrio Performance Therapy

Yes… well…. no…. well, maybe!? Here’s the good, the bad, and the ugly 👇

Magnetic sheets, yay or neigh?

As a PEMF therapy provider and equine massage therapist, I get asked about magnetic sheets a lot. People want to know if they are worth the investment and if something like a magnetic sheet can extend the life of a massage or help their horse feel better between sessions or at a show.

I have a confession, though, I really didn’t know anything about magnetic sheets. When someone asked me about them, I’d usually say something to the effect of “I haven’t done any research on them. If you feel like it it helps your horse, go for it!”.

This week, I finally took the plunge into the rabbit hole of researching magnetic sheets.

So, what’s the deal?

If you Google “magnetic sheet for horses”, you’ll find a number of options pop up. They are usually in the $200-$300 range and listings make statements like “Scientifically proven to enhance horse healing and recovery” and “Provides comfort and relief, aiding in managing arthritis and muscle stiffness”.

There is also a subtle but very distinct difference between types of sheets. Some sheets are made using genuine magnets with varying gauss (gauss is the measurement used to determine the strength of a magnetic field), while others are made of ceramic and mineral material - we’ll get into this more later.

What people are saying 👇

Surprisingly, almost all of the listings, magnetic or ceramic, have a slew of unanimous 5-star reviews. The reviews say things like:

  • “I love to haul in it, her comfort level has gone way up”

  • “They are more relaxed and cool down faster”

  • “His back is less sensitive to my grooming and to the brushes”

  • “He started yawning right away after the 3rd time I put in on him”

5-star reviews across the board with people saying that it’s making major positive differences for their horses!? Things are looking good for these products - I was almost halfway convinced to add one to my cart in the moment while I was researching.

But, before I hit purchase on a $200+ investment - I wanted to know, is there any science to prove these claims?! Is this legit?

Let’s take a closer look 👇

Magnetic Sheets

Most of the listings for magnetic sheets have a variation of the phrase “scientifically proven” somewhere in it… but not a single listing I could find actually made that scientific proof available. Sketch? Maybe.

When I dug into the literature to look for myself, I discovered that unfortunately, there is very limited data available. I did find one fairly solid study on the topic from 2014, Does a magnetic blanket induce changes in muscular blood flow, skin temperature and muscular tension in horses? [1]. In this study, scientists measured skin temperature, pain indicators, and blood flow in horses before and after applying a magnetic sheet on Day 1 and before and after applying a placebo sheet on Day 2. At the conclusion of the study, it was found that there were no significant differences in behavior, muscle blood flow, or mechanical nociceptive threshold (a measure of pain) between the groups, suggesting that the magnetic blankets did not produce a notable therapeutic effect on these horses. Unfortunately this study was only done with 10 horses, but it doesn’t paint a super great picture for magnetic blankets overall.

Ceramic Sheets

Now ceramic sheets are a bit of a different story. There is slightly more research available for this technology - a proprietary mix of ceramic and mineral that reflects body heat as far infrared radiation which (irrespective of horse blankets) has been proven to penetrate tissue and increase circulation [2].

In one dissertation study, The effects of Back on Track rugs on equine locomotion [3], the student researcher found an improvement in stride length of the 44 horses who used a ceramic blanket in the experiment, which is definitely a positive note but doesn’t necessarily give us any information about actual markers of overall health.

So… back to the original question. Magnetic sheets, yay or neigh?

Here’s where I leave it up to you, dear reader (I know, I’m sorry! You opened this to get a straight answer and now I’m making you decide for yourself).

The customer experience paints a 5-star experience for horses using magnetic and ceramic sheets. Is that because of a genuine change users see in their horses? Or are they simply seeing a change they want to see because they spent $300+ on something? Unfortunately, we just don’t know.

The research is slim, and the research we do have doesn’t really give us that much information other than magnetic sheets probably do nothing and ceramic sheets should increase circulation and maybe help stride length.

My final thoughts 🤔

Would I personally buy a stagnant magnetic product for my horses? Probably not.

However, if I did - I would buy a ceramic product, not a magnetic product.

Just because I’m not fully sold on it though, doesn’t mean I think you shouldn’t be! I have a ton of clients who swear by these products.

At the conclusion of my research, I still sit in the same boat I did before: If you feel like it it helps your horse, go for it!

 
Barrio Performance Therapy
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