Follow Up Feature— “Cahir”

This photo of Cahir is from a few weeks ago at the age of 31 years old, looking as well muscled as a young horse in working fitness.

The photograph on the crossties is from the day he arrived at Tad Coffin’s farm at the age of 21 years. He was slated to be euthanized the next day because his health had been deteriorating.

Usually we would think of the rough looking horse as being the “old age photo” of a once fit equine athlete. Our brains want to assume that the horse wearing the saddle is the younger one, but Tad Coffin’s SmartRide Rx Saddle Technology is repeatedly demonstrating overall wellness and is challenging how we look at health and aging for our horses.

Over the past 10 years, Cahir has been an integral partner in Tad’s development of SmartRide Rx technology, which horses enjoy for its intriguing electromagnetic component that offers them a sense of wellbeing, relieves anxiety and back pain, and other health benefits. Cahir has also been integral in Tad’s explorations in the concept of equine grounding.

When a horse becomes Tad’s, they become part of the saddle design team. Each of Tad’s horses gets a say in the matter in his ongoing “horse-centric” effort to make saddles built for horses’ comfort while in motion. These horses, including Cahir, are part of a tightly managed control group, receiving no medications, no supplements, and no therapies. With over 4,500 experiments to date, it’s the most thorough effort to improve saddle technology in the world.

What exactly does this SmartRide Rx technology affect? In a nutshell: Everything. For one thing, developing muscle on an older horse, especially who has been let down for years, is something that many horsemen would agree does not come easily. Cahir’s routine includes daily work under saddle in the latest saddle technology with Tad aboard. “I make no concessions for his age,” Tad says. “We do regular jump schools with him and not many people would think to do that with a 31 year old horse.”

The top notch management program in Tad’s stable doesn’t include any medications, fancy feeds or supplements. No joint injections, no outside therapies, just the Thera-Tree. Before and after working, you’ll find Cahir wearing the Thera-Tree, the therapy device based on the same electromagnetic properties as what’s in the saddle.

Tad’s SmartRide Rx technology emits a subtle electromagnetic field in the frequency of far-infrared light. One of the principal effects of this energy is the way it acts on water, as explained in the works of Gerald Pollack, PhD. On a cellular level, this “ordered water” has a charge differential that improves cell efficiency throughout the body, as Stephanie Seneff explains. (Links available on our website.) The overall effect is improved hydration which positively affects every system in the body. As horsemen we pay particular attention to our horses’ digestion, metabolic and nervous systems, as well as building healthy muscle and connective tissue. All of these are positively influenced by the technology Tad builds into every saddle and every Thera-Tree.

Cahir is a wonderful example of this. He comes out of the barn ready to work, without requiring a lengthy routine to get limbered up. He sweats normally and his heart rate recovers quickly to his normal, low beats per minute. The skin irritations and seasonal allergies he used to suffer from no longer bother him. The bloom in his coat is from an overall wellness. We think his condition is remarkable and worth celebrating as a hopeful contribution to how we think about aging horses.

There is a lot of information, including links to more about the science, at www.tadcoffinsaddles.com. Tad welcomes questions and he is available by cell phone at 434-989-3329.

He welcomes visits to his shop by appointment.