Cooling Boots....do they work?

[Maesto's Girl]

Hi All

My mare has some swelling to her fetlock - no heat or lameness and someone mentioned cooling boots? Do these actually work on bringing down swelling? If so...any that you recommend?

Thanks!
x

 

[PorkChop]

They don't work as well as ice in my experience.

Mainly because they don't maintain the cold temperature for very long.

I use crushed ice inbetween two layers of tubigrip, they keep the legs cold for quite some time.

I do occassionally hanker over some Bonner bandages, but don't know anyone who has used them to compare to ice.

 

[ElectricChampagne]

I had a set of the premier equine ones and used to chuck them in a bucket of cold water and used the gel ice packs that you can get in the pharmacies, fresh out of the freezer to cool them further.

Ended up just using the gel ice packs instead with the tubigrip and a large brushing boot to hold them on.

Worked way better.

She was supervised at all times while wearing them though.

 

[Maesto's Girl]

Seems like ice packs and tubigrip might be the best way to go then

 

[ElectricChampagne]

just make sure that there is something (like a piece of tubigrip) between the leg and the ice pack just in case the ice "burns" the skin

 

[taraj]

Watching with interest as my horse came in yesterday with a swelling above his fetlock no heat/lameness. Have some veredus magnetic boots i am going to pop on him and see if they help.
What about the cooling gels? Do they work?

 

[ElectricChampagne]

I tried the gels too but just found they rubbed off and didn't stay as cold as the ice packs or the hose.