When your horse injures its leg in one way or another, cold hosing is one of the most common go-tos for treatment assistance. It can be one of the most useful and beneficial ways of reducing inflammation and controlling swelling and pain. If you dread standing in the wash stall cold hosing for what seems like eternity, ice boots offer a time-efficient, alternative solution, and can help you get some of that valuable barn time back. Ice boots can be wrapped around the horse’s legs and left on for about 15 minutes while you do other things, like clean stalls, organize your tack, or groom your horse.
While icing your horse’s legs can be done to treat an injury, it can also be used as a preventative measure. Using ice boots regularly after working sessions can help to mitigate everyday regular wear and tear on joints and ligaments. Horseware Ireland steps up the regular ice boots even further with their Ice-Vibe boots, which add the element of vibrating massage. The vibrating massage stimulates the lymph system, which improves circulation and decreases soreness in the horse’s legs. The massage feature of these boots can be used on its own, prior to exercise, to improve blood flow, resulting in more elastic, less likely to be injured, tendons and ligaments.
As far as injury repair goes, cold therapy using ice boots can help get your horse quickly on their way to recovery. Ice boots will help keep swelling under control and alleviate pain for a variety of muscle, joint and soft tissue injuries. Treating an injury with cold therapy slows the metabolism of surrounding tissue, helping it avoid damage from swelling and pressure. If you’re using the Ice Vibe boots, the massage feature can be used together with ice to help break down scar tissue while treating the injury.
There is no argument that cold therapy can help your horse’s legs stay in top shape, and ice boots are the perfect tool to make this common treatment path easier. Of course, it’s always important to consult your veterinarian on the proper treatment options for both preventative and reactive care. Start icing and stop holding that hose!