Cold therapy is a powerful tool for treating new trauma, for managing healing injuries or simply for helping keep your hardworking horse sound. Even though it sounds kind of too good to be true, the reality is that this type of treatment is an easy-to-use, one-step, drug-free therapy that can minimize the effects of recent musculoskeletal traumas your horse has been going through. It is even helpful for old injuries as well – it accelerates the recovery process and increases the horse’s overall performance. Remember, simplicity is a big part of this therapy’s appeal, and you can start today. Right now, even. Here is what you should know.

First, the appliance. What people used to do was turn on the hose and just stand there while hosing the horse’s injured leg with cold water. While this may work, it is useful to know that today the whole process is made much more convenient and simpler. Just use ice horse boots, and witness how this treatment helps with the reduction of inflammation and control of swelling and pain. While hosing takes up a lot of time and requires your immediate presence in order to get the job done, when using ice boots you get some of that valuable barn time back. Ice boots are placed on your horse’s leg and are left on for about 15 to 20 minutes. Time that you can use to complete other tasks – like cleaning stalls, organizing your tack or grooming your horse.

Besides being helpful for treating injuries, cold therapy can also be used as a preventative measure. Regular tear and wear on joint and ligaments caused after regular work out sessions can be mitigated by the usage of ice horse boots. Cold compression therapy systems add to this effect by adding compression to additionally stimulate the lymphatic system. Moreover, the application of ice boots on your horse’s leg after working out improves circulation and decreases soreness.

And as for the already inflicted injuries, the cold therapy works similarly but with a more immediate reaction. It slows the metabolism of surrounding tissue, thus helping it avoid any damage that can be caused by swelling and pressure. Be advised that ice boots are not recommended in cases when there is an open wound. One way in which you may apply the boots in these instances is by using a barrier between the boot and the wound. Lastly, when using ice boots it is crucial to pay attention to the general hygiene of the boots themselves. Hazards from spreading of bacterias are a possibility since the boot is often getting wet and is re-applied multiple times. Simply keep it dry between applications and make sure that they are clean before you store them away.