Walk through the wash stall of any serious sport horse facility in Europe — or increasingly, in North America — and you're likely to see horses standing beneath a warm amber glow, muscles visibly relaxed, eyes half-closed. Infrared therapy, once considered a luxury reserved for elite racing stables, has moved decisively into the mainstream of equine care. Today it's recommended by veterinary specialists at leading teaching hospitals and employed by professionals across hunter-jumper, dressage, eventing, and racing disciplines.

At its core, infrared therapy harnesses the healing properties of light — specifically red and near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths — to penetrate equine tissue, stimulate cellular repair, reduce inflammation, and improve circulation without pharmaceuticals or invasive procedures. The science behind this technology, known formally as photobiomodulation (PBM), has been validated across decades of research in both human and veterinary medicine, though the equine-specific body of literature continues to grow.

This article explores the full landscape of equine infrared therapy: the biology underpinning it, the compelling (and appropriately cautious) clinical evidence, the distinct categories of technology from bedside portables to architectural solariums, and the key brands shaping the market today.

The Science

How Infrared Light Works in Equine Tissue

Infrared light occupies the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum just beyond visible red light, spanning roughly 700 to 1,100 nanometers (nm). Unlike ultraviolet rays, which damage tissue, infrared wavelengths interact with tissue at the cellular level in ways that are broadly restorative. The mechanism centers on the mitochondria — the energy-producing organelles within every cell.

Two primary wavelengths are used in equine PBM devices:

• ▸ Visible red (630–700 nm) — effective at surface tissue depths; useful for wound healing, acupuncture point stimulation, skin conditions, and superficial inflammation.
• ▸ Near-infrared (800–1,000 nm) — penetrates 5–10+ mm into subcutaneous tissue, reaching muscle, tendons, ligaments, and joints. This is the workhorse wavelength for orthopedic and soft-tissue applications.

A critically important distinction exists within the "infrared therapy" umbrella: photobiomodulation (PBM / cold laser / LED therapy) is a non-thermal process — the light triggers photochemical reactions without meaningfully heating tissue. Thermal infrared, by contrast, uses heat lamps or radiant panels to raise tissue temperature, which produces its own physiological benefits through increased metabolic rate, vasodilation, and muscle relaxation, but via a fundamentally different mechanism. Many equine solariums combine both in a single system.

Clinical Evidence

What the Research — and Veterinarians — Say

The evidence base for equine photobiomodulation is growing rapidly. While the field still lacks the large-scale randomized controlled trials that would anchor gold-standard clinical guidelines, a meaningful body of peer-reviewed research now supports its use as an adjunct therapy across several key indications.

Cornell's Ruffian Equine Specialists — one of the foremost equine referral hospitals in the United States — has incorporated Class IV Regenerative Laser Therapy (RLT) into treatment for a wide range of conditions including tendon and ligament injuries, laminitis, external wounds, fractures with edema, and chronic conditions like osteoarthritis and sacroiliac discomfort. Dr. Pigott noted that the laser reduces edema around fractures and "stimulates cells so there's more energy available for healing," though he appropriately acknowledges the difficulty of isolating laser therapy as a sole variable within multimodal treatment protocols.

At UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine — home to the Center for Equine Health and one of the world's most comprehensive large-animal surgery and lameness programs — regenerative medicine modalities including photobiomodulation are offered as part of the Equine Surgery and Lameness Service's suite of therapeutic options for soft-tissue and orthopedic injuries. The UC Davis program's emphasis on novel healing methods for tendon, ligament, and joint disease places it at the forefront of integrating light-based therapies into evidence-based equine practice.

Kentucky Equine Research, reviewing a landmark Swedish study published in the Equine Veterinary Journal (Michanek et al., 2020), highlighted the promising role of pulsating visible red and NIR light-emitting diodes in equine wound healing — one of the most persistent challenges in equine medicine given horses' propensity for proud flesh formation on limb wounds.

A systematic review published in the journal Animals (MDPI, 2023), examining 45 peer-reviewed studies across horses, dogs, and cats from 1980–2020, found meaningful clinical results for musculoskeletal injuries, wounds, and pain management — though it also identified an important gap: the wide variability in treatment parameters (wavelength, dose, frequency, application mode) across studies makes direct comparison difficult and underscores the need for standardized protocols.

The broader veterinary research landscape, including a comprehensive review published in Topics in Companion Animal Medicine (Frye et al., 2018), confirms that laser therapy alters the inflammatory and immune response and promotes healing across a variety of tissue types, with approximately 20% of North American veterinary hospitals now using the modality in some form.

Harvard Medical School's Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital has been at the forefront of basic photobiomodulation science, with researchers there contributing foundational mechanistic work on how light-tissue interactions translate into clinical benefit — research that directly informs equine applications.

Technology Overview

Categories of Infrared Therapy Systems

Equine infrared therapy products fall into three broad categories, each with distinct use cases, investment levels, and practical considerations. Understanding the differences helps horse owners and barn managers make informed decisions based on their horses' needs, their facility, and their budget.

Category 1

Portable & Handheld Devices

Portable infrared therapy devices — including handheld lasers, LED probes, and compact pad units — represent the most accessible entry point into equine photobiomodulation. They are the tools most commonly used by equine veterinarians in clinical settings, as well as the devices most practical for horse owners who travel to competitions.

These devices typically emit combinations of red (630–660 nm) and near-infrared (810–880 nm) light via laser diodes or high-powered LEDs. Class IV therapeutic lasers, used at clinics like Cornell Ruffian, deliver higher energy output and deeper tissue penetration than over-the-counter LED devices, but require veterinary supervision. For home use, Class II laser and LED devices occupy a broad market segment, ranging from basic single-probe units to sophisticated multi-pad systems with programmable frequencies.

Category 2

Permanent Solariums & Barn-Installed Systems

If portable devices are the stethoscope of equine infrared therapy, the solarium is the operating theater — a dedicated space where horses receive full-body light and heat treatment as a routine part of their daily management. Ubiquitous in elite European competition stables, solariums are now a growing investment among serious North American trainers and facility owners.

A traditional equine solarium consists of an overhead frame suspended in the wash stall or a dedicated therapy bay, fitted with infrared heat lamps — typically high-powered halogen or tungsten bulbs rated at 150–250 watts each — arranged to bathe the horse's topline, neck, and sides in thermal infrared radiation. Modern premium systems add LED arrays for photobiomodulation benefit, fans for simultaneous drying, dimmer controls, and digital timers. The result is a system that functions simultaneously as a therapeutic tool, a drying station, a coat-conditioning station, and a pre-exercise warm-up system.

The physiological rationale for thermal solarium use is straightforward. Research cited in equine solarium literature suggests that a tissue temperature increase of just 1–2°C loosens muscles and promotes calm, while a 3°C increase accelerates metabolic processes important for recovery, and a 3–4°C increase meaningfully enhances collagen extensibility — directly relevant to horses with tight connective tissue or chronic tendon issues. Solariums also increase white blood cell counts, Vitamin D synthesis, and assist in the breakdown and expulsion of lactic acid post-exercise.

Making the Decision

Permanent Structure vs. Portable: Which Is Right for You?

The choice between a permanent solarium installation and a portable or wearable device system is rarely either/or — many serious facilities use both. But for horse owners evaluating their first infrared investment, the decision hinges on several practical factors.

Choose portable devices if: You board at a facility and cannot install permanent infrastructure. You travel extensively to competitions and need therapy available on the road. Your horse has a specific injury requiring targeted, localized treatment. You want veterinary-grade photobiomodulation rather than primarily thermal therapy. You are starting with a limited budget and want to see results before expanding.

Choose a permanent solarium if: You own your facility and have a dedicated wash stall or therapy bay. You have multiple horses who would benefit from daily use. Your priority is full-body warm-up and cool-down protocols as part of routine management. You want the combined benefits of drying, coat conditioning, Vitamin D boost, and thermal muscle therapy in one system. You are investing in a facility that competes at a high level or serves a clientele with performance horses.

For most private horse owners and small competition barns, the optimal entry point is a quality portable system — such as the RevitaVet IR2 Complete or Photonic Health Pro Gen II — paired with a consultative relationship with an equine veterinarian who can use clinical-grade Class IV laser for acute injuries. A permanent solarium becomes a compelling addition as barn infrastructure and horse volume justify the capital investment.

Practical Use

Protocols, Session Duration & Best Practices

As with any therapy, efficacy depends heavily on proper application. The following general protocols reflect consensus guidance from equine rehabilitation practitioners, though individual horses and conditions may require adjustment in consultation with a veterinarian.

The Future

Where the Science Is Headed

The equine photobiomodulation field is at an inflection point. A 2026 review published in the journal Lights (MDPI) — authored by veterinary surgery faculty from the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela — identifies the core challenges ahead: the need for standardized treatment protocols, development of veterinary-specific device standards, deeper mechanistic understanding of PBM beyond the mitochondrial model, and integration with emerging regenerative medicine technologies.

Emerging research is also reassessing the fundamental mechanism of PBM. While cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) in mitochondrial complex IV has long been the primary target, recent work suggests additional photoacceptors — including opsins, cryptochromes, flavins, and ion channels like TRPV — may contribute to the therapeutic cascade. This evolving understanding may lead to more precisely tuned devices in the coming decade.

Practically, the market is moving toward smarter systems: smartphone-controlled solariums, AI-guided dosing recommendations, combination devices that integrate PBM with pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy, and nanotech-assisted light delivery for enhanced tissue penetration. For horse owners, this trajectory means increasingly effective and user-friendly tools — and a growing roster of veterinary professionals ready to incorporate them into evidence-based treatment plans.

As Dr. Pigott of Cornell Ruffian aptly put it, summarizing the clinical consensus: the evidence is compelling, the safety profile is excellent, and for the equine athlete managing the inevitable wear of competition and training — light, deployed skillfully, is medicine.