The Power of Light
A fuller fetlock, a change in stride, a horse that feels different during grooming. Grooms are often the first to notice these small changes because they know their horses so well. AnimaSol founder Jackie Jolie recognizes that connection. Her work focuses on red and near-infrared light therapy and its use in supporting healing, recovery, and performance.
AnimaSol’s mission combines product development with education. The company wants to help caregivers understand the role of light in animals’ lives and reconnect their modern routines with what it describes as the restorative rhythms of the natural world.
Meet Jackie Jolie
Jackie brings together a bachelor’s degree in equine health and rehabilitation, 15 years of practical experience in equine and canine bodywork, and her own experience using light therapy. She has worked at rehabilitation centers and with performance animals around the United States. Her experience with Lyme disease led her to explore light more closely. In our podcast conversation, she describes changing her light environment and using light therapy herself before developing a wearable, full-body device for animals.
After several years of development, AnimaSol launched in August 2024. Today, the company offers products for animals and people, including its EquiSol range for horses and DogSol products for dogs.
The Science Behind Light Therapy
Red and near-infrared light therapy is also called photobiomodulation, or PBM. It uses specific wavelengths of light, which are also found in natural sunlight. Jackie explains that these wavelengths interact with mitochondria, the energy-producing structures inside cells.
She describes how light stimulates an enzyme called cytochrome c oxidase, which is involved in producing ATP, the fuel cells use to function, repair, and regenerate. According to Jackie, more cellular energy supports faster tissue repair, reduced inflammation, and improved circulation in the treated area.
She points to decades of PBM research, including NASA’s use of red and near-infrared LEDs in plant-growing research. Jackie also cites more than 7,000 scientific articles on PBM and its applications across human sports medicine, veterinary rehabilitation, and wound care.
Why It Matters for Horses
Jackie explains how light therapy can support performance horses in training and competition:
- Supporting recovery after training or competition.
- Supporting the healing of soft-tissue injuries and fractures.
- Reducing inflammation and joint swelling.
- Supporting circulation and flexibility before exercise.
- Providing pain relief.
- Supporting relaxation and focus.
Jackie also cites healing times up to 50% faster for soft-tissue injuries and fractures among the benefits she associates with light therapy.
In the November 5 podcast episode, she discusses her approach in more detail and shares the responses she has observed in horses.
Five Wavelengths, Designed for More Than the Skin Surface
The EquiSol full-body blanket combines five wavelengths: 630, 660, 810, 830, and 850 nanometers. Jackie explains that it uses a two-to-one ratio of near-infrared to red light, with the combination designed to reach deeper into muscle and joint tissue rather than working only at the skin surface.
Alongside the blanket, the EquiSol range includes leg wraps and bell boots, and these smaller products can also be used on other areas of the horse’s body, rather than being limited to the lower limbs.
The products are wireless, durable, and easy to put on and take off, with a design intended to fit into everyday barn routines.
Practical for the People Caring for Horses
Jackie describes light therapy as noninvasive and drug-free, with no clipping or needles required. She explains that grooms and handlers can apply the products as part of a daily or post-exercise routine.
Sessions typically last 10 to 20 minutes, and horses generally tolerate them well. They often visibly relax during use.
Wearable LED blankets and wraps make light therapy more accessible for daily barn care. Grooms and handlers can apply them directly, without doing any harm and without a medical professional administering each session. They are noninvasive and drug-free, require no clipping or needles, and fit into a daily or post-exercise routine with sessions typically lasting 10–20 minutes.
For AnimaSol, that is central to the EquiSol range: bringing light therapy into barns in a format that grooms can incorporate into a horse’s regular routine.
Hear Jackie Talk About AnimaSol and RLT in the HorseGrooms Podcast
Jackie Jolie joins The HorseGrooms Podcast on November 5 to talk about light therapy for horses. She explains the different wavelengths, shares the benefits she has seen in her work with horses, and discusses the use of light therapy in daily care.
The HorseGrooms Podcast is produced by Equus Radio Network and shares conversations with grooms, barn managers, and other professionals who care about horses and the people behind them.
We are grateful to Jackie and AnimaSol for supporting our work and mission through this partnership. We hope it also helps more people learn about AnimaSol and the power of light.
We want to thank Horcery, our first presenting sponsor of the HorseGrooms Podcast for the past three months. Their support has helped us continue bringing these conversations to our listeners.
Here Is a Discount Code for AnimaSol’s Products
Explore AnimaSol’s products at the online AnimaSol Shop, and use code HGSOL for 10% off your purchase.
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