Ice Horse Ice Boots

[LadyB]

I’ve owned a pair of Ice Horse ice boots for awhile now, and originally I was super happy with them, but as each time I’ve used them at an event, I find they don’t work even half as good as my Finn-Tack Ice Boots.

I bought the Ice Horse thinking the packs would form to the legs better. I have an amazing cooler that keeps everything frozen for days, so they last until I need them put on. This past weekend I used the Ice Horse boots on the front, and the Finn-Tack on the hinds. After 20 mins of icing, the hinds were so cold to the touch, and his front legs were barely cool.

Any tips or tricks?

I am unable to do water and ice bags in a muck skip at a one day event. This is my best option by using boots. The packs I have for Ice Horse still freeze the same as day one, so not bad at all.

Curious if I’m doing something wrong?

[DoubleDown]

Give Ice Horse a call, they’re super nice & May have some tips. I love mine, & haven’t had issues.

[Martina]

Ice Horse boots are great but they have their disadvantages. They work amazingly well as long as you wet the horse’s legs before applying. Bonus is that you can take them out of the freezer on a hot day, stick them in a cooler, travel, compete, and hours later, when its time to apply they are perfectly soft and freezing cold. In colder, fall-like weather you don’t need a cooler.

Downside is that the packs freeze hard after a few freeze/thaw cycles. This isn’t a big deal if you remember to take them out before a gallop or show. If you don’t then you are breaking and crunching to get them somewhat flexible. If you wet the legs they still cool the legs. But no question they perform the best when they are a soft and frozen mush.

My frustration is that replacing the ice packs is almost as expensive as buying more boots! And they say that when you freeze them, not to block the little vent otherwise they will freeze solid. Not practical in a boarding situation when you share a small freezer.

All this said, they are still my favorite for the simple reason they stay cold for so long.

[LadyB]

Thank you for the tips Martina, I think the problem is I haven’t wet his legs well enough. I’ll give that a shot before giving up. They stay frozen all day, so I would hate to give up on them, as they really do seem to last the longest. Although you’re right, they are super expensive to replace! I’ve debated looking for other freezer packs to see if they fit the boots at a cheaper cost.

[EventerAJ]

You can make homemade ice packs with quart size freezer Ziploc bags. Add about 2" of rubbing alcohol, fill halfway with water, then squeeze all the air out and zip closed, place in freezer (flat is best). They will freeze to a firm, slushy consistency, easy to mold around tendons. I use a polo wrap or SMB boot to hold it on. Depending on how cold your freezer is, mine stay frozen for 30-45 minutes (though I usually just ice for 20min). Reuse them until the ziplock bag breaks, up to several weeks of daily use.

[HiJumpGrrl]

@EventerAJ’s plan is better and cheaper (and I will co-opt it), but you can also make ice packs by putting Dawn Dish Soap into quart-sized freezer bags and freeze them.