Eventing Nation: Can Boyd Martin’s Cats Help Him Get to Rolex?

Jenni Autry has a left-field theory about the healing power of purring cats that might not be as crazy as it sounds.

From Jenni:

Top photo: Boyd’s muses — Silva, Kostya and Manny. Photo via Boyd’s blog.

As the resident crazy cat lady on the EN team, I have to endure John’s constant ribbing about why I don’t own more intelligent, loyal pets, i.e. dogs. But we’re not here today to discuss the cat vs. dog debate. With the trot up at Rolex just 22 days away, many eventing fans are left anxiously waiting for an answer to this question: “Will Boyd Martin ride at Rolex?”

After cracking his tibia in half at Carolina International on March 23, Boyd had surgery the following day to repair the leg, and he now has a metal rod inserted through the bone. In true Boyd form, he’s not making a definitive call yet on whether or not he’ll compete at Kentucky. Phillip Dutton is riding Boyd’s top horses at The Fork this weekend in their final prep run. So the horses will be ready for Rolex, but will Boyd?

I’m going to say yes, and here’s why — the healing power of cats. Silva posted the below photo on Facebook earlier this week of feline Manny Pacquio — named after one of Boyd’s favorite boxers; he also has a cat named Kostya Tszyu — spending some quality time with his main man, and that’s exactly what Boyd needs to be doing right now. Why, you ask?

Manny watches over an injured Boyd. Photo via Silva’s Facebook page.

There’s an old veterinary adage: “If you put a cat and a bunch of broken bones in the same room, the bones will heal.” That’s because cat purrs create vibrations within a range known to be medically therapeutic for a variety of ailments, as you can see in the helpful infographic from Visual.ly below. In addition to lowering stress, lowering blood pressure, healing infections and swelling, and healing tendon and ligament injuries, cat purrs can help heal broken bones.

And while I know this is April Fool’s Day, I am legit not making this up. Google it. Cats can purr at a frequency ranging from 20 to 140 Hz. Frequencies between 25 and 50 Hz are best for healing bones, with frequencies between 100 and 200 Hz also shown to heal broken bones.

So there you have it, EN. Manny and Kostya will singlehandedly heal Boyd to the point where he can ride at Rolex in 23 days. Because cats ARE better than dogs, John.

Go Cats. Go Eventing.