Last reviewed: April 2026
Our starting point
At CORE by D, we want you, whether you are a veterinarian, hippologist, physiotherapist, trainer, or rider, to be able to trust what we say. That is why we present the research as it is, including what it still cannot answer.
In short, the mechanism behind elastic training bands, proprioceptive stimulation that promotes activation of the core and hindquarter musculature, has been examined in a number of peer reviewed studies in horses. The results point in the same direction: band systems may increase muscle activation and contribute to improved dynamic stability in the thoracic and lumbar spine during exercise. At the same time, the evidence base remains limited, with few studies, small sample sizes, short follow up periods, and, so far, nearly all published research having used one specific American band system.
That is the honest position. Below, we go through what actually exists, what conclusions can reasonably be drawn, and where the research still needs to develop.
What is meant by "core" in the horse?
When we talk about core musculature in the horse, we are referring primarily to the abdominal muscles, including the musculus rectus abdominis and the oblique abdominal muscles, the deep back muscles, including the musculus multifidus and musculus longissimus dorsi, as well as the stabilizing musculature of the hindquarters. Together, these structures support the spine, limit unwanted movement in the thoracic and lumbar regions, and transfer force between the hindquarters and the forehand.
A horse with good activation in this musculature tends to move more symmetrically, carry its back better under the rider, and may theoretically have a lower risk of overload related injuries over time. Strengthening the core is therefore a central goal in both performance training and rehabilitation.1
The current research, the key studies
Study 1: Back kinematics over four weeks, Pfau et al., 2017
A research group at the Royal Veterinary College in London investigated the effect of a four week training program using elastic resistance bands on back movement patterns in seven horses. The researchers measured spinal motion using inertial sensors, IMUs, during trot, both in hand on a hard surface and on the lunge on a soft surface.
Results: The band system reduced medio lateral, sideways, and rotational movement in the thoracolumbar region, which was interpreted as improved dynamic stability during trot.
Limitations highlighted by the authors themselves: the study lacked a control group. This means that the observed differences between week 1 and week 4 cannot be attributed with certainty to the bands alone. The four week training program itself may also have contributed. The sample of seven horses was also small.2
Study 2: Muscle activation measured with surface electromyography, Shaw et al., 2021
A group at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine measured muscle activity in the longissimus dorsi and rectus abdominis in six horses during walk and trot, with and without ground poles, and with and without abdominal and hindquarter bands tensioned to 25%.
Results: Ground poles increased peak muscle activation bilaterally in both the longissimus dorsi and rectus abdominis. The abdominal and hindquarter bands in trot increased the average activation of the rectus abdominis by about 27% on both sides, but the increase was statistically significant only on the left side, p < 0.05.
Limitations: six horses is a small sample, and statistical significance on only one side means the results should be interpreted with some caution. The authors conclude that the bands may be a useful addition to training and rehabilitation programs where the goal is to activate the abdominal musculature, but they also call for more research.3
Study 3: Symmetry and lameness in mild lameness cases, University of Georgia, 2023
A team at the University of Georgia studied eight horses, a mix of Warmbloods and American Quarter Horses, aged 10 to 18 years, with mild hindlimb lameness, grade 1 to 2. The horses were trained in hand in a four week program using abdominal and hindquarter bands tensioned to approximately 30%, without any other targeted treatment for the lameness itself.
Results: After four weeks, improved symmetry in hindlimb loading, improved spinal stability, and reduced postural sway, both cranio caudally and medio laterally, were observed during standing.
Important nuance from the study itself: subjective lameness assessments according to the AAEP scale improved numerically in all horses, but did not reach statistical significance. In other words, the symmetry measures and postural stability improved measurably, but the lameness grade itself could not be shown to decrease significantly in such a small group over such a short period.
What the research reasonably supports
The statements below are ones we are comfortable standing behind ourselves. They reflect what the studies have actually shown, no more and no less.
Elastic training bands may increase activation of the abdominal musculature, rectus abdominis, during trot.
Elastic training bands may reduce unwanted rotation and lateral movement in the thoracic and lumbar spine during trot, which corresponds to improved dynamic stability.
Four weeks of training with a band system has, in one study, been associated with improved hindlimb symmetry and reduced postural sway in horses with mild lameness.
The effect is linked to proprioceptive feedback. The bands stimulate skin receptors and underlying tissue, which in turn elicits muscle activation. Similar mechanisms have been described in broader review work on equine training aids.4
What the research cannot yet show
It is just as important to be clear about what the evidence is not yet sufficient to demonstrate:
No randomized, controlled studies with a clear control group have been published. So far, the published work mainly uses within subject comparisons or crossover designs in small groups.
No long term follow up. All published studies we are aware of are four weeks or shorter. Whether the effects persist, increase, or diminish over months and years has not been investigated.
No study in Swedish riding school environments, or comparable populations where most horses actually work. The research has been carried out in small groups of clinical or research horses.
No direct comparison between different band systems. Nearly all published research has been carried out using one specific American band system. The mechanism, proprioceptive stimulation through elastic resistance, is general, but the question of which band properties, such as elasticity, texture, tension, and fit, optimize the effect remains largely unanswered.
Lameness reduction as an endpoint has not been shown to be statistically significant in the existing studies, despite positive changes in symmetry and stability measures.
These are not weaknesses we are trying to hide. They are things we believe anyone recommending or using this type of product should know.
How we use the research, and how we do not
As a guide for colleagues in equestrian sport, veterinary medicine, or horse education, these are the questions we believe should be asked when reading marketing claims about training bands, whether ours or someone else's:
Does the text refer to an actual study, or to "studies show" without a reference? Factual claims should stand up to source review.
Does the study design match the claim being made? A study measuring muscle activation says something about muscle activation, not necessarily about lameness reduction or performance improvement.
Is there a control group, or is the horse being compared to itself? One approach says something about the effect of the band itself, the other says something about "training plus band" together.
How long did the study run, and how many horses were included? Four weeks and seven horses is a starting point, not a final conclusion.
We use the research primarily as a basis for recommendations on how bands should be used, including progressive loading, correct fit, and combination with instructor led or veterinarian guided training, rather than as promises of what they are guaranteed to achieve.
References
The University of Georgia study from 2023 on band guided training in horses with mild lameness is referred to above based on the research group's public summary. For the latest developments in this field, we refer to PubMed, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, as well as the journals Journal of Equine Veterinary Science and Equine Veterinary Journal.
Do you have questions, or research we may have missed?
We are always happy to read and cite new studies. If you are a veterinarian, hippologist, physiotherapist, or researcher and know of work that should be included here, or would like to discuss the current state of evidence, please contact us at [contact email].
This page is updated when new peer reviewed research is published. Last reviewed: April 2026.
Footnotes
1. Stubbs, N.C., Kaiser, L.J., Hauptman, J. & Clayton, H.M. (2011). Dynamic mobilisation exercises increase cross sectional area of musculus multifidus. Equine Veterinary Journal, 43(5), 522 to 529. DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00322.x. PubMed ID: 21496085. This study shows that targeted exercises significantly increase the cross sectional area of m. multifidus, a deep back muscle central to spinal stability, and is one of the most cited references in equine core training. See also de Oliveira, K. et al. (2015), Gymnastic Training and Dynamic Mobilization Exercises Improve Stride Quality and Increase Epaxial Muscle Size in Therapy Horses, Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 35(11 to 12), 888 to 893, DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2015.08.006, as well as the classic practitioner handbook Stubbs, N.C. & Clayton, H.M. (2008), Activate Your Horse's Core: Unmounted Exercises for Dynamic Mobility, Strength & Balance.
2. Pfau, T., Simons, V., Rombach, N., Stubbs, N. & Weller, R. (2017). Effect of a 4 week elastic resistance band training regimen on back kinematics in horses trotting in hand and on the lunge. Equine Veterinary Journal, 49(6), 829 to 835. DOI: 10.1111/evj.12690. PubMed ID: 28432739.
3. Shaw, K., Ursini, T., Levine, D., Richards, J. & Adair, S. (2021). The Effect of Ground Poles and Elastic Resistance Bands on Longissimus Dorsi and Rectus Abdominus Muscle Activity During Equine Walk and Trot. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 107, 103772. DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2021.103772. PubMed ID: 34802619.
4. For peer reviewed research highlighting proprioceptive and tactile stimulation as a mechanism for muscle activation and altered movement patterns in horses, the same basic principle on which elastic training bands are built, see Clayton, H.M., Lavagnino, M., Kaiser, L.J. & Stubbs, N.C. (2011). Evaluation of biomechanical effects of four stimulation devices placed on the hind feet of trotting horses. American Journal of Veterinary Research, 72(11), 1489 to 1495. DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.72.11.1489. PubMed ID: 22023127. Among other findings, the study showed that light tactile stimulators, approximately 55 g, significantly increased hoof flight arc during trot, mainly through increased flexion in the shoulder and carpal joints. See also Clayton, H.M., White, A.D., Kaiser, L.J., Nauwelaerts, S., Lavagnino, M. & Stubbs, N.C. (2010), Short term habituation of equine limb kinematics to tactile stimulation of the coronet, Equine Veterinary Journal, 42(3), 227 to 233, DOI: 10.2746/042516409X478505, PubMed ID: 20476979.