Finite element analysis of temperature distribution in sport horses' skin during rehabilitation massage

Abstract

High physical strain placed on sport horses forces breeders to search for new methods and rehabilitation devices in order to restore animals to full, proper activity. One of the currently used method is a manual massage of the animal performed for both - the rehabilitation and relaxation purposes before, during and after physical activities. Because of the time needed to perform the massage, the difficulty of carrying it out by a physiotherapist, as well as the measurements of horse-patients, such procedures are supported by various mechanical systems. For this reason, currently numerous studies are carried out, which goal is to find optimal solutions that increase the quality of the animal care. The results of these researches reduce the time to service a single horse staying in a stud. The following paper presents the numerical studies, conducted in the ANSYS Workbench v. 16.2 software, which describe the temperature distribution in the skin of sport horses during the rehabilitation massage with exemplary technical massaging system. Two variable parameters for the analyses were considered: the speed of the massager tip and the coefficient of friction between the material of the massager tip and the skin of the animal. Temperature generated in the skin during the rehabilitation and relaxation massage has a significant impact on the effectiveness and speed of the restoration to the appropriate functionality of the sport horses. It also helps in maintaining a good mental and physical condition of the animal and shortens the recovery time after strenuous athletic training. Thus, it increases the willingness to take on new challenges. Additionally, the directions of further research are indicated in the conclusions of the article.