Has anyone made ice boots?

[Hey_Mickey]

Has anyone made ice boots like Jack’s Ice Boots?
http://www.doversaddlery.com/Jack’s%20Ice%20Boots/p/X1-04584/tid=nextag/eid=X1845001?utm_source=nextag&utm_medium=CSE&utm_campaign=MerchantAdv&zmam=1460880&zmas=1&zmac=36&zmap=0004584212000X1-04584

After using them, I liked them better than 9 pocket style ice boots.
My mom is good at sewing and knows how to do all kinds of stuff. I’m positive she could make me some ice boots like these if I could get my hands on some measurements or a pattern…

Does it end up being much cheaper after buying the correct material and all of the supplies?

[DressageOverFences]

I dont have ice boots like those exactly, but I did make my own.
I use a large ice pack like this http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/8131hHTJ-bL.AA1500.jpg .
what I do is put a thin dish towel on the leg as a base layer, wrap with the ice pack, put a second dish towel on, and then wrap with either a polo or standing wrap. didnt cost me more than 5 bucks and unless someone comes on and says im doing something horrible, Ive never had a problem.

[FLeckenAwesome]

Seems like I remember reading somewhere about using jean legs to make your own. Cut off the pant legs and use those. But I have not done it before. I’m debating getting tubigrip stockinettes and using that… I haven’t found an option that works real well so far, but I need to do the knees too. So far I’ve used the ice cell sheets and wrapped them on with my shipping boots. Cheap… but probably not quite as effective…

[Bikoman]

Chelsie, Shelly made some out of old jeans legs, they work pretty well.

[wildlifer]

Yeah, why can’t you just cut off some old pant legs or long socks, pull them on, vetwrap the bottom, pour the ice in and the polo wrap it all. I personally like the gel ice horse wraps, I hate screwing with ice and they work really well, but they don’t last forever. But seems silly to pay for something that just holds ice.

[horsecents]

I haven’t made ice boots but I have a pair that I purchased from Paul’s Harness Shop over 20 years ago that I’m going to remake because the canvas rotted (due to my lack of diligence). Each “boot” is roughly 18 x 26 with a full length zipper that separates. There is a drawstring closure on the bottom that runs thru a grommet on each end. A surcingle is attached to each boot to secure them over the horses back. I’m going to remove the hardware and sew it onto new canvas.

[NeverTime]

You definitely aren’t doing anything horrible, but given the hairy layer of protection horses already have on your legs, your ice wraps would be more effective if you dropped the inner towel layer.
The problem with most ice packs, like the one in your link, is the plastic retains the horse’s body heat so they melt quickly and turn into heat wraps if not taken off fairly quickly.
An ice slurry (ice & cold water) for 20 minutes is probably the most effective low-cost method of icing legs, but if your horse doesn’t need that degree of cold therapy, won’t stand in a muck tub or whirlpool boot, or it’s just too much of a hassle, something like the boots pictured in the OP (or the jeans’ leg version) that put the ice right against the leg are a more effective option than plastic ice sheets, pocket boots etc.

[NeverTime]

[QUOTE=DressageOverFences;6665245]
I dont have ice boots like those exactly, but I did make my own.
I use a large ice pack like this http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/8131hHTJ-bL.AA1500.jpg .
what I do is put a thin dish towel on the leg as a base layer, wrap with the ice pack, put a second dish towel on, and then wrap with either a polo or standing wrap. didnt cost me more than 5 bucks and unless someone comes on and says im doing something horrible, Ive never had a problem. :)[/QUOTE]

You definitely aren’t doing anything horrible, but given the hairy layer of protection horses already have on your legs, your ice wraps would be more effective if you dropped the inner towel layer.
The problem with most ice packs, like the one in your link, is the plastic retains the horse’s body heat so they melt quickly and turn into heat wraps if not taken off fairly quickly.
An ice slurry (ice & cold water) for 20 minutes is probably the most effective low-cost method of icing legs, but if your horse doesn’t need that degree of cold therapy, won’t stand in a muck tub or whirlpool boot, or it’s just too much of a hassle, something like the boots pictured in the OP (or the jeans’ leg version) that put the ice right against the leg are a more effective option than plastic ice sheets, pocket boots etc.

[faybe]

Yes, and it was easy ;):

http://www.wayfair.com/Miller-Mfg-Muck-Tub-70-Quart-PSB70-MFG1106.html?refid=GX15983705460-MFG1106&gclid=CNSj2_2OzbMCFcqY4AodWTsAEw

In all seriousness though, what NeverTime said- I like being able to make a water/ice slurry AND to include their feet, especially if the ground was hard. It was pretty easy to teach him to stand in the bucket, and he happily munches hay throughout his icing.

[Hey_Mickey]

Thanks guys,

I thought about using jeans when I need to ice, but i’d like to not have ice/water leak everywhere as ice melts. It’d be nice to be able to put an ice water mix into the boot, or ice packs/bags of alchol and water turned into ice plus water into the boots… Just so I have all options.

John, maybe next time I come down I’ll just try and measure DC’s boots?? If I ever make it down there ever agian. Sigh.

My horse won’t stand in a tub, he will stand with his feet in a deeper feedpan while having his legs iced in boots. (which seems like a larger challenge in its self)

[alliemare]

I use(d) jeans for ice boots. Men’s jean thighs work the best (dad’s old pair or cheap at the thrift store), as they are the widest, and tallest (at least, taller than my jeans.) All you need is a 12"-or-so section of jean, pull over the foot, and vet wrap the bezesus out of the bottom half (kind of around the cornet band/heel area.) I always ended up using a whole roll of vet wrap – 1/2 on each front leg. If you dont, the ice will leak out the bottom and the whole boot will sag.

The only difference I found was that jack’s come with that nifty over the withers strap, which really helps keep everything “up” if you plan on icing over 10 mins. If not, just keep pulling the jeans up and re-filling with ice, as they melt.

If I have more than one horse that needs icing (I only have one pair of jacks) I’ll pull out the jeans.

I also found that the foam on the bottom of the jack’s falls apart. The jeans will last you forever

[crosscreeksh]

Sent you a PM. crosscreek

[Pascova]

I use my shipping boots to ice-- just fix bottom strap and start stacking ice moving up the leg and securing straps as you get there. Works great you get double -duty out of shipping boots.

[NeverTime]

@Hey Mickey;6666345

I thought about using jeans when I need to ice, but i’d like to not have ice/water leak everywhere as ice melts. It’d be nice to be able to put an ice water mix into the boot, or ice packs/bags of alchol and water turned into ice plus water into the boots… Just so I have all options.

OP, someone who has used the Jacks boots more may correct me, but IME they are only marginally more water-resistant than a pair of jeans would be. If you try to put liquid (like a slurry) in them or leave ice in them long enough to melt, they will leak everywhere, too.
You also probably want to check with your mom, if you do decided to DIY, that her sewing machine can handle heavy fabrics and heavy threads used in these products; most standard sewing machines can’t.
my horse went through a phase where he’d fly backward out of muck tubs. It just took a little more patience to get him over that, but in the meantime, I’d ice legs one at a time in a tall plastic bucket & he’d stand much better. The benefit of te bucket/tub, along with being cheap and super-easy to use, is what Faybe said about getting the feet, too.
Another really easy, more-effective than pocket boots option, if you are dead-set against buckets/tubs, is to buy some basic, cheap Tubi-grip, put that on your horses legs & stuff with ice after applying an alcohol brace to the legs (you mentioned you wanted to use alcohol, but that won’t freeze like ice, so you apply as liquid).

[FLeckenAwesome]

I was just going to post about the tubigrip. My trainer just recommended it. I plan to try it next. Only I can’t seem to find it cheap!

And… I have to go over the knees too, so I’m trying to figure out our best option…

[Sobriska]

I like the Roma ice wraps. Velcro straps. Easy to use, not messy.
And I found 2 at separate goodwill stores!

Prior to that I was using men’s long tube socks. Pulling them up over knee, filling with crushed ice, and securing top with duct tape

[PennyChrome]

OTTER POPS :yes:
OTTER POPS :yes:
OTTER POPS :yes:
Have your mom sew them into a “pocket” of fabric shaped like a stable bandage and voila. Longer is better, so you can go around the leg more than once, because just one layer of Otter pops is not going to chill em out much, you want the whole length of a standard stable bandage. Works like a charm. Just keep them in the freezer.

[Winding_Down]

[QUOTE=NeverTime;6665886]
The problem with most ice packs, like the one in your link, is the plastic retains the horse’s body heat so they melt quickly and turn into heat wraps if not taken off fairly quickly.
An ice slurry (ice & cold water) for 20 minutes is probably the most effective low-cost method of icing legs, but if your horse doesn’t need that degree of cold therapy, won’t stand in a muck tub or whirlpool boot, or it’s just too much of a hassle, something like the boots pictured in the OP (or the jeans’ leg version) that put the ice right against the leg are a more effective option than plastic ice sheets, pocket boots etc.[/QUOTE]

I so agree about the ice packs. They never seem to be cold enough, especially if they are in a thick ice boot, and they melt, turning into a hot pack against the horse.

I have been looking for a boot that includes the hoof, like the Jack’s Ice Boot that circulates the ice water, without the circulation element. You can buy this boot without the ‘motor and tubing’ but it’s really expensive. It is basically like a big rubber boot that we might wear, and it allows for icing from toe to knee.

I’m done with ice packs though. Not enough cold, get warm and then get hot way to quickly.

[Xanthoria]

I’ve found that the picnic ice packs work great directly against wet skin (hose the leg, apply the pack, put a travel boot or polo on top to secure) and will stay frozen solid for 30+ mins if you do it right.

[MeghanDACVA]

The fold up chairs we all use at horse shows? That come in the bag? Use the bag. The bottom fits the size of hoof and if you want to ice the foot too, you can. If you don’t, just wrap the foot. Then fill with ice, and wrap at the top with what ever tape of choice you have or want. They work on fronts and hinds. And they are mostly water resistant, at least enough to hold ice/melting ice and its water for 30 minutes. The string closure at the top helps to secure them a bit to the horse but you do need some sort of tape (vetrap works) to hold them.
You can get crazy with colors–a different color for each leg–or be conservative and use all the same color. The bigger chairs work best.