what are your favorite (preferably that aren’t super expensive) for after a work out?
i like the cryochaps , but i read they don’t get cold enough?
My (rather $) cryochaps are useless - they melt so quickly and legs are usually warm when I take them off.
I got 9 pocket neoprene ice boots from Stateline and they work. Cover knee/hock to ankle, stay cold (ice not melted and legs very cold after 30 mins because I usually forget and leave on longer - yesterday in 75 degree sun)
Downside is needing ice and fiddly to fill. You could fill in advance and keep in the freezer I guess. Or even get small ice packs to fit the pockets maybe?
So they are expensive new, but if you can be a thrifty shopper on FB, you can get some deals on Ice Vibes. Those are my personal favorite–easy to chill, easy to apply. Not sure if the “vibe” part of the boot does what it says it does, but my horse really likes it. He’s got a full set for front and back + hocks, and when we turn it all on, he stands in his stall looking like someone just gave him a cocktail. I’m not going to argue with my horse’s zen 
My barn uses these https://icehorse.com/collections/wraps/products/tendon-wraps and you can keep those cold for multiple uses provided you’ve got a mini freezer–great for show days when they’re working with 15+ horses coming to and from rings. Sometimes you can find used boots on ebay or FB, but honestly I recommend looking for a coupon and getting new.
I also want to take a moment to throw out a gentle reminder that much like the physio for human athletes, it is recommended–by vets and other experts–to only ice horses’ legs for up to 20 minutes.
So yes those ice packs may melt after 15-20 minutes on your horse, but that’s OK, because they aren’t supposed to be on past those 20 minutes. If you forget about the boots and walk away, there’s no harm done.
I foolishly got into a debate about this with a random person at a tack store who insisted she iced her Quarter Horses’ legs for an hour at a time. Lord how I felt horrible for those poor horses if that fact was true…
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To ensure my horses legs are getting iced and staying cold, I use the Jack’s ice boots. You buckle and zip them up around the horses pastern and then just dump ice into them. They take about 2.5bags of ice each and they’re tall enough to get their knees as well. Only downfall is that you can’t reuse the ice as it all falls out when you unzip them, and it doesn’t get their feet (so my horse just stands in a largeish feeding tub at the same time). I also like them because if your horse isn’t great to stand, they can kinda move around in them (icing in tubs or hard plastic makes me nervous)
I’ve tried ice vibes and the 9 pocket boots. I find the ice vibes don’t stay nearly as cold as i’d like them too and the 9 pocket takes so much time to fill. When i’ve just done a light school or can’t get ice, I actually really like the Supra ice boots - I find they stay fairly cold for being gel
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Actually the cheap ones are the best. Good old romas.
https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=f2b82d38-f800-4ba1-9e6e-68593c423f14
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Not only are these the best but there are even knock offs that are cheaper too and it’s basically the same exact product. Probably coming from the same Chinese factory but without the Roma label
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I have the Roma ones and they are great.
I do have some oversized SMB neoprene boots I got super cheap on EBay that I fill with ice if needed.
I use these for feet. https://www.bigdweb.com/ez-ice-hoof-and-founder-pack-each?
I use these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09B1P54FV?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1
The trick is they need to thaw enough that the pockets are soft (not frozen hard). They stay cold for forever though. I can bring them to a show at 8am, leave them in a cooler, then ice front legs at 3pm and still have them cold enough to ice hinds after 20 minutes.
I use these.
https://www.ridingwarehouse.com/Equinavia_Cool_Relief_Therapy_Ice_Wrap_Boot_-_Single/descpage-ECRIW.html?color=RD
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Equifit! Hands down favorite. With the air pump. Gets the entire leg cold. I have not had to replace the valves but once and I bought mine 5 years ago. They hold up very well.
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I’ve tried several brands and love the SmartPak Smart Therapy boots.
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They’re easy to get on and off, which I find helpful with a horse that does not appreciate the cold on its legs.
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Only the gel ice pack insert needs to go in the freezer, saving space and keeping barn dirt away from cold drinks and whatever else is in your cooler, freezer, etc.
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the gel pack molds to the horses leg, and isn’t hard like so may ice boots are
Jack’s ice boots are the best in my opinion. I also have the cryochaps, which look pretty, but aren’t very effective. The Jack’s look ridiculous, but they work great. The horses don’t mind them one bit.
Note on the 20 minute comment, horses are not susceptible to frostbite like we are. So there’s not a ton of harm for icing more than 20 minutes, just not any real added benefit as 20 minutes is enough to bring temps to where you want them.
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I use classic equine ice boots and they really work for me. The it’s a 2 part system, a super light weight neoprene boot with a gel insert that velcros in.
I have a pair of boots and 4 inserts. I keep the inserts in my top freezer where they don’t take up much room. I’ll ice the front legs for 20 min while I finish cooling him off after marathon, then swap out for the other 2 inserts and give him another 20 min in the hind boots. It works really well, and I don’t have to worry about ice or my freezer completely full of ice boots
I had been told by my last trainer that leaving ice on too long (and we’re talking like, you have one real cold pair of iceboots and they stay that cold way past 20 min or you put another pair on) can still cause superficial damage on clipped horses/horses with sensitive skin and can also REVERSE the beneficial effects if left on too long (ie you end up getting the inflammation you were trying to reduce)
But who knows the actual risk stat on that? I’d guess it’s pretty low.
My caveat on the board was for anyone who was of the same mind as the lady in the tack store or perhaps new to icing their horses’ legs. A little ice goes a long way is the short story
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Yup, my favourite as well.
I have the ‘old’ version which were the Finn Tack ice boots. Reasons I love them:
- they stay shockingly cold, for a solid 30 min +, meaning you have some transition time in the cooler if at a show etc
- the tension on the elastic is amazing - provides just enough compression to stay on even if you want to set them super low to touch the hoof
- easy to wash/wipe down if they get gross
- fabulous as human ice boots, I’ve loaned them to many a friend with ankle injuries. Again, cold enough to get cold through a cast, plus wonderful compression which relieves swelling
I have three different kinds of ice boots (how did that happen?)
The best, coldest option are the big rubber jack’s whirlpool boots - provided your horse will stand in them. These get the legs and feet the coldest, and at least on my horse are tall enough to get his knees as well. I used lots of treats to train my guy to stand in them. Of course, you can only do front legs this way.
The second best are the Ice Horse boots - the ice packs stay cold an impressively long time, including when packed in a cooler with ice and traveling to lessons or cross country schooling, so up to 6 hours or more out of the freezer.
I have a set of Ice Vibe boots also, but don’t feel like they stay cold enough long enough - either of the other two options are better. The whirlpool boots actually replaced the Ice Vibe boots, which replaced the muck bucket full of ice method. The Ice Horse boots I got so I could do hind legs and front legs at the same time.
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CoolAid polo wraps
Make them wet, stick them in the freezer, and then put them on your horse.
Don’t leave them in the freezer too long or they WILL freeze solid.
I mostly use them for shows, so I put them in the freezer for about an hour (to freeze solid) and then I pack them in my cooler for the day. That seems about perfect for when I need them later in the day, they’ve thawed slightly and I can get them on my horse.
Ice + compression!!
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The only ice boots I have now are the Ice Vibe boots. I got them for my event horses but found that use them more often without the ice/only with the vibe panels for my old man’s wind puffs.
Like many, I also feel that ice packs don’t get as cold or stay cold enough for therapeutic value. Cold hosing with a 20 mins on/off cycle is the best due to the consistent cool temperature of the water plus the hydrotherapy aspect.
Emma Ford, longtime groom for Phillip Dutton, posted a few videos recently about icing techniques:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C7g1Sv6NmGN/?igsh=eWNodG1wanVvczBw
https://www.instagram.com/p/C7j0DWPI9mu/?igsh=bW16MzJ2Mmc2Zmo3
For cold hosing, I have this set up which has been a game changer.
My word has this solved so many frustrations at the wash rack.
