ProSix is an equine body wrap used for training and rehabilitation made of knitted and ventilated elastic that connects your horse front-to-back and side-to-side. ProSix builds strength through isometric and concentric exercise produced by the horse’s movement with the gentle resistance of the elastic. ProSix connects the horse, enhancing proprioception, sometimes referred to as the sixth sense; creating whole body awareness. ProSix calms with steady, gentle pressure to relieve stress and anxiety. ProSix encourages correct posture with strategically placed support; improving balance and rhythm.
ProSix builds overall strength through resistance training produced by the horse’s movement. ProSix use builds muscle, reduces fat, and improves connective tissue including fascia and tendons. ProSix provides low-impact exercise with smooth and constant tension that is easy on joints. ProSix builds core strength and supports the back with a wide abdominal band to assist lift and support, as the rear band produces hind end engagement.
ProSix was named for its ability to improve proprioception! ProSix is the only product that improves communication between the central nervous system and all parts of the body. ProSix stimulates proprioception to provide stability, maintain balance, and improve posture, agility, and movement control.
ProSix helps a horse to balance both physically and mentally. The supportive framing of the elastic bands surrounding the horse encourages correct posture; straighter and balanced with her weight equally distributed between all four feet. The deep touch pressure of the bands is calming, reducing tension and anxiety.
A key effect of elastic resistance training is a measured improvement to the animal’s endurance, coordination, and strength in movement. The four interconnected bands of ProSix enhance proprioception, create increased awareness to muscle movements and posture, and reinforce security and confidence in the horse as it trains, exercises, and reconditions. Improvements in the horse’s structure and movement are sustained as the horse builds strength to maintain these improvements. ProSix will help you build a better horse.
There are many reasons to consider starting a reconditioning program for your horse. For all the reasons we have mentioned in previous sections, ProSix is a safe, effective way to begin. Starting your new program with ProSix means you begin by encouraging straightness and a more upright posture. These are two huge components that are addressed immediately. The ultimate goal should be to have a more balanced horse with ProSix.
ProSix can be very instrumental in jump starting most rehabilitation programs by it’s ability to help your horse by simply wearing it. It can be used during stall rest and supervised turnout for limited amounts of time with gradual progression. While the ProSix is being worn, he is reminded of proprioception, posture, weight bearing and comforted by the effect of deep touch pressure from the elastic. Click here to view our Equine Rehabilitation Guide.
The material found on our website and in our other promotional materials is provided for educational purposes only, and is not to be used for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please seek professional veterinary advice prior to use as a rehabilitation or reconditioning aid. We are not held responsible for any harm or injury that may occur.
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ProSix increases strength through isometric and concentric exercise produced by the horse’s movement with gentle resistance of the elastic. The ProSix does not restrict movement; it allows for full range of motion. The elasticity adapts to variable speed of movement from standing to full gallop. As the range of motion increases, progressive resistance is applied because as the amount of stretch increases, so does the tension. Muscle fiber is activated at all times, to increase muscle strength and size, and decrease body fat.
Resistance band training is an effective way to strengthen, tone, and condition the muscles of the horse. The manner in which the elastic is wrapped around the horse’s body creates a preferred level of isometric and concentric pressure against the body resulting in low impact muscle contraction exercises. The key effort of the elastic resistance training is demonstrated increase in overall strength.
ProSix was created to build core strength. The abdominal band is positioned to encourage lift of the abdominal muscles, to support the back and spine. The effect is similar to running a thumb under the horse’s belly and seeing the horse round its back. The rear of the main body band generates hind end engagement, reaching under with the hind legs for better back support, and lifting of the back. The lift is encouraged by the ProSix at all times, including while in movement. A horse requires strength training to safely support the spine under the weight of a rider without damage. It is our responsibility to ensure that our horse is strong enough to perform the tasks we ask of them.
Proprioception, often referred to as the sixth sense, is the sense of knowing where your body is in space, even when you can’t see it. The ability to know what position a foot is in at this moment comes from feedback from sensory receptors. These receptors are located in skin, fascia, muscles, joints, tendons, and in joint-supporting ligaments. The proprioceptors relay information to the CNS or central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). Disruption of the receptors’ communication to the CNS can be caused by localized injury of an area, injury to the spine or brain, arthritis, infection, toxins, nutritional deficiency, and illnesses affecting the CNS, including those caused by parasites such as EPM, and viral or bacterial infections. Without information from the receptors, a horse may stumble, drag his “toes”, step on his own feet, or fail to lift his feet adequately to avoid or step over an obstacle.
How does ProSix help? Resistance and deep pressure stimulate proprioception! The pressure from the wide knitted elastic bands acts as an external stimulus on receptors, providing a strong new signal to the brain. Wearing ProSix, horses often demonstrate immediate improvement in their ability to navigate and move even their hind feet and limbs purposefully. This is most evident in horses that have had EPM with resulting neural deficits. When a horse is at increased risk of injuries and falls, it is important to begin ProSix therapy as soon as possible to re-establish lost neural connections and regain stability and balance. It is important to recognize that stress can adversely affect the sense of proprioception.
ProSix, the calming, supportive way to speak to the brain!
Read more in Training, Reconditioning, and Rehabilitation.
Horses naturally carry more weight on their forehand because their head and neck, created for grazing, are heavy. To optimally support the weight of a rider and facilitate forward movement, a horse’s weight should be distributed between all four legs with slightly more weight carried by the larger muscles in hind quarters.
Like humans, horses develop asymmetrical posture and have a dominant side. Horses are most commonly left sided, and generally prefer counter-clockwise movement. Rather than working on their weaker side, horses feel more comfortable working on their stronger side which makes the deficiency more prevalent. A horse may also develop a weakness due to accident, injury, or illness and will compensate by shifting weight from the injured area to the stronger side.
ProSix is used to create a physically balanced, upright posture that helps the horse stand equally on all four feet. This is extremely important in stopping the escalation of a problem due to accident, injury, or illness by preventing compensation which results in excess load being distributed to other extremities. ProSix promotes balance through the use of four strategically placed bands which encircle the body fore to hind, and gives lift to the lower abdominals that lift the back and support the spine. Unlike any other training aid, ProSix links the horse’s forehand to its haunches with the mid-body band. ProSix utilizes wide bands of knitted elastic that support and stabilize without restricting movement.
ProSix facilitates mental balance through calming, steady, gentle pressure that relieves stress and anxiety. Through deep touch pressure provided by ProSix, horses remain passive and relaxed. This mental state facilitates learning and alleviates anxiety allowing the horse to focus and concentrate.
ProSix links the horse’s forehand to its haunches with the mid-body strap. No other training aid connects the horse in this manner. This aids the horse and therefore Trainer in many ways.
ProSix improves gait. The horse takes a step forward and is reminded to step forward with the hind and bring the haunches along. The horse responds to the gentle resistance of the elastic by reaching his hind legs under his body, yet pushes against the resistance with the fore. Thus, an increase in length of stride and an improvement in rhythm results.
ProSix encourages straightness and aids to eliminate postural impairments and asymmetrical development. ProSix will help balance your horse’s dominant and weaker sides. This will resolve inabilities to pick up certain leads, improve sloppy spins, improve lateral movement in both directions. ProSix does not create dependence wherein the horse leans into, braces, or depends on the product for straightness, posture, etc. but instead creates muscle and strength to continue in good frame and movement when not wearing ProSix.
ProSix will create a stronger core with emphasis on abdominal support for a stronger back and rounded top line. Developing the core muscles will make your horse a better athlete and reduce the chance of injury. The lift of the abdominal strap also encourages the horse to lower his head naturally, a goal of some trainer’s which doesn’t have to be addressed.
ProSix creates focus and decreases nervousness, distraction, spooking and avoidance behaviors. Focus makes learning easier and training progress faster.
Reconditioning comes into play when learning a new discipline, for example retraining an off-track Thoroughbred to jump or for pleasure riding. This horse will be very asymmetrical from side to side. Another reconditioning project would be pulling the dormant or pasture horse and starting a new program such as making it a performance horse.
Reconditioning comes into play when changing from one “training program” to another as there can be big differences in techniques and equipment. ProSix can also be used when changing the level and demands of your program, such as strength training to improve speed (racing, barrel racing), to improve agility (team penning, trail rides), to improve endurance (endurance trail rides, eventing). One very overlooked way to recondition with ProSix is to offer an old friend a stronger, healthier retirement.
ProSix is an equine body wrap made of knitted and ventilated elastic that connects your horse front-to-back and side-to-side. This will make your horse more aware of his body. The horse will therefore start to make changes to his posture. The result of the body awareness and posture changes will require the horse to start using muscles that might have been underused in prior movement and therefore have the opposite effect on muscles that were overused for various reasons. The objective is to have symmetry in all muscle groups. ProSix will work with your horse and not restrict his movement or body parts in any way.
ADDITIONAL NOTE: When changing the posture, weight distribution and movement of the horse during transitioning, it is very common to see a modified gait or what appears to be a “lameness”. It is important to observe the process and see if there is progression to “balance” in the movement. If you are concerned about any transitional changes, please seek the advice of your veterinarian.
ProSix can be very useful when bringing a horse back from injury or disease. Each case would need to be reviewed by your horse’s caregiver and approval given to begin the use of the ProSix.
We recommend you begin using the ProSix on the lunge line or supervised turnout. This will allow your horse to do self-limiting exercise without the added dimension of tack and/or rider. ProSix will work with your horse and not restrict his movement or body parts in any way.
Most injuries mean that a horse hasn’t been utilizing 100% of some part of his body. An injury usually results in compensatory posture and movement. Once a horse has healed from their specific injury, the compensatory action is likely to continue as it has now been programmed into the horse’s muscle memory. So once again the process is to re-educate the muscle and the way in which weight is distributed throughout the body. ProSix will help to override the previously programmed compensatory movement and bring uniformity to all four limbs and muscle symmetry.
ProSix is a broad-spectrum rehabilitative tool.
