Magnetic therapy has become firmly established within the equine wellness market, with products ranging from magnetic horse boots and wraps to magnetic horse rugs, bands and other wearable technologies.
But not all magnetic products use the same technology — and describing something simply as "magnetic therapy" can hide some important differences.
In this article, we investigate the different types of magnetic technologies used within the equine market, including traditional neodymium permanent magnets and alternative magnetic configurations. We look beyond headline Gauss figures to explore differences in magnetic strength, polarity, field direction, spatial distribution, gradients and behaviour with distance, while examining the evidence behind some of the most common claims made about magnetic therapy for horses.
The objective isn't simply to ask which magnet is strongest.
It's to understand what the different technologies actually produce — and what the evidence tells us about their claimed benefits.
Equine Therapy Accessories
Equine therapy accessories are specialised products designed to support the health, comfort, and performance of horses by delivering targeted therapeutic benefits. These accessories include items such as magnetic bands, compression wraps, therapeutic boots, cooling boots or warming infra-red leg supports, massage devices, and vibration-based equipment. Many are developed to aid circulation, support joint and tendon health, reduce inflammation, assist recovery after exercise, and promote overall wellbeing. In this article we investigate the "magnetic therapy" industry.
Magnetic therapy has had a complicated relationship with mainstream science. Static magnetic products in particular have attracted both widespread consumer interest and considerable scientific scepticism, while other magnetic and electromagnetic technologies have developed along very different paths.
Part of the difficulty is that "magnetic therapy" is an extremely broad description.
There are many magnetic products developed for horses, with magnetic horse boots and magnetic leg wraps among the most common. That's perhaps unsurprising: many of the injuries and conditions horse owners manage involve the lower limbs, making boots and wraps a convenient way of positioning a technology close to the area of interest.
But two products described as "magnetic" can be physically very different.
Some use individual neodymium permanent magnets positioned at selected locations. Others use different magnetic materials or configurations. Powered technologies such as PEMF introduce another category altogether, generating magnetic fields that change over time rather than relying on a static permanent field.
This distinction is often lost when magnetic products are compared simply by quoting their maximum Gauss rating.
As we've explored elsewhere, magnetic flux density is only one characteristic of a magnetic field. Polarity, direction, spatial distribution, gradients, distance and—where the field changes over time—frequency and waveform can all form part of the physical description.
The same scrutiny should apply to the biological claims made for these products.
If a magnetic horse boot is claimed to increase circulation, reduce inflammation, accelerate healing or influence a particular anatomical structure, the important question isn't simply whether the product contains magnets.
It's:
What does this particular magnetic technology actually produce, and what evidence demonstrates the biological effect being claimed?
That's the standard we believe should be applied across the magnetic therapy industry — including to our own technology.
✔ Repair when something goes wrong.
✔ Prevent problems before they occur.
✔ Perfect their daily routines.
Magnetic Device Claims
Manufacturers claim that magnetic therapy (traditionally involving the use of static magnets) influence physiological processes within the body.
Their primary goal is to improve blood circulation, reduce pain and inflammation, and promote healing.
In horses, this therapy is applied through various magnetic devices, with 'magnetic boots' being a prevalent option.
Magnetic Boots for Horses: Enhancing Equine Health and Performance using Magnets
Our daily approach to equine care involves maintaining our beloved horses health on a continuous and ongoing basis. Spotting equine lameness early can be key to avoiding long term and serious issues.
As equestrians look to support their horses using a holistic approach, magnetic boots have emerged as a popular choice among horse owners and trainers.
The term "Magnetic boots" is rather vague; so in this article we look at the variety of products on the market and how they should (and should not!) be used on your horse.
Types of Magnetic Boots for Horses
Several types of 'magnetic boots' are available, each designed to target specific areas. Let's take a closer look:
1. Magnetic Tendon Boots
Designed to cover the horse's shins and tendons, 'Magnetic Tendon Boots' apply magnetic fields to areas prone to stress and injury - in this case, the horses tendons in their legs. Many magnetic tendon boots are constructed with durable nylon and a soft cotton lining, featuring strategically placed neodymium magnets positioned over the tendons and shins of the horse.
Most magnetic tendon boots are suitable for use on both the front and hind legs and provide localised effects to the horse. Many of these products use extremely low cost magnets.
2. Magnetic Hock Boots
"Magnetic Hock Boots" focus on the hock joint (the hind legs), an area highly susceptible to arthritis and other leg issues. As with Magnetic tendon boots, The majority of "Magnetic Hock Boots" incorporate a number of "powerful" magnets embedded within a unique inner- no different to above but specifically developed to be on the hind/back legs and target the hocks. This design is said to distribute a series of magnetic fields into the hock joint and marketed at aiding a reducing inflammation and promoting healing.
3. Magnetic Bell Boots
"Magnetic bell boots" are marketed to apply magnetic therapy to the hoof area, potentially benefiting horses with hoof-related issues. Many manufacturers offers magnetic bell boots that contain a number of magnets per boot, designed for therapeutic use to aid in the treatment of conditions affecting the hooves of a horse. These boots are often constructed from durable materials due to the nature of wear they are placed and are intended for use during rest periods rather than active work; as they'll fall off or get too muddy if used in turnout.
4. Magnetic Horse Wraps
Due to the nature of so many injuries in the equine world relating to the horses legs; "wraps" or "bands" are often used to describe the product which wraps around the horses legs. These traditional-approached technologies contain the same technology as above - but stitched into equine products which wrap around the legs.
Types of Magnets used in Horse Boots
1. Neodymium Magnets used in Magnetic Products
Neodymium magnets are rare-earth magnets that and are widely used in magnetic horse boots and by the majority of horse boot manufacturers and are non-propriatory.
Manufacturers claim that neodymium magnets "generate a powerful magnetic field that penetrates into the horses muscles and tissues, helping to stimulate localised blood flow and thus impacting health." As we discuss above - this is factually incorrect.
Neodymium magnets are often positioned against pressure points in the horses body.
Neodymium magnets are by far the 'strongest' static magnets available in science and have shown to avoid demagnetisation better than other magnetic materials, with this, many magnetic therapy manufacturers are attracted (excuse the pun) to using neodymium magnetics in their therapeutic devices. The majority of 'premium' manufacturers openly use Neodymium magnets in their products.
Neodymium magnets create a static and consistent magnetic field and are incredibly low cost to manufacturer. They are used in a huge variety of products including magnetic toys, fridge magnets, the motor industry, latches and fasteners for doors and cupboards and most commonly for use in electronics in things like speakers and microphones. They were not developed for health purposes.
600 Gauss neodymium magnets (as seen in the majority of magnetic horse boots and rugs) can be purchased online - direct from manufacturers across the globe - for very low cost! The most popular 'magnetic therapy boots' on the market use these magnets, some with 6 or 12 stitched into their products.
They are "powerful", stick them to your fridge door and you'll see - but 'developed for therapeutic purposes' they are not.
This really indicates the vast difference in technologies between StreamZ bio-resonance therapy and traditional low cost magnetic devices.
2. Ceramic (Ferrite) or Rubber Magnets used in Magnetic Products
Another important category is ceramic, or ferrite, magnets and flexible magnetic materials made by combining magnetic particles with a flexible carrier such as rubber or silicone.
Ferrite magnets generally produce lower maximum magnetic flux densities than comparable high-strength neodymium magnets, but maximum strength is only one characteristic of a magnetic system.
Flexible magnetic composites can be manufactured into sheets, strips, bands and other shapes, allowing the magnetic material to be distributed across a much larger area than an individual rigid magnet. They can also be magnetised in different patterns depending upon how the finished material is designed.
This is an important distinction.
Simply knowing that a product contains ferrite does not tell us what magnetic field the finished product creates. Its magnetic behaviour will also depend upon factors including the material composition, magnetisation pattern, polarity arrangement, geometry and position around the body.
Some magnetic horse rugs and other equine products use flexible ferrite-containing magnetic pads or inserts. Similar flexible magnetic materials are also widely used outside therapeutic products, but—as with neodymium magnets—the commercial availability of the underlying magnetic material tells us very little about the performance of a particular finished product.
This is particularly relevant to StreamZ, which also uses ferrite-containing flexible material. The important distinction is not simply that StreamZ contains ferrite, but how that material is manufactured and magnetically configured, including its multi-polarity arrangement around the wearer.
In other words:
The magnetic material matters — but the way that material is configured matters too.
A Note About "Ceramic" Therapy Fabrics
There is also potential for confusion around the word ceramic.
Some equine and pet products described as "ceramic therapy" do not contain ceramic magnets at all. Instead, ceramic or mineral particles are incorporated into fabrics that are marketed around thermal or far-infrared properties.
These should not be confused with ceramic/ferrite permanent magnets.
They are different technologies operating on different physical principles and should therefore be assessed separately.
3. Bio-Resonance Silicone Magnetic Technology
StreamZ takes a different approach to the discrete neodymium magnets commonly found in conventional magnetic horse boots.
The technology originates from work undertaken by inventor Eric Dodd, who developed a method of incorporating ferrite magnetic material into a flexible carrier and applying a distinctive multi-polarity magnetic configuration. Today's StreamZ technology uses a durable silicone-based composite manufactured according to the same underlying principles.
We have historically described this technology as Bio-Resonance Magnetism, or Advanced Magnetism.
Importantly, however, bio-resonance should not be interpreted as meaning that StreamZ somehow operates outside conventional magnetic physics.
StreamZ produces a measurable magnetic field and, like any permanent magnetic material, that field can be characterised scientifically.
What makes the technology physically interesting is its configuration.
Rather than placing a small number of discrete high-strength magnets at selected points, StreamZ uses flexible ferrite-containing material with a multi-polarity magnetic pattern arranged around the wearer.
This creates a different magnetic architecture from a conventional horse boot containing individual neodymium magnets.
And that distinction changes the scientific question.
Rather than simply asking "How many Gauss?", a fuller characterisation considers:
field magnitude, direction, polarity, spatial distribution, magnetic gradients and how the field changes with distance.
These characteristics allow different magnetic technologies to be compared objectively without assuming that the strongest magnet must necessarily produce the most meaningful biological effect.
The physical differences can be measured.
What those differences mean biologically must then be established through appropriate evidence.
StreamZ technology has gathered substantial credibility in the past few years due to it's unrivalled results on many horse related conditions, across many disciplines - and are widely used and endorsed by leading vets and therapists, endorsements by top equine professionals and equine influencers.
Fact Checking/Debunking Magnetic Device Claims
Magnetic therapy products are associated with a wide range of biological claims. But which of those claims are actually supported by scientific evidence?
Let's look at some of the most common.
"Magnets improve blood flow"
This is one of the most frequently repeated claims surrounding static magnetic therapy, but current human evidence does not support the general claim that static permanent magnets increase blood flow.
A 2025 review examining the available research identified 23 relevant studies — 10 involving humans and 13 involving animals. None of the 10 human studies demonstrated a statistically significant increase in blood flow attributable to the static magnetic field, while the results from animal studies were mixed.
There is also a common misconception that magnets might influence circulation because blood contains iron. The iron atoms in haemoglobin are chemically bound and blood is not ferromagnetic like metallic iron. It therefore isn't simply attracted towards an ordinary permanent magnet in the way that iron filings would be.
This doesn't establish that static magnetic fields can never interact with biological systems.
It does mean that the frequently repeated claim that wearing a static magnet increases blood circulation is not currently supported by human scientific evidence.
"The iron in our blood is attracted to magnets"
This is another common explanation for how magnetic therapy is claimed to increase circulation — but it misunderstands the magnetic properties of blood.
Haemoglobin — the protein in red blood cells responsible for carrying oxygen — contains iron. However, that iron is chemically bound within the haemoglobin molecule and does not behave like metallic iron.
The magnetic properties of haemoglobin also change depending upon whether it is carrying oxygen:
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Oxygenated haemoglobin is diamagnetic, meaning it responds extremely weakly in the opposite direction to an applied magnetic field.
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Deoxygenated haemoglobin is paramagnetic, meaning it responds weakly to an applied magnetic field.
This difference in magnetic behaviour is scientifically real and is important in technologies such as MRI and functional MRI.
But neither form of haemoglobin is ferromagnetic in the way that metallic iron or steel can be. Blood therefore isn't pulled towards an ordinary permanent magnet like iron filings towards a magnet.
Studies have also investigated whether static magnets measurably alter circulation. Current human evidence does not support a general increase in blood flow from static magnetic devices, while animal research has produced mixed results.
In short:
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Deoxygenated blood = weakly paramagnetic.
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Oxygenated blood = diamagnetic.
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Neither behaves like ferromagnetic metallic iron.
So the statement "blood contains iron, therefore magnets pull the blood towards them and increase circulation" is not a scientifically valid explanation.
"Our magnets are 'stronger' than their magnets"
Higher Gauss does mean a stronger magnetic flux density at the point being measured.
What it does not automatically mean is a greater therapeutic effect.
This distinction is important because magnetic therapy products are frequently marketed using headline figures such as 600 Gauss, 1,000 Gauss, 3,000 Gauss or more, implying that the product with the largest number must somehow be the most effective.
But Gauss describes only one characteristic of the magnetic field.
The field experienced at a particular location also depends upon the magnet's size, shape, polarity, orientation, arrangement and distance from that location. Field direction, gradients and spatial distribution can also differ considerably between products.
A magnet quoted as producing several thousand Gauss at its surface therefore does not expose every part of the horse's leg to that same field strength.
Scientific studies of static magnetic therapy have also failed to establish a simple relationship where increasing magnetic field strength consistently produces increasing therapeutic benefit.
This doesn't mean magnetic field strength is irrelevant.
It means:
Stronger magnet ≠ automatically better therapeutic outcome.
A more meaningful comparison asks what magnetic field the finished product creates around the intended anatomical target and what evidence demonstrates that the particular field or configuration produces the biological effect being claimed.
For a deeper explanation of why distance and measurement position matter, see our article The 10mm Myth: Why Traditional Magnetic Therapy Often Falls Short.
"Using Unipolar Magnets"
The term "unipolar magnet" occasionally appears in magnetic therapy marketing and needs some clarification.
An ordinary permanent magnet is not genuinely unipolar. It has both a north and south magnetic pole.
Cut a conventional permanent magnet in half and you don't separate north from south — you create two smaller magnets, each with its own north and south poles.
However, manufacturers sometimes use terms such as "unipolar" or "single-pole application" to describe a product in which predominantly one pole of a magnet is intentionally positioned towards the body.
That is different from claiming that the magnet itself possesses only one pole.
So when a magnetic therapy product is described as using "unipolar magnets", the useful question is:
Does the manufacturer simply mean that one pole is facing the body, or are they claiming that the magnet itself has only one magnetic pole?
The first describes a possible magnet orientation.
The second does not describe an ordinary permanent magnet.
Why Bio-Resonance Magnetism Is Different
StreamZ introduced a different approach to the conventional discrete magnets commonly used within magnetic therapy products.
Our technology, historically described as bio-resonance magnetic therapy, uses a flexible ferrite-containing composite with a distinctive multi-polarity magnetic configuration, allowing the magnetic material to be arranged around the wearer rather than positioning individual high-strength magnets at selected points.
This distinction is important because a magnetic technology cannot be fully described by its maximum Gauss measurement alone.
Field strength, direction, polarity, spatial distribution, gradients and behaviour with distance all contribute to the magnetic environment created by the finished product.
We have also investigated the thermal behaviour of EQU StreamZ and conventional magnetic products using thermal imaging. Importantly, magnetic and thermal behaviour should be considered separately: a permanent magnet is not itself a heating element, while the construction of a boot or wrap can influence heat retention and heat loss.
So the interesting question isn't whether StreamZ is simply stronger or weaker than a conventional magnet.
It is whether its different magnetic architecture creates a different measurable magnetic environment around the horse — and what the evidence ultimately tells us about the biological significance of those differences.
That's a much more interesting question than simply asking:
"How many Gauss?"
The 'Strength' of Magnets and their Effects on Horses
At StreamZ we are regularly asked a question encouraged by the way magnetic therapy products are often marketed:
"What strength magnets are used in your magnetic horse boots? What Gauss are they?"
It's a perfectly reasonable question — but Gauss alone doesn't provide the answer people often think it does.
Gauss is a unit used to express magnetic flux density. A higher Gauss measurement at a particular point means a higher magnetic flux density at that point.
The important words are "at that point."
A magnet does not have one universal Gauss value everywhere around it. The magnetic field varies with position and distance, while its overall behaviour is influenced by the magnet's size, shape, material, orientation, polarity and configuration.
This becomes particularly important when evaluating a magnetic horse boot.
A manufacturer may quote the maximum Gauss measurement at the surface of an individual magnet, but the horse's anatomical structures are not necessarily positioned at that measurement point. The relevant question is therefore not simply:
"How strong is the magnet?"
It is:
"What magnetic field does the finished product create where the horse is actually exposed to it?"
That requires looking beyond maximum Gauss to characteristics including field direction, polarity, spatial distribution, gradients and behaviour with distance.
Distance is particularly important. Magnetic fields don't suddenly stop after a predetermined number of millimetres, but their magnitude and direction change as you move away from the magnetic source. We explore this in considerably more detail in our article, The 10mm Myth: Why Traditional Magnetic Therapy Often Falls Short.
So claiming that one magnetic therapy product must be more effective simply because it has a higher maximum Gauss figure isn't scientifically justified.
Higher Gauss means higher magnetic flux density at the stated measurement point. It does not, by itself, mean a better therapeutic outcome.
That distinction is fundamental when comparing different magnetic technologies.
How to Select the Best Magnetic Therapy for your Horse
as "magnetic therapy."
Traditional magnetic horse products commonly use individual permanent magnets positioned at selected locations within a boot, wrap or rug. This creates magnetic-field exposure concentrated around the positions of those magnets.
As a result, manufacturers offer products designed for particular anatomical areas. If the area of interest is the fetlock, for example, there are magnetic fetlock bands and wraps. For the hock, there are magnetic hock boots. Other products are designed for the pastern, hoof, back or other areas of the horse.
StreamZ takes a different approach.
Rather than positioning a small number of discrete high-strength magnets against selected points, EQU StreamZ uses flexible ferrite-containing material with a multi-polarity magnetic configuration arranged around the lower limb.
This does not mean that StreamZ somehow avoids the normal laws of magnetic-field behaviour or automatically produces effects throughout the entire horse.
It means that the physical magnetic architecture is different.
When choosing between magnetic therapy products, therefore, don't consider only the headline Gauss figure or the number of magnets stitched into the product. Look at:
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What magnetic technology is being used?
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How is the magnetic material positioned and configured?
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What field does the finished product actually create?
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How does that field change with distance?
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What evidence supports the biological benefits being claimed?
Ultimately, the best magnetic therapy product for your horse shouldn't be determined by which manufacturer quotes the biggest number.
It should be determined by understanding what the product actually does, how it is intended to be used, and what evidence supports those claims.
Do Magnetic Devices Create Heat?
This is a topic much debated within the magnetic therapy market and a subject which many manufacturers disagree on.
The reality is that traditional magnets themselves do not create heat; if they did we could simply fit magnets within water tanks to increase the temperature of the water.
This is not what we refer to in the industry when we say "magnetic therapy creates heat".
Applying traditional magnets to a horses legs, for whatever reason, creates a thermal reaction in the body, ie. heat.
Simply attach a static magnetic device - such as Magnetic horse boots - to a horses legs and see what the impact is. The first thing you'll notice is how warm the leg becomes after 10-15 minutes. This can be shown using thermology (thermal imaging).
A varying magnetic field (not a constant magnetic field) will induce an electric current in a conductor, and an electric current can produce heat - so there are certain processes and technologies which can (and do) use magnetism to create heat.
Heat can also be created from magnets by putting magnetised materials into a high-frequency oscillating magnetic field which makes the magnet's polarity switch back and forth at a high-enough rate to produce a level of friction - which in turn creates heat.
You see, it’s complicated!
What we do know in the equine community; applying heat to our horses legs is not ideal; and it is this reason that magnetic therapy over the years has developed a mixed reputation. In many cases, they are used at the wrong time and for the wrong purpose.
Magnets themselves do not have heating properties, the action they create on the living system produces a reaction which can lead to an increase in thermal activity. This is an important point.
Heat, Cooling and Recovery
Exercise generates heat within the lower limbs, particularly within structures such as the superficial digital flexor tendon. This is why cooling after demanding exercise is widely used in equine management, using methods including cold-water hosing, ice boots and evaporative cooling systems.
But there is an important distinction when discussing magnetic horse boots:
A static permanent magnet is not itself a heating element.
The presence of neodymium or ferrite magnets inside a product does not mean those magnets are generating heat. However, putting any boot or wrap around a horse's leg can alter its thermal environment by insulating the limb and reducing heat loss.
How much this occurs depends upon the construction of the finished product — including its materials, thickness, breathability, fit, ambient conditions and how long it is worn.
This is particularly relevant immediately after strenuous exercise, when the horse's lower limbs may already be warm and effective heat removal can be desirable.
So rather than assuming that a magnetic product either "creates heat" or "doesn't create heat", the more useful question is:
What actually happens to the temperature of the horse's leg while the finished product is being worn?
Magnetic behaviour and thermal behaviour are different characteristics — and both should be measured rather than assumed.
Best Magnetic Horse Boots, by StreamZ
So what should you look for when searching for the best magnetic horse boots for your horse?
At StreamZ, we believe the answer should go considerably further than simply asking which product contains the strongest magnets. Here are some of the characteristics that distinguish EQU StreamZ from conventional magnetic horse boots.
1) Proprietary Magnetic Technology
StreamZ uses a proprietary flexible ferrite-containing silicone composite with a distinctive multi-polarity magnetic configuration.
Unlike conventional magnetic horse boots containing individual neodymium magnets positioned at selected points, the StreamZ material is designed to be positioned around the horse's lower limb.
The difference isn't simply about one magnet being stronger than another. It is a fundamentally different magnetic architecture.
As we explain in The 10mm Myth: Why Traditional Magnetic Therapy Often Falls Short, maximum Gauss alone cannot describe the complete magnetic environment created by a finished product.
2) Lightweight, Open Design
EQU StreamZ Bands are deliberately very different from heavily constructed magnetic boots and wraps.
Rather than enclosing a large proportion of the lower limb, the bands use a lightweight, open design intended for extended wear.
This distinction matters when considering temperature. Static permanent magnets are not themselves heating elements, but any boot or wrap can influence heat loss depending upon its materials, thickness, breathability, fit and duration of use.
We explore this distinction further in our thermal imaging comparison of EQU StreamZ and traditional magnetic products.
3) Designed for 24/7 Wear
EQU StreamZ Bands are designed to be worn 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including during normal turnout.
There is no requirement to apply them only for a short treatment session or continually remove and refit them throughout the day.
As with any product worn by a horse for extended periods, owners should ensure the bands are fitted correctly and routinely check the horse's skin and the condition of the product.
4) A Separate Solution for Post-Exercise Cooling
When cooling is the priority, EQU StreamZ Coolboots combine StreamZ magnetic material with a completely separate physical cooling technology.
The Coolmax outer material is soaked in water and uses evaporative cooling to remove heat from the lower limb, without requiring ice or a freezer.
This distinction is important:
Coolmax provides the cooling. StreamZ provides the magnetic component.
Rather than confusing magnetic therapy with cooling, EQU Coolboots deliberately combine two separate technologies within one product for use following exercise, training, competition or travel.
5) Evidence Behind the Technology
We believe manufacturers making biological claims about therapeutic products should be prepared to show the evidence behind them.
StreamZ publishes its studies and trials, including independent and controlled investigations involving horses.
These studies have examined measurable outcomes including changes in swelling and joint movement, providing evidence that can be assessed alongside customer experience.
We are careful, however, to distinguish between evidence and proof. Individual studies can support particular findings without establishing that every proposed mechanism or therapeutic claim has been clinically proven.
That is the same evidential standard we believe should be applied to all magnetic therapy technologies — including our own.
6) Used and Reviewed by Horse Owners and Professionals
Scientific evidence is different from customer experience, and the two shouldn't be confused.
But when choosing a product for your horse, it can still be useful to understand how it has performed in everyday use.
EQU StreamZ has accumulated hundreds of customer reviews alongside endorsements and experiences from riders, therapists and equestrian professionals.
You can meet some of our EQU StreamZ friends and influencers and read experiences from top-level riders, including world and Olympic champions.
Those experiences aren't substitutes for controlled scientific research — but they provide another part of the picture when evaluating a product intended for everyday equine use.
So, What Makes the Best Magnetic Horse Boots?
We don't believe the answer is simply:
"The ones with the highest Gauss."
Look at the magnetic technology itself. Look at how it is configured around the horse. Consider how the finished product behaves thermally, how practical it is to use, what evidence has actually been produced and what experienced users report.
Most importantly, separate what can be measured from what is being claimed.
That's the standard we believe magnetic therapy products should be judged against — including EQU StreamZ.
In Summary: Magnetic Therapy Just Got Better
Magnetic therapy continues to attract considerable interest within the equine community, with horse owners using products as part of their everyday management routines for everything from general wellbeing to concerns such as filled legs.
But as we've explored throughout this article, not all magnetic horse products are the same.
Neodymium magnets, flexible ferrite magnets and StreamZ's multi-polarity ferrite-containing technology can create very different magnetic environments. Comparing them simply by asking "How many Gauss?" overlooks important characteristics including field direction, polarity, spatial distribution, gradients and behaviour with distance.
The same scrutiny should be applied to therapeutic claims.
Customer experiences can be valuable, but claims about circulation, inflammation, recovery or other biological effects should ultimately be judged against appropriate scientific evidence.
For owners comparing the best magnetic horse boots, our advice is simple:
Look beyond the headline claims. Ask what the technology actually produces, how the finished product is designed, what has been measured and what evidence supports the claimed benefits.
EQU StreamZ Bands provide our lightweight option designed for continuous everyday wear, while EQU StreamZ Coolboots combine StreamZ magnetic technology with a separate evaporative cooling system for short-duration use when cooling the lower limbs is the priority.
Different products. Different purposes. Different technologies.
And when it comes to magnetic therapy, we believe one principle should apply to all of them:
A magnetic field can be measured. A biological claim should be demonstrated.
👉 Articles of interest:
If your horse is recovering from injury, read our complete guide to Rehabilitation & Recovery for Equine Injuries (Repair).Prevention is as important as cure. With this in mind, read our guide to How to Prevent Injuries in Horses (Prevent).
To go beyond prevention and optimise long-term soundness, explore Optimising Performance in Horses (Perfect).
Frequently Asked Questions
What are magnetic therapy boots for horses?
Magnetic therapy boots are horse boots or wraps containing permanent magnets, flexible magnetic materials or, in some products, powered electromagnetic technology. They are marketed for equine wellbeing and recovery, although the evidence supporting specific biological effects varies considerably between technologies and products.
What types of magnets are used in horse therapy boots?
Magnetic horse boots commonly use neodymium permanent magnets, ferrite/ceramic magnets or flexible ferrite-containing magnetic materials. Powered technologies such as PEMF are a separate category because they generate magnetic fields that change over time rather than relying on a static permanent field.
How do magnetic therapy boots benefit horses?
Manufacturers make various claims for magnetic horse boots, including effects on circulation, stiffness, swelling and recovery. However, these claims should be assessed individually against appropriate evidence. In particular, current human research does not support the general claim that static permanent magnets increase blood flow.
Do magnetic therapy boots improve healing after injury?
Evidence varies between technologies and individual products, and magnetic therapy should not be considered a replacement for veterinary diagnosis or treatment. If a horse is injured, lame or has persistent swelling, appropriate veterinary advice should be sought.
Can magnetic therapy boots be used for all horses?
This depends upon the individual product, its construction and the horse. Always follow the manufacturer's fitting and usage instructions, regularly check the horse's skin when using wearable products, and seek veterinary advice where there is an existing injury or medical condition.
How often should I use magnetic therapy boots on my horse?
It depends upon the product. Some conventional magnetic boots are intended for limited periods of use, while EQU StreamZ Bands are designed for continuous wear, including normal stable and turnout use. Always follow the instructions provided for the particular product.
How is StreamZ bio-resonance technology different from traditional neodymium magnets?
Traditional magnetic horse boots commonly position a number of discrete neodymium permanent magnets at selected points. StreamZ instead uses a flexible ferrite-containing silicone composite with a multi-polarity magnetic configuration arranged around the lower limb.
This creates a physically different magnetic architecture. Whether differences between magnetic configurations produce different biological effects should be established through appropriate measurement and evidence rather than maximum Gauss figures alone.
Can I leave EQU StreamZ on my horse 24/7, even in the stable?
Yes. EQU StreamZ Bands are designed for continuous 24/7 wear, including in the stable and during normal turnout.
Their lightweight, open construction covers considerably less of the lower limb than many conventional boots and wraps. As with anything worn continuously by a horse, correct fitting and regular checks of the skin and product are recommended.
Do StreamZ magnets need to be placed directly over the horse's injury?
EQU StreamZ Bands are designed to position the flexible multi-polarity magnetic material around the lower limb, rather than positioning individual magnets directly over a particular anatomical point.
We do not claim that this creates proven "full-body coverage" or avoids the normal behaviour of magnetic fields with distance. The distinction is the physical configuration of the magnetic field, which differs from products using discrete magnets at selected positions.
Is a higher Gauss rating better for my horse's recovery?
Not necessarily. A higher Gauss measurement means a higher magnetic flux density at the point where it was measured, but it does not by itself demonstrate greater therapeutic effectiveness.
When comparing magnetic horse boots, factors including field strength, direction, polarity, spatial distribution, gradients and behaviour with distance provide a more complete description of the magnetic technology.
Higher Gauss does not automatically mean better therapeutic results.