...The thoughts behind the superior ECB Equine Spa Design.
Ean Branston, ECB Equine Founder and Director
"I have had a great deal of experience in the use of Equine Spas since I imported the first ones into Europe back in 2001 for the Centre for Natural Equine Therapy in Gloucestershire. However, I felt that the subsequent problems and daily headaches in the usage of those first Spas could, and should be ironed out. Hence the UK production of the ECB Equine Spa began with the continued and ardent support of Professor Evan Hunt. There were various aspects that were of utmost importance in the design process and I will talk about these one at a time:
Build quality.
The ECB Spa is made from fibreglass which is all hand laid, as apposed to spray gunned. This results in a much stronger GRP (fibreglass). ECB also uses alloy plates that are embedded into the fibreglass body to attach fittings such as doors and safety steps. This is a change from the original imported models that just had small grommets, which when put under pressure came loose and fell out. These were nearly impossible to repair and you couldn’t get the fibreglass back to it original state.
We have also built a lot more strength in to the whole machine, especially the doors, which on the original spa could very easily be kicked through, if a horse was spooked.
Speed and Filtration.
The ECB Spa has been designed for a much faster service, with it now taking three minutes to fill and empty. The ECB filtration system is also far easier to clean than previous models, however with an increased filtration area it also doesn’t need cleaning as often. The speed of the spa has also increased safety in the fact that if you need to you get the water out quickly you can. There is also an ability to ditch the water in seconds, if needed, by simply opening the door.
Safety of Horse and Handler.
This was of utmost importance when designing a Spa that we would feel happy using every day, especially with the high calibre of horses we had coming through The Centre. Firstly we designed a Spa that has no carpet. The problem with the carpet on previous models was that it was very difficult to keep clean, and therefore would harbour viruses. Also it was very abrasive so if the horse rubbed itself during a panic attack they would probably skin themselves and the handler. I can’t tell you how many times I have skinned my knuckles on other models! The door jams are now cut away into the fibreglass body so we have eliminated the problem of horses banging their hips as they come out of the spa. Also, recessed door strikers mean that horses can’t cut themselves on entry or exit.
We have specifically designed and have had locally manufactured an anti-rear strap which has a high quality 316 stainless steel fastening. These are easy to adjust and make the strap far stronger.
Coloured floor.
It may not seem like much, but adding a specific coloured floor has made the loading of horses far easier, The original imported spas had black floors which the horses found hard to see (especially when wet). They believed that they were stepping into a black hole and so the addition of the speckled floor has made a huge difference for loading horses.
Insulation.
The ECB spa has an insulated water tank that has reduced running costs dramatically. There is no more constant dripping of condensation and the ECB spa is dry for most of the year. During extreme humidity you will still have some condensation but nothing like the amount other units produce.
Refrigeration.
We also have the adjacent chiller unit custom made for us in the UK and we now make them in single or three phase models. They have been designed to work alongside the spa without the need to turn them off when the spa is in use. The unit is also fully automatic so there is no need to keep monitoring the water temperature, you just leave the chiller switched on and it will maintain the right temperature. We actually suggest leaving the chiller turned on at all times. This will keep the water at the required therapeutic temperature and is extremely energy efficient, as apposed to the water heating and requiring re-chilling each day. The chillers also have self protection devices fitted so as to protect the chiller from freezing up.”
