Cold wraps that stay cold?

[Satin_Filly]

I am rehabbing a bowed tendon and there’s no freezer at the barn. Buying and hauling a bag of ice to the barn daily isn’t an option. So I’ve been using Ice-Vibe inserts, freezing them at home and then transporting them in a cooler to the barn that’s 35 mins away. By the time I get there, wash off poultice and hand walk/graze, you can imagine that the boots aren’t exactly frozen any longer, but they are still pretty cold. I double layer the boots and then cover with a polo wrap for 30 mins. After the 30 mins is up, the leg is barely cool. I feel like I’m just wasting my time. There’s also no good place to cold hose.
I’m particularly interested in the cold gel packs for humans that are advertised to stay cold for 6 hours. They come in various sizes and look wrap-able. Has anyone used these for legs or themselves? Do they actually stay cold for hours?

Open to suggestions! Thanks

[Simkie]

IMO, there’s just nothing better than real ice. When I was rehabbing two bows, I stopped by Sonic on the way to the barn every day. Chick fil a has the same pellet ice. Works great in the 9 pocket ice boots.

[outerbanks77]

I’ve used the sort of cloth covered flexible gel packs on horses, and they stay cold (large one sold in the first aid section).

I’ve been rehabbing a DDFT strain, and using the LeMieux cold boots. They have a newer model now which looks better than the ones I have. What I do is put one boot on for ~10 minutes, then swap out for another boot. It’s most effective if I can get some cold water on there with the first boot as well. Whatever you do, I would get some blue ice packs and pack your boot or gel pack in between to keep it cold longer.

[Biscotti]

Any way you can get a mini freezer and put it in the tack room? We always had one on hand at shows so when I retired my guy (still in light work though and getting iced after everything JIC) it was kind of a no-brainer. Even if you don’t keep ice itself in it, the gel packs can usually fit.

[tipzythegreat]

I’d look into some sort of topical cooling item. Maybe you put on some mineral ice, leave it for a bit, and then sponge it off with cool water.

Not sure it’ll be the same effect, but it doesn’t sound like ice is an option!

[bugsynskeeter]

I’ve used both of these with success (even on myself). Not at the same time

https://www.coldflex.com/
https://www.scahealth.com/p/ultracruz-cooling-gel

[CanteringCarrot]

Are you putting the Ice Vibe inserts alone in a cooler? I put mine in an insulated lunch back with and ice pack or two and they stay quite cold. I use ice packs that come with my Hello Fresh delivery…I am not sure what they are made out of - just a clear gel in plastic, but they stay frozen/cold for quite awhile.

[EVneo]

If you have the space in a tackroom, could you try a portable ice maker? I ordered one on amazon for $100.

[silversnaffle]

I do have a freezer but this same method can work with just a little extra effort. Get yourself a small cooler, some solid ice packs and a couple of bags of frozen peas. You can keep these at home and transport to the barn. You will need the frozen peas, a facecloth size microfiber towel and an extra long polo wrap. Wet the microfiber towel in the coldest water you have and then wring out. Place the wet towel around the leg, followed by the peas. You can kind of form them to the best position. Wrap well with polo wrap, use two polos if you need to. You will need to wrap below and up the peas to hold the whole thing in place, but as long as you stay close while it’s on you’ll be safe. The microfiber towel will actually freeze around the leg beneath the peas. I have numerous sets of ice boots and none of them work as well as the peas and wet microfiber. FYI - I have always been advised that 20 minutes of ice is the max. After that, you start to undo the benefits and could even cause harm. Good Luck!

[appendix100]

Horze compression ice socks. They were the only thing I was happy with when I had to ice tendons. Easy to put on, easy to use, & the leg was darn cold when we were done. No ice packs to try & find a freezer for at a hotel etc. I just filled a small cooler with ice, & there was still enough to do the leg even if I was at the barn all day. The biggest cooler I ever had to use was an 18qt size & that was when we were icing twice daily in OK summer heat. Usually a little lunch cooler was fine.

It is way cheaper than a game ready. I used another circulating water/ice system, didn’t get leg cold enough. Ice packs/ice vibe boots also didn’t get leg cold enough IMO.

[Scribbler]

Coolers vary a lot in efficiency. Also the fuller the cooler the longer the ice lasts. I was camping last summer in a fairly hot exposed grass lands with an entry level plastic cooler for food and the ice still lasted a couple of days.

I think if you get yourself a better quality cooler fill it right up with ice and stash it in the coolest shadiest place in your barn you should be able to keep ice on hand for several days in a row.

Those gel packs don’t really stay frozen on ice anymore than icecream does. It will delay the melt but they still melt. I use them on myself when injured but they don’t feel as cold as ice.

On the other hand how cold does an ice pack need to be to be therapeutic either horse or human? I honestly don’t know.

[SonnysMom]

My trainer swears by her Yeti cooler with the Yeti ice pack for keeping things frozen.

We actually bought a freezer for the barn. We had an incidence where I realized that a horse was running a REALLY high fever. We had no ice at the barn. I called the owner and she brought ice but it took 15 minutes for her to get there. Meanwhile I was hosing his body. In her panic she only grabbed 1 bag of ice. We sent another boarder to grab a few more bags. It would have been nice to get his feet on ice sooner. He kept spiking a fever over the next couple of days and she kept having to ice his feet. Thankfully he didn’t founder. They eventually diagnosed him with anaplasmosis.
My trainer had one horse spike a pretty high fever due to vaccines and had to ice his feet.

We decided that for the price of a small freezer it was worth having just in case. This barn has 45 horses so it could easily happen again. Trainer also has frozen leg wraps in there. I bought a new freezer but you may be able to find a small used on on Craigslist.

My trainer also has something like these that seem to last a long time:
https://www.amazon.com/CryoMAX-Reusable-Therapy-Elbows-Medium/dp/B001QFZL1Q/ref=asc_df_B001QFZL1Q/?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid={creative}&hvpos={adposition}&hvnetw=o&hvrand={random}&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl={devicemodel}&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584138858131115&psc=1

It is also nice to keep freeze pops in it for the summer and frozen Reese cups.

[Scribbler]

They also make freezers or at least coolers that plug into the car.

[joiedevie99]

Also make sure the leg is wet before you put the ice pack on.

[Renn_aissance]

Gel ice packs from the first aid section at Target, carried in a cloth insulated cooler, packed with lunchbox ice in the summer. Lasts 4 hours in the cooler in the summer.

[Palm_Beach]

@Satin Filly

I am rehabbing a bowed tendon and there’s no freezer at the barn. Buying and hauling a bag of ice to the barn daily isn’t an option. So I’ve been using Ice-Vibe inserts, freezing them at home and then transporting them in a cooler to the barn that’s 35 mins away. By the time I get there, wash off poultice and hand walk/graze, you can imagine that the boots aren’t exactly frozen any longer, but they are still pretty cold. I double layer the boots and then cover with a polo wrap for 30 mins. After the 30 mins is up, the leg is barely cool. I feel like I’m just wasting my time. There’s also no good place to cold hose.
I’m particularly interested in the cold gel packs for humans that are advertised to stay cold for 6 hours. They come in various sizes and look wrap-able. Has anyone used these for legs or themselves? Do they actually stay cold for hours?

Open to suggestions! Thanks

How recent is the bow? How severe? Bows take 6 months to a year, and there is nothing you can do to speed up the process. Ice is good for immediate reduction of swelling, but on a daily basis for an injury that is weeks or more old, you are probably wasting your worry. Restricting his activity to the level the leg can handle is your best bet. We kick them out into the field asap and try to forget about them, but go with the program your vet recommends.

[Xanthoria]

Agree with wet the leg before applying ice packs, and adding more ice packs to the cooler so the whole thing stays frozen longer.

Don’t leave a cooler sitting in the sun (sounds obvious but… OR apply to a horse standing in sun, and remember 30 minutes is as long as you want to ice a leg anyway - I bet they get pretty cold between 5-20 mins on the leg.

[Satin_Filly]

Thanks everyone for their ideas. I went ahead with Silver Snaffle’s suggestion and the frozen peas w/ wet towel worked great! I had been wetting the leg prior to applying the Ice vibe inserts, but the leg actually felt significantly cooler after 30 mins with the peas.

Palm Beach, the injury is about 5 weeks old and is approximately a 25-30% tear (not involving the sheath). I’ve had the horse off the track for almost 3 weeks and it’s still not cooled out and palpates sore. I feel like I’ve not gotten anywhere and I know tendons are slow to heal. I did 10 days of Surpass when I first received him, icing with the boots, rubbing with witch hazel and doing up in poultice. Track vet said he can be turned out as long as he’s not going to be a dingbat and run the fence line and stop/turn on a dime. I’m not that big of a risk taker so he gets handwalked and supervised time in the roundpen. He’s on Reserpine and is very quiet with the occasional feel good moment in the stall. If this horse was used to turnout, kicking him out would probably be an option.

[Palm_Beach]

@Satin Filly

Thanks everyone for their ideas. I went ahead with Silver Snaffle’s suggestion and the frozen peas w/ wet towel worked great! I had been wetting the leg prior to applying the Ice vibe inserts, but the leg actually felt significantly cooler after 30 mins with the peas.

Palm Beach, the injury is about 5 weeks old and is approximately a 25-30% tear (not involving the sheath). I’ve had the horse off the track for almost 3 weeks and it’s still not cooled out and palpates sore. I feel like I’ve not gotten anywhere and I know tendons are slow to heal. I did 10 days of Surpass when I first received him, icing with the boots, rubbing with witch hazel and doing up in poultice. Track vet said he can be turned out as long as he’s not going to be a dingbat and run the fence line and stop/turn on a dime. I’m not that big of a risk taker so he gets handwalked and supervised time in the roundpen. He’s on Reserpine and is very quiet with the occasional feel good moment in the stall. If this horse was used to turnout, kicking him out would probably be an option.

It does take a long time and the banana appearance is frustrating. He is lucky to have you!