Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Ice Boots

I have decided that I'm tired of cold hosing legs. I want ice boots.

Jetta's leg is looking better. It was quite swollen two days in a row but she wasn't lame on it (I rode her on Saturday with no problem). Yesterday it was much less swollen which made me feel better because I was getting worried about it - horse legs should not look like elephant legs! I lunged her and she still looked fine on it so I'm hoping that it's really nothing. She doesn't mind me pressing hard on it and she's not off at all. Regardless, there's been too much cold hosing recently and it's so tedious, I've decided I'd rather just spend some money on some ice boots instead, plus I went to a talk on tendons by a veterinarian recently who was very adamant about how "worthless" cold hosing legs was and that we should ice legs instead...

Anyone have any experience with ice boots? I don't want to spend over a $100 on a boot (I really do just need one) even though some of the boots look quite neat, like the IceVibe boots and the Equifit compression cold boots. Here are a couple of the options that Smartpak and Dover carry in my price range that look like they might work for me.

Cool Cold Super Boot

Flexible Ice Cells

Cool Boots

Ice Horse Tendon Wraps

I think for now I'm going to order the ice cells since they are cheap and I have a pair of SMB boots at home that I can use, or if they don't work I'm sure that I can just wrap the ice cells just fine. Oh horses, please stop hurting yourselves and making me worry. I don't think I can handle it much longer!

7 comments:

  1. I have an old version of the icehorse boots...they are probably ten years old. They were a great investment, definitely money well spent. I had a horse that strained a tendon and I was going to be doing a lot of cold hosing. They stay on great and it was easy to stick it on when I got to the barn and then be able to get other stuff done.

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  2. I'm on the search for I've boots too... Interested to see what others reccomend.

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  3. Honestly, I went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond and picked up a couple sets of the little flexible ice cells for like $5 each. I just wrap them on with a polo wrap and leave 'em till they've melted. For extra cold, hose down the wrap you're using. Cheap, easy, and the ice cells are so flexible you can use them all over the leg - pastern, knee, hock, wherever.

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    1. My trainer does this as well. It's quite effective. You just have to be careful (as always) when wrapping as they ice packs can make you want to wrap too tight.

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  4. Flexible ice packs with standing wraps on top. That's what my friend uses at her fancy smancy barn :)

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  5. I've wanted some ice boots for when Mexi starts real work... I like hearing the DIY options!

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  6. Thanks for all the input! Jen, I really like your idea, I didn't even think of buying the ice cells from an non-horse supplier. That will definitely make them cheaper...

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