Swim Center in Middleburg

[S4zeus]

How hard is it to get an appointment? Or how exactly does it work? I have emailed once, but haven't gotten a response. Is it better to call? I would really like to start adding this to the fitness regimen as it gets colder and I lose my motivation to ride in the bitter wind of winter. The cold doesn't bother me, its the wind and chafed skin that results. Thank in advance.

[yventer]

Just call -they aren't *that* a high-tech an operation. Or just show up during published hours!

http://www.animalswimcenter.com/

Not an ad, just "direction". :->>>>

Yvonne

[yellowbritches]

FYI- If this is your horse's first time swimming, plan on taking him at least three times in a row. They failed to mention that it takes a few times in a row for them to get the hang of getting in the pool the first time we took a horse, and it was really, really hard getting him in the second and third times. It is a pain, but they really, really need a few times in a row to get the idea. Once they do that, they'll usually go right in, even with months in between.

Wish we were still close to the swim center. :(

[S4zeus]

One last question, does anyone know their current rates? the price list on the webpage says those were the prices in 2001

[S4zeus]

I called this morning. I am going to start right after Thanksgiving

[snickerdoodle]

swimming horses is great. builds the muscles, heart and lungs. becareful though, as it does not strengthen the ligaments and tendons.

so you will have a really fit horses (muscle wise), but their tendons and ligaments aren't at the same fitness level.

[S4zeus]

yes, this I understand. Being a draft cross I just don't want to pound him like a did last year. But thank you again. That is a good point.

[GotSpots]

Swimming can have alot of benefits, but I'm wary of doing too much of it - as folks have mentioned, it does not help build and strengthen tendons/ligaments, and I have had a couple of horses become quite sore in the back from doing it. The horses we've swum are usually recovering from an injury and/or have soundness sensitivities that make lots of trotting inadvisable, and we usually don't do it until we're in the period a couple of months out from a three day even for those ones. For this time of year, rather than swimming, I'd be spending lots of time hacking on the roads - if you work up to an hour at a time of walking on fairly hard packed surface, you'll do ages of good for their legs and help build a solid base of fitness. Plus, we've never had one that didn't get a bit of skin weirdness after swimming, and this time of year those things just start to fester under blankets.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

If you can find a place that has a aquatread that is supposed to be better than fully swimming them. It builds their top line and doesn't put the stress on their backs that swimming does. They go very inverted when they swim.

That said, I've swam horses before when they were injured and it was great to help keep them fit.

I was hoping to find a place do that with my horses this year until the ground thaws enough to gallop but as Gotspot's said, it would not replace the slow road work needed.

[RoyalTRider]

Just out of curiosity, how deep is the water?

[LexInVA]

Just out of curiosity, how deep is the water?

The pool is twelve feet deep.

[Carol Ames]

Just out of curiosity, how deep is the water?deep enough; that even a17hander has to swim:yes:; they told me they had had only one horse not swim , but :eek:sink; their own!

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[Speedy]

My own experience - I took Spellbound there a couple of years ago. She'd never been swimming before. She went right in and promptly sank - completely under, including her head. She then popped up and actually swam. She did a few laps and seemed ok mentally when she came out. I was told that this kind of experience with a first timer was pretty normal.

The problem for her in the end was the concrete - there isn't any padding in the pool (or at least, there wasn't when we visited), so if they kick out or flail around while they figure it out, they can hurt themselves. Spellbound came out of the pool with a swollen knee and several cuts and abraisions - some from hitting the side of the pool, and some from hitting herself with her own shoes. I think she actually had a good experience overall and the handler was really fantastic and made the process as easy as possible - but she did have a few boo-boos - all very minor - in the end. I wasn't willing to risk anything more serious and so didn't take her back.

I can see that people might do this when rehabbing certain types of injuries, but I don't think it's the best way to exercise a horse, to be honest. As good as the folks at the Middleburg swim center are (and they were great!) - there are risks in swimming your horse, and probably better, more natural alternatives for fitting up a horse - even where you are trying to limit wear and tear. Just my opinion though, you probably should try it once yourself and see whether or not it works for you.

[PhoenixFarm]

I had one I swam there, and was generally happy with it. However, he was a long backed beastie and yes, I did have to work through back soreness (they invert while keeping their heads above water). I swam twice a week, and the next day he got longed in a chambon with just a surcingle, and that seemed to fix tha back issue.