There are many convincing reasons why riders should use the Best Horse Ice Boots for their horse’s health. Ice treatment is proven to provide a safe and speedy recovery for the horse’s legs and muscles. It can minimize heat and inflammation while protecting horses from injuries. Using ice boots is also an affordable and effective way to keep your horse in a solid and healthy form since it can help reduce swelling and pain in the long term.
In the marketplace, you can find a variety of ice boots with different qualities and prices. Check out our in-depth reviews of the four best ice boots for horses on the Market if you need some recommendations!
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Best Ice Boots For Horses 2023: Top 4 Recommend
Top-rated 4 Ice Boots for Horse Reviews from Editor
#1: Best Overall Ice Boot: Professional’s Choice
The no.1 choice that receives a handful of praises is the Professional’s Choice Ice Boot. This product features a premium neoprene exterior, which does wonders for keeping the gel packs cold for an extended period.
What you will love most about these boots is the nylon lining design. It helps protect the leg’s tissues from the potential damages caused by direct exposure to ice. Plus, it acts as an excellent cover to prevent dirt from entering the boots.
As an easy-to-use and functional product, this Professional’s Choice equine product is undoubtedly among the best-selling boots on the marketplace.
#2: Best Horse Ice Boot for Reducing Inflammation: HORZE Finntack
The Fintack Ice Wrap is a go-to choice if your horse needs something effective for treating swollen legs. The product comes in a pair of wraps to cover the front legs from fetlock to knee.
The wrap’s shell is composed of heavy-duty denier nylon. The cooling effect can last up to 40 minutes under proper freezing conditions. This amount of time is healthy and helpful for a thorough leg-icing swelling treatment.
With the four Velcro straps, these wraps are convenient to wear. In addition, you can adjust them as wanted to provide a good fit for your horse.
#3: Best Budget Ice Boot for Horse: Tough 1
Were you looking for a friendly budget and high-quality pair of boots? Don’t miss out on these Tough 1 Ice Boots.
The item features a heavy nylon shell with exceptional durability and insulation quality. At an unbelievably low price, it is hard to find a cost-effective and long-lasting pair of boots like this one.
Tough 1 Ice Boots come with four Velcro closures that allow you to handle the compression put on the horse’s legs. The boots even stay soft when frozen to give your horse the best comfort. Primarily, these boots are a highly recommended choice for horses having arthritic joints.
#4: Best Horse Ice Boot for Long-term Use: Professional’s Choice Full Leg
When it comes to durability, the full-height ice boots from Professional’s Choice stand out from the marketplace. The exterior is made of neoprene, which is superior for both the durability and cooling quality.
The boots are designed with a considerable height that covers the entire knee, or hock, to the bottom. In addition, the insulated pockets are of high quality to extend the necessary cooling therapy session for your horse.
The smooth nylon lining system is another selling point of this product. It helps to protect the horse’s skin tissue from direct contact with ice while keeping the boots clean from debris and dirt.
What To Consider Before Buying Horse Ice Boots?
Material
The first factor you should always consider is what your ice boots are composed of. Equine manufacturers use the three most common materials in the Market.
- Denier nylon
- Neoprene
Of all the materials, neoprene is the most highly recommended choice because it has the best insulation quality, which is crucial to keep the ice gel pack and ice cubes last longer. Besides the durability, it is superiorly flexible in an extensive range of temperatures. Meanwhile, denier nylon is also an effective insulator with high tear resistance.
Design
Ice boots with a lining design are what you should opt for. Not only can it bring comfort to your horse, but it can also prevent potential tissue damages caused by direct exposure to ice.
Cooling conditions
Not all ice boots have the exact cooling requirements. For example, some of them are designed to have rooms for storing ice cubes. Meanwhile, many boots only need to be refrigerated and used with squishy ice packs.
It is easier to go for the second option since it is less time-consuming. Besides, gel packs can be kept in a longer amount of time than ice cubes.
Zippers or velcros
Convenience is another factor to think about when using ice boots. It is essential to choose boots that are easy to put on and take off. Compared between zippers and velcros, Velcro closures are much more favored.
Although zippers facilitate quick and easy fastening, they are not much adjustable. However, Velcro straps are easier to handle even on different horses’ leg sizes while providing a secure clasp.
Frequency of icing
Last but not least, don’t forget to consider how often you wear ice boots. For example, if your horse usually engages in a race or competition, it will need more icing treatment.
However, it is better for horses with any leg or muscle issue to consult an equine veterinarian to check whether icing is limited.
Read more: 5 Best Horse Hoof Boots and Best Horse Soaking Boots
FAQs
Q1: How do you put ice boots on a horse?
Answer: Basically, there are three ways to use ice boots for horses.
- Step 1: Cool the ice boots before use (refrigerate them or fill them with ice).
- Step 2: Wet your horse’s legs properly before putting on the boots to let the cold affect the deep tissues in the legs. This also helps to prevent insulating effects in the leg’s hair.
- Step 3: Wrap the boots around the horse’s legs. Don’t let the skin come into contact with ice.
You should also know how your horse reacts to this leg-icing treatment. For example, they may be sensitive and nervous towards icing if this is their first time. Therefore, it is advised to gradually let your horse get used to it.
Another thing to remember is to keep the boots clean and sanitized before and after use to prevent the risk of bacteria entry.
Q2: How long to keep ice boots on your horse’s legs?
Answer: The recommended time is about 20 – 30 minutes. After that, let your horse rest for around 20 minutes and start the new interval. Add new ice cubes to restore circulation. This duration is best for the ices to soothe the horse’s tiring muscles and facilitate easy blood flow. Depending on their injuries and how strenuous the activity is, you may ice your horse 2 – 4 times a day.
Q3: How to make homemade ice boots for a horse?
Answer: Using commercial ice boots is not the only way to give ice therapy to your horse. You can make use of ice packs and a polo wrap (or a vet wrap) for more affordable and straightforward DIY ice boots.
Don’t worry if you don’t have any available gel pack since you can make it yourself! There are a handful of methods to make a DIY squishy ice pack. One easy way is to fill a ziplock bag with two teaspoons of salt per two cups of water. Freeze for some hours, and then it’s ready to use!
Additionally, you can replace polo wraps with stretchy socks by cutting off the tip, then use the remainder to cover the homemade ice packs.
Q4: Other ways to ice a horse’s leg: icing directly in a bucket, cold hosing?
Answer: Aside from ice boots, ice buckets and cold hosing are two other standard icing techniques.
Icing in a Bucket:
This method works for calm or experienced horses. First, fill up a muck bucket with cold water and ice cubes. Next, place the horse’s front legs into the bucket one by one. Keep an eye on your horse during the process because it may not stand still in the bucket as you wish for. Last but not least, remember that this should be applied to the front legs only.
Cold Hosing:
The cheapest way to cool the horse’s legs. It would be best to use a hose to spray water on the swollen areas. However, in addition to being time-consuming, cold hosing is not as effective as the two other ways since the unconscious cannot reach the deep tissues. Hence, it is only recommended when your horse has minor swelling.
Conclusion
Ice boots are the essential equine equipment that every rider should have. Professional’s Choice Ice Boots becomes the most recommended choice among the best ice boots for horses that we have carefully reviewed this article. Thanks to the premium materials and outstanding cooling features, this product remains a favorite in no small number of equine experts.
We hope that our article can help you learn more about equine ice boots. Feel free to ask us any questions by commenting below!
Source:
A Horse’s Leg: Ice, Poultice Or Rinse?
