To successfully compete in this event, these equine athletes need to be agile, sound, have good manners around hounds and other horses and exhibit a great deal of strength and stamina. Those horses used in field hunting and fox hunting are usually Thoroughbreds, Irish drafts or Warmbloods.

In the show ring, the hunter classes are not as strenuous but still require strength and agility under control. Horses chosen for this discipline are usually Quarter Horses, Thoroughbreds, Warmbloods or crosses of these three.

Field hunters compete upon an uneven and mostly rough terrain. This puts a stress upon the legs of the animal. When these animals are asked to jump obstacles along the course, they place the same type of stresses upon their anatomy that a show jumper would except they often land on a variety of uneven surfaces. In the show ring, the type of class the animal competes in will determine the types of stress placed on the animal.

The programs outlined for the Jumpers are easily applied to the Hunter. The pre-event warm-up cannot be too long in nature and should last at least one hour. This event is different from the show or stadium jumping since the animals land on an uneven surface. The more flexible and agile the animal is, the less likely an injury will occur. Maintenance therapy is focused upon relief of any areas of primary soreness or secondary soreness from stresses caused by problems within the limbs. Treatments should follow an accurate diagnosis and be aimed at not only the primary source of lameness but also any secondary sources arising from a primary source. An example of this is a stone bruise causing a stress upon the musculature of the shoulder. The stone bruise is addressed in its own capacity and the shoulder soreness would benefit from application of the Thermotex™ Infrared Therapy System blanket for several treatments.

There isn't a single discipline that would not benefit from therapy sessions with the Thermotex™ Infrared Therapy System appliances. Each discipline has its own unique characteristics and stresses but all can benefit from infrared heat therapy. The important fact to remember is:

These appliances provide a safe efficacious infrared heat therapy to the equine athlete. They should be used as often as practical and in as many situations as possible. They only work when they are on the horse and the only time they doen't work is when they are hanging in the tack room.