PEMF vs. Shockwave vs. TECAR for Horses: What Is the Difference?

If you spend enough time studying equine therapy equipment, every machine eventually starts to sound like it “increases circulation, reduces pain, and promotes healing.” Those claims may sound similar, but the physics of each modality are not.

Welcome to equine therapy marketing, where apparently every machine does everything except muck the stall. 🐴

PEMF, shockwave, and TECAR deliver three completely different forms of energy to the body:

• PEMF uses a changing magnetic field to induce small electrical fields in tissue.
• Shockwave uses acoustic pressure waves to deliver mechanical energy.
• TECAR passes radiofrequency electrical current between an active electrode and a return electrode, producing electrical and, when/if desired, thermal effects inside tissue.

In other words, these are not three versions of the same machine. They interact with the horse differently, require different levels of operator involvement, and make sense for different therapeutic goals.

The short answer ⚡

The best modality is not the one with the longest list of claims. It is the one whose energy and application match the goal.

🧲 PEMF: a pulsed magnetic field over a broad treatment area

PEMF stands for pulsed electromagnetic field therapy. Current passes through a coil and creates a time-varying magnetic field. Under Faraday’s law, that changing magnetic field can induce an electric field in nearby conductive tissue. The horse does not need to become part of a closed electrical circuit, and the modality is generally used without intentionally heating tissue.

As an engineer, this is the part I love: the modality does not need magic language. Faraday already did the heavy lifting. 🧲

That makes PEMF especially practical when the goal is to treat a large region or provide repeatable, low-contact wellness and recovery sessions. Coils can be built into loops, paddles, ropes, wraps, or blankets, so one system can be adapted to the back, neck, limbs, or much of the body.

Where PEMF fits especially well

• Whole-body or large-area sessions
• Pre-work relaxation and post-work recovery support
• Horses that dislike firm manual pressure
• Repeated wellness sessions in a barn or clinical setting
• Situations where a nonthermal modality is preferred

PEMF is also the least hands-on of the three. Once an attachment is positioned correctly, the operator does not have to continuously move a treatment head across the horse. That makes it unusually scalable in a busy barn.

What the research actually says

Laboratory, human, and veterinary literature describes biological responses to specific PEMF waveforms, including effects involving inflammation, bone, postoperative pain, and edema. A veterinary review concluded that PEMF has potential for defined clinical applications, but device waveform, frequency, intensity, and dosing matter greatly [1].

The horse-specific evidence is still smaller and more mixed than the marketing surrounding the modality. For example, a 2024 equine hoof pilot study found no significant overall improvement in palmar angle or most sole-depth measurements, although one location showed a trend toward increased sole depth [2]. A 2025 uncontrolled four-horse pilot reported reduced back sensitivity and muscle tension after a series of low-frequency magnetic-field treatments, but its small sample and lack of a negative control mean the result should be treated as preliminary [3].

That does not make PEMF useless. It means “PEMF” is not one universal dose, and a horse relaxing during a session is not the same thing as proving that an injury has healed. Its most defensible place is as a noninvasive adjunct for wellness and recovery, not as a replacement for diagnosis, imaging, rehabilitation, or veterinary treatment.

💥 Shockwave: localized mechanical energy

Shockwave therapy works through mechanical pressure waves, not magnetism and not electrical current through the horse. A handpiece delivers acoustic energy through a coupling medium into a localized treatment area.

The mechanical stimulus is the point. Shockwave is used in equine sports medicine because pressure waves can interact with musculoskeletal tissue through mechanotransduction, the process by which cells respond to mechanical loading.

Shockwave is basically the machine equivalent of pointing at one very specific spot and saying, “You. We need to talk.” 💥

Focused shockwave and radial pressure wave are not interchangeable

This distinction matters.

Focused ESWT concentrates acoustic energy at a selected depth. Focused systems may generate waves using electrohydraulic, electromagnetic, or piezoelectric technology.

Radial pressure-wave therapy sends energy outward from the applicator through a broader, more superficial field. Energy is highest near the transmitter and attenuates as it travels through tissue.

Both are commonly discussed under the “shockwave” umbrella, but a protocol validated on a focused system cannot automatically be copied to a radial device. Even units that sound similar may report energy differently. A machine setting expressed in mJ per pulse is not automatically equivalent to a research dose expressed in mJ/mm² energy-flux density.

Calling both “shockwave” and assuming the protocols transfer perfectly is like calling a draft horse and a barrel horse “basically the same” because they both have four legs. Radial is much simpler to use and could be used by horse owners however the focused shockwave is more complex and shouldn't be operated by anyone that isn't a practitioner.

Where radial pressure-wave therapy (my new machines) fits especially well

• Localized, vet-identified treatment areas
• Superficial tendon, ligament, fascial, and muscular regions
• Cases where a mechanical stimulus is specifically desired
• Short, targeted sessions rather than whole-body treatment
• Use as one component of a structured rehabilitation program

Compared with PEMF, pressure-wave therapy is much more localized and generally more intense. It requires correct coupling, treatment-head selection, movement, pressure, anatomy knowledge, and conservative energy progression. The applicator is not something to park on the horse while answering texts.

What the equine evidence says

Shockwave has the most established equine clinical literature of these three modalities, particularly for certain orthopedic applications. In an experimental equine suspensory-ligament study, treated lesions showed improved ultrasonographic healing measurements compared with untreated controls [4]. A clinical report involving 65 horses treated with radial pressure waves plus controlled exercise found 53% of forelimb cases and 41% of hindlimb cases were non-lame and back in full work at six months, although the design relied on comparison with previously published conservative-treatment outcomes rather than a simultaneous control group [5].

A 2022 systematic review nevertheless found important gaps and bias in the veterinary shockwave literature, so the existence of more research does not mean every indication or every protocol is settled [6].

The American Association of Equine Practitioners states that shockwave has evidence-supported uses for certain chronic soft-tissue and musculoskeletal conditions, but it also recommends veterinary control, individualized protocols, follow-up, and attention to the possibility of pain masking. AAEP recommends at least a 72-hour competition withdrawal period, while individual organizations and jurisdictions may require something different [7].

In plain language: feeling better immediately is not proof that damaged tissue is ready for full work.

🔥 TECAR: radiofrequency current plus hands-on therapy

TECAR is usually expanded as transfer of energy capacitive and resistive. In research literature it is also called CRET, or capacitive-resistive electrical transfer.

TECAR is the extrovert of this group. It wants contact, movement, and an operator who is paying attention. 🔥

Unlike PEMF, TECAR normally makes the horse part of the electrical circuit. A return plate and an active electrode are placed on the body, and radiofrequency current flows through the tissue between them. Tissue impedance converts some of that electrical energy into heat, so the operator can use lower-intensity protocols with little intentional heating or higher-intensity protocols designed to create controlled endogenous warming.

This is not the same as placing a hot pack on the skin. The electrical current travels through the treatment region, and heat develops within tissue according to current density, impedance, electrode configuration, and operator technique.

Capacitive versus resistive mode

• Capacitive mode uses an insulated electrode and is commonly selected for water-rich, lower-impedance tissues such as muscle.
• Resistive mode uses a different electrode configuration and is commonly selected when the desired current path includes higher-impedance structures such as fascia, tendon, ligament, or periarticular tissue.

Those descriptions are useful shorthand, not GPS coordinates. The current still follows an electrical path through a three-dimensional body, and electrode placement, return-plate position, pressure, movement, tissue properties, and output all influence where energy is deposited.

Where TECAR fits especially well

• Large muscle groups and thoracolumbar work
• Tissue warming before stretching or manual therapy
• Operator-guided mobility and recovery sessions
• Situations where the therapist wants to combine energy delivery with massage or movement
• Adjustable low-thermal and thermal applications

Of the three modalities, TECAR is the most operator-dependent. That is not a flaw. It is part of its value. The active electrode can move with a therapist’s hands, allowing treatment to be continuously adjusted to anatomy, tissue response, and the horse’s comfort.

What the equine evidence says

Equine TECAR research is newer, but it is growing quickly - and its some pretty cool stuff. A 2020 sham-controlled study in nine horses found that two 448 kHz CRET sessions changed accelerometric gait measurements, including stride length, frequency, and regularity [8]. A 2024 blinded crossover study in six Standardbred trotters found changes in speed and accelerometric activity 24 hours after treatment, but also observed decreased stride regularity and symmetry, illustrating why a measurable change should not automatically be labeled an improvement [9].

A 2025 equine study confirmed that treatment intensity strongly affected thoracolumbar heating. Its low-intensity protocol showed minimal thermal effects, while moderate and high protocols produced larger temperature changes; horses did not tolerate the high-intensity resistive protocol beyond 12 minutes [10].

Most recently, a 2026 randomized pilot study in 20 healthy Thoroughbred racehorses found that one TECAR session increased thoracolumbar surface temperature and reduced palpation-assessed longissimus dorsi muscle tone immediately after treatment. The authors emphasized that the study evaluated short-term responses in healthy horses, not long-term injury healing [11].

That is an encouraging and practical signal for muscle-focused use, but it is not permission to turn every protocol to maximum power. With TECAR, more heat is not automatically more therapy.

🐴 So which one is best for horses?

Spoiler: there is no single winner. That would be convenient, but horses have never been famous for making anything that simple.

That question is a little like asking whether a socket wrench, torque wrench, or impact wrench is “best.” The answer depends on the job, and you can’t shove a square peg in a round hole.

Choose PEMF when the goal is broad, repeatable support

PEMF makes the most sense for whole-body or large-area wellness, relaxation, and routine recovery support. It is nonthermal, relatively easy to reproduce, and practical for frequent barn use.

Choose radial pressure wave when the goal is localized mechanical stimulation

Radial pressure-wave therapy makes the most sense when a veterinarian has identified a specific musculoskeletal target and mechanical acoustic energy is appropriate. It is a precise tool, not a general “do the entire horse” modality.

Choose TECAR when the goal is operator-guided muscle and mobility work

TECAR makes the most sense when the therapist wants active control over current path, tissue warming, electrode movement, and integration with massage, stretching, or movement. It sits closest to hands-on physical therapy.

🧰 Can the three modalities be used together?

Potentially, yes, but “stacking” therapies is not always better. A sensible plan starts with the diagnosis or goal and then asking what each modality uniquely contributes.

For example, a vet directed rehabilitation plan might use localized pressure-wave treatment for a defined lesion, TECAR on surrounding muscle groups to support comfortable movement, and PEMF on separate days for broader recovery support. The order, intensity, timing, and return-to-work plan should be based on the horse, the condition, and the treating veterinarian’s guidance.

The machine should fit the rehabilitation plan. The rehabilitation plan should never be reverse-engineered to justify using every machine in the barn.

Owning more tools does not mean all of them need to make a cameo in every treatment session. 🧰

⚙️ Why VanHorn is developing all three

I am not developing PEMF, radial pressure-wave, and TECAR systems because one is meant to replace the others. I am developing them because they each solve different problems.

• PEMF offers practical, broad-area wellness and recovery support.
• Radial pressure wave offers localized mechanical energy for carefully selected targets.
• TECAR offers an interactive radiofrequency platform for muscle work, mobility, and controlled tissue warming.

The goal is not to put a new label on the same therapy. It is to engineer distinct tools, explain their physics honestly, and help horse owners and professionals understand when each modality actually makes sense to use.

If I am going to put my VanHorn name on a machine, I want to be able to explain more than which button to press. I want to explain what energy it delivers, what job it is designed to do, and where the evidence stops. Science first, horse welfare always, and a little sass when needed. 🐴⚛️

🩺 Important note

This article is educational and does not diagnose or prescribe treatment. Like I always say: I’m an engineer, not a veterinarian. Musculoskeletal pain, lameness, tendon or ligament injury, back pain, and changes in performance should be evaluated by a veterinarian. Shockwave and other therapeutic devices may also be regulated by state practice acts, competition organizations, and racing jurisdictions. Always follow the applicable rules and the device-specific instructions.

📚 References

1. Gaynor JS, Hagberg S, Gurfein BT. Veterinary applications of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy. Research in Veterinary Science. 2018;119:1–8. PubMed
2. Matz MM, Alexander DL, Moore J, Fedorka CE. Evaluating the effect of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy on sole depth of the equine hoof: A pilot study. Journal of Equine Rehabilitation. 2024;2:100010. DOI
3. Jastrzębska E, et al. The effect of magnetotherapy on back pain sensitivity and muscle tension in recreational horses: A pilot study. 2025. PubMed Central
4. McClure SR, VanSickle D, Evans R, Reinertson EL, Moran L. The effects of extracorporeal shock-wave therapy on the ultrasonographic and histologic appearance of collagenase-induced equine forelimb suspensory ligament desmitis. Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. 2004;30(4):461–467. PubMed
5. Crowe OM, Dyson SJ, Wright IM, Schramme MC, Smith RKW. Treatment of chronic or recurrent proximal suspensory desmitis using radial pressure wave therapy in the horse. Equine Veterinary Journal. 2004;36(4):313–316. PubMed
6. Boström A, et al. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy. Animals. 2022;12(22):3124. PubMed Central
7. American Association of Equine Practitioners. Position Statement on the Use of Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy. 2025. AAEP
8. Becero M, et al. Capacitive resistive electric transfer modifies gait pattern in horses exercised on a treadmill. BMC Veterinary Research. 2020;16:10. Full text
9. Argüelles D, et al. The application of a single session of capacitive resistive electric transfer 24 h before exercise modifies the accelerometric pattern in Standardbred racing trotters. BMC Veterinary Research. 2024;20:217. Full text
10. Calle-González N, et al. Assessing thermal changes in the equine thoracolumbar region following different capacitive-resistive electrical transfer protocols. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 2025;12:1570120. Full text
11. Grzegorczyk W, et al. Effects of TECAR therapy on body surface temperature and longissimus dorsi muscle tone in Thoroughbred racehorses: A pilot study. Animals. 2026;16(15):2300. Full text