by Lynndee Kemmet - Dressagedaily's Lynndee Kemmet speaks with experience on the back on track products

It doesn't matter where it hurts or if the body in pain belongs to you, your horse or your dog, Back on Track has the product to make it better. From personal experience I can honestly say that Back on Track's knee brace got my knee back in action in a matter of days after injury. A Back on Track blanket has my retired, aged event horse much more mobile than he's been in years.

That puts us in company with a number of leading dressage riders who have become fans of Back on Track products for both themselves and their horses, including Michelle Gibson, Steffen Peters, Debbie McDonald, Courtney King and Sue Blinks.

Blinks often sleeps on a Back on Track blanket and both McDonald and Gibson also use products for their own aches and pains. For those wanting a whole body experience, Back on Track even makes a mattress pad. Horse blankets and wraps are a special favorite among the riders. Gibson said Back on Track blankets keep her horses' bodies "supple and loose" and Blinks concurs. "They feel as if they're warmed up already at the start of the ride," she said. When it comes to saddle pads, Gibson will only use one made by Back on Track.

Through its main office in Sweden, Back on Track has developed a line of products that relieve pain and speed healing by combining modern science and textile production with Ancient Asian healing methods. The result is a special fabric capable of reflecting body heat in a very unique way.

The secret to the company's success is development of a polyester fabric that has a ceramic powder melted into the threads. The ceramic reflects body heat as an infrared wave that provides a number of benefits. For one, it can ease muscle tension and warm muscles before people or horses start to exercise and that helps prevent muscle injury. But even more important, the unique Back on Track fabric helps reduce inflammation and increase blood circulation. Inflammation is the body's response to injury and while that's a good thing initially, continued inflammation is not.

By reducing inflammation and speeding the flow of blood to an injured area, Back on Track products help quicken the pace of recovery. And that's not just a claim made by the company. Clinical studies using Back on Track products actually back those claims. The company's products have become a hit with riders because they've tried Back on Track products on themselves and that's sold them on using products for their horses.

Got sore feet? Sheila O'Keefe, of Charleston, West Virginia, knows the solution to that - Back on Track socks.

"They're fabulous. They not only take care of the aches and pains in your feet, but they really keep your feet warm in the winter."

Socks aren't the only Back on Track product she wears. O'Keefe has become a fan of many Back on Track products and adds to her collection for each new ache and pain.

"Most riders have problems themselves so they try products first," said Bo Lofvander, owner of Back on Track. "It's not a miracle, but it is a very effective product." So effective that even some Swedish hospitals buy products from the company for patients recovery from injuries, such as neck injuries. Clearly, it's a much better approach than drugs and injections for managing pain and addressing injuries.

But it's not just for treatment and prevention of injury that is drawing people to Back on Track products - it's also for comfort. Those of us who live in cold climates know how easily cold, damp weather brings out the aches and pains. As O'Keefe discovered with Back on Track socks, these are products that really radiate internal warmth. My retired event horse can attest to this - a thin Back on Track blanket is far warmer than a thick blanket of normal fabric. Put a Back on Track blanket under a heavy weight winter blanket and your horse is ready for the Arctic. Get one for the dog and he's ready too.

And what if it's summer time or you live in a warm climate? Back on Track has a mesh sheet that gives your horse all the therapeutic benefits of its horse blankets but without overheating your horse. The horse stays cool but his muscles stay warm and supple.

Another Back on Track horse product popular with riders is leg wraps, not only to treat injury but also prevent it. The leg wraps do a great job reducing wind puffs and stocking up, not to mention helping heal tendon injuries. The leg wraps also save mess and money because with the leg wraps, many horses no longer need liniments and poultices on their legs.

The bottom line is that whatever part of the body is ailing, Back on Track seems to have come up with a product to heal it and that's what has

made it so popular with many of the world's leading riders, including such top U.S. show jumpers as McLain Ward, Beezie Madden, Margie Engle, Anne Kursinksi and Chris Kappler.

World champion event rider Bettina Hoy is also a Back on Track fan. She is one of many European riders using Back on Track products.

"Like many other horse people, we've been using poultice after hard workouts and competition. However, after trying Back on Track leg wraps and 'sore no more' liniment, our years of using poultice are over.

The reason we switched is we've seen a dramatic improvement with these great products. The horses' legs are tighter and cooler.

Also, when using Back on Track and 'sore no more' liniment, horses with white legs or sensitive skin don't develop scurf or inflammation as they sometimes did with poultice. Plus, my grooms love it. It's cleaner, easier and saves valuable time.

With the blankets, I notice quite a difference in how the horses move after they wear them. The horses feel looser and more relaxed in their bodies, which result in less warm-up time for me. For horses that tend to get sore backs and shoulders, the blanket helps a lot. In some cases we also use 'sore no more' I can feel the improvement under the saddle and my groom's note that the horses are less sensitive during the grooming process. I wholeheartedly recommend these products to everyone who has horses."

"This therapeutic saddle pad works great! From the very start of my ride, I feel that my horses' back is very relaxed and more supple with the Back on Track saddle pad. I have also noticed that we are able to go longer in between veterinarian treatments on horses with some known back problems. The horses comfort and soundness is number one for me, that is why Back on Track is the way for my horses and myself. It works!"

- Anne Kursinski, Olympic rider: silver team medal in Seoul and Atlanta.

Learn why riders around the world are fans of Back on Track, see what they've got, read the testimonials and check out the latest research on Back on Track products at www.backontrackproducts.com.