Shivers: Engineering a New Approach to Equine Muscle Recovery
- Mar 19
- 8 min read
As equine training and conditioning programs become increasingly sophisticated, attention is turning toward recovery and proactive muscle management. Finnish company Amandel Ltd. is launching a portable vibration-based massage system, Shivers Ⓡ, designed to better support equine muscle care by integrating engineering, data, and traditional horsemanship into its development.
By Aleksandra Spasic, Horse & Industry
All images courtesy of Amandel Ltd.
Published March 19, 2026
As equine sport continues to evolve, so too does the conversation around recovery and proactive muscle management. Training regimens for sport horses increasingly incorporate physiotherapy techniques such as massage, stretching, and controlled exercise to support muscle health and performance longevity.
Scientific research has also begun to explore the physiological benefits of massage in horses. Studies examining mechanical stimulation of muscles suggest that massage therapy can influence circulation, reduce muscular tension, and potentially aid recovery following exercise by improving blood flow and supporting lymphatic drainage. These effects can help to support post-exercise recovery and muscle relaxation when applied appropriately.
In particular for horses, research has shown that massage therapy in equines can reduce overall stress. This benefit was confirmed by a measurable lowering of the cortisol levels in a sample group of horses, in addition to a reduced instance of visible conflict behaviors following application of massage techniques prior to being ridden. During the massage sessions themselves, the horses in the study showed signs of relaxation such as a drooped lower lip and half-closed eyes.
Against this backdrop, a growing number of companies are developing devices designed to bring proactive therapeutic techniques into everyday stable management. One such product is Shivers Ⓡ, a refined vibration-based equine massage system developed in Finland by engineer, entrepreneur, and horse owner Jarmo Bergbacka.
A Personal Connection to Horses
Like many equine product founders, the inspiration for Shivers is rooted in personal experience and a desire to create a novel product not currently available on the market.
Bergbacka's first involvement with horses began in 2007, when he became acquainted with equine sports through a partner who owned a stable. Soon after, he purchased his first horse from his uncle, a seven-year-old trotting horse, and began learning the ins and outs of horse ownership.
“I bought my first horse in 2008 from my uncle who wanted to stop keeping horses and decided to sell the horse to me...and I began learning how to train and care for them,” Bergbacka explains.
The experience quickly expanded from casual riding into deeper involvement with horse training and care.
“Owning a horse yourself and maintaining and training it requires a lot of leadership skills that you can’t get from school alone.” - Jarmo Bergbacka
Over the years he completed training courses in trotter training and driving, equine welfare, and farriering while also riding in show jumping and practicing dressage. Today he owns two horses and maintains a close relationship with the animals.
“My personal connection to horses is very close and I can read many signs from them, especially when they are not feeling well and need care," he notes. An important skill that would play strongly into the development of the Shivers Ⓡ massage platform.
Engineering Meets Horsemanship
Before entering the equine product market, Bergbacka built a career in engineering within Finland’s mobile phone industry during the early 2000s. It was during this time that the Nordic country poised itself as the global capital in the mobile telecommunications space through corporations such as Nokia.
“My career in the mobile phone industry has helped a lot,” he says, referencing how his previous experiences working within large technology organizations like Nokia and Flextronics, gave him important insights into the lifecycle of product development: from inception and collaborative design approaches, to manufacturing and worldwide distribution.
Understanding how intricate devices and software are designed at these large scales provided him with valuable insight when developing a new product for the equine wellness market. While at the same time, caring for and training horses offered a different type of education for Bergbacka.
“Owning a horse yourself and maintaining and training it requires a lot of leadership skills that you can’t get from school alone.”
These two worlds—engineering and horsemanship—eventually came together in the concept behind the Shivers Ⓡ platform.
The Origins of the Shivers Ⓡ System Concept
Bergbacka takes us back to the initial spark for the concept behind the device:
“The idea of a mobile low-vibration massage tool came to me in 2008 when I bought my first trotting horse which needed a lot of care and massaging due to pain in his back and legs.”
He recalled to us how the horse began to show signs of discomfort during training and racing, and despite applying extensive traditional veterinary diagnostic methodologies, he was not able to pin point the root cause of the animal's underlying pain. It was only when he conducted his own research into equine muscular and lymphatic systems did he come to the conclusion that his horse required extensive muscle care and rehabilitation of these core parts of his musculoskeletal system.
However, searching for suitable tools to support the horse’s recovery proved difficult.
“I soon discovered that there was no such [massage] device on the market that was easy to use, effective and multifunctional.” - Jarmo Bergbacka
The development process unfolded gradually over several years. The first business plan for the product was created in 2011, followed by early concept designs and prototype devices created in collaboration with leading equine industry experts in veterinary medicine and biomechanics. By 2014, the team had produced its first demonstration units, which were tested by professional massagers, equestrians, and several riding stables in Finland.
In 2015, outside investors helped move the project forward and the product was officially rebranded as Shivers Ⓡ. The first launch followed in 2016, with initial commercial sales beginning in 2017.
The Science of Vibration Therapy
Massage and vibration therapies have long been used in both human and veterinary physiotherapy to stimulate muscles and promote circulation.
Research into equine massage suggests that mechanical stimulation of muscle tissue can influence local blood flow and assist in reducing muscular tension following exercise, in addition to aiding in pre-riding relaxation. Some studies also suggest that massage can stimulate the lymphatic system, potentially helping to remove metabolic by-products generated during intense activity.
“When massaging muscles, the direction, power and frequency is the most important thing.” - Jarmo Bergbacka
Bergbacka spoke to us about a key moment in the product's development when he sent a prototype to well-respected Finnish equine lymphatic massage specialist, Nina Lätti, educated under Professor Dr. Dirk Berens von Rautenfeld at Hannover University in Germany. Upon testing the device on various horses, she called immediately to relay her findings.
Her first words to him were, "Do you know what you have created?"
Taken aback and preparing himself for the worst, he was relieved and ecstatic to hear when she revealed the results: the product had outperformed both of their expectations by being able to recreate the effects of manual lymphatic massage, but in a shorter timeframe and in a more accessible manner.
This meant that the Shivers Ⓡ device was working as intended, bringing the powerful positive effects of massage by a skilled professional into the hands of horse owners, without the worry about risks of incorrect application.
According Bergbacka, the key factor in vibration therapy is controlling both pressure and frequency.
“When massaging muscles, the direction, power and frequency is the most important thing.”
The Shivers Ⓡ system uses two internal motors designed to generate different vibration ranges depending on the desired effect.
“When you want an activating effect you use the high frequency vibration setting and for cooling down and relaxing you use low-frequency vibration.”
The device operates within two main frequency ranges:
30–70 Hz for relaxation and recovery.
100–220 Hz for muscle activation.
“These are the same ranges that horses have naturally so it is safe and you can select which range you want to use.”
Bergbacka also emphasizes that correct pressure is critical when applying vibration therapy.
“If you press with too much pressure in the wrong place, you can cause cracks and broken veins in muscles.”
As part of Shivers Ⓡ's development, its design was created in a way to mitigate risks of improper use or pressure on the horse.
Designing a Practical Tool for Everyday Use
Shivers Ⓡ was designed as a portable device that could be used by both professional therapists and everyday horse owners.
The system produces pulsating vibration patterns that the founder compares to “small waves,” which move through the muscles and surrounding tissues.
“Shivers Ⓡ programs generate beating and pulsating vibration like small waves. By that effect you can move and activate muscles and vessels of the metabolism and even lymphatic system," Bergbacka notes.
The product platform also includes a range of accessories, including a patented hands-free belt that allows the device to be positioned without constant manual operation.
In addition to functionality, the company has placed emphasis on ergonomic design and global reach.
“Shivers Ⓡ is actually more than a professional massage tool. It is also a luxury brand that will be noticed for its exceptionally great design everywhere.”
As part of the brand's expansion, Bergbacka noted to us that the company is currently seeking investors in areas such as North America. Their appearance at the AETA International Trade Show in Dallas showed promising interest for the device in the North American equine product market.
Looking Ahead: Smart Sensors and Data
The next stage of development for the Shivers Ⓡ platform looks to involve integrating biosensor technology into future versions of the device.
“Placing biosensors on a massager is a totally new concept,” the founder says.
These sensors would measure physiological indicators beneath the skin, including heat, pressure, and tissue density, providing users with additional insights into muscle condition and recovery.
“With biosensors we can measure and scan things underneath the skin. We can tell users when it would be a good idea to let their horse rest and recover and when they can safely continue training.”
If successful, such systems could represent a new step toward data-driven monitoring of equine recovery.
Certification and Consumer Trust
Equine product manufacturers often face a knowledgeable customer base. Horse owners typically conduct extensive research before adopting new equipment or treatment methods.
Bergbacka concurred, “We do know that the horse owners like myself are very traditionally well-informed and want to understand the science and safety issues behind any new tool or treatment.”
“Our current patents and future platform ecosystem integration with AI is going to change the way how we monitor, treat and care our horses in the future.” - Jarmo Bergbacka
The company plans to pursue additional certifications and safety testing as the product platform evolves.
“In the future we want to keep the same professional approach when it comes to safety in all areas.”
Technology and the Future of Equine Care
As equine sport continues to integrate technologies drawn from human athletics, tools designed to support muscle recovery and injury prevention are likely to become increasingly common.
Devices such as Shivers Ⓡ represent one example of how engineering and horsemanship can intersect to address everyday challenges in horse care.
For Bergbacka, the goal remains rooted in the same motivation that sparked the project more than a decade ago: improving how horses are cared for by, "helping people to take better care of themselves and their animals."
“Our current patents and future platform ecosystem integration with AI is going to change the way how we monitor, treat and care our horses in the future.”
