ICE - How do you use yours?...

[Chloe_GHE]

I use ice to cool legs after hard work, and thanks to TableDancer, SarahJane, and Kerilli I'm now also madly icing Soap's foot to soothe nail bind. This brings me to the question...

Is Ice a panacea?

What injury/condition would you NOT ice?...

How do you use your ice, loose, ice packs, in water?...

What is the wierdest most wonderful way you have applied ice therapy?...

What injury/condition have you treated that has responded really well to ICE?...

Sorry for all the questions! can you tell my pony is off games???

 

[TableDancer]

I have used as ice in a variety of situations, almost always with a degree of success. Obviously it doesn't cure a strained tendon - but even in that case it will minimise the damage caused by post-trauma bleeding so the more you can ice (and hose) in the 48 hours after it happens the better the long-term outlook, as well as making them more comfortable. In cases of bruising it can make a MASSIVE difference to recovery rate and degree of swelling. And ice numbs the area and makes them comfortable so I confess I have used it to help get horses through the trot-up at a 3 day that otherwise wouldn't have passed.

I use ice in water for foot-tubs: I had an Advanced horse with DREADFUL feet who we kept sound and competing for years by ice-bathing him after every competition and even after his gallops sessions - he used to tie-up to the lorry standing in two buckets of ice after xc. Caused a bit of a stir at first but nowadays you will frequently see this. I also use loose ice in tubigrips at three days after XC. I have also used a Zamar machine. And those boots you can put in the freezer - I have also frozen my Aerborn cool boots, although they say you shouldn't. I go along with those who say the most effectrive way to use ice is max 20 mins at a time - for the most drastic results 20 mins on, 20 mins off. I know people talk about ice burns but personally in many years of icing I have never once experienced these - I don't know if it's how we do it or if I've just been lucky.

The only situation I can think of where I wouldn't use ice is for an infection - clearly in that case you need heat to draw the pus out so poulticing does the job. THe other thing about ice is that unless you do something really dumb (can't think quite what) it can never really do any harm

ETA: THey use ice in a variety of situations in human athletes these days, far more than they used to - Paula Radcliffe sits in an ice bath after training and racing, and look at how as soon as a football/rugby player comes off the field with a knock or suspected strain, the first thing they do is put an icepack on him.

 

[kerilli]

i read that Paula Radcliffe sat for a few hours in an ice bath before racing in marathons, i can't quite get my head around that one tbh. i don't think i could do that even if it meant i would win the marathon! eugh, the thought.
Chloe, i wouldn't be ice-tubbing your boy's foot, i'd be very-hot-salty-water tubbing it. if there's anything nasty in there from the nail bind, that will draw it out and soothe the area in my experience. you won't have done any harm with the ice water though!
i use ice after xc, i use ice-cube bags and bandage them on loosely. i've used an ice compression bandage in the past with good results. if i have a horse with a suspected tendon injury, for e.g. i ice it as often as i possibly can for the first 48 hours. i do 15-20 mins on, 15 mins off, 15-20 mins on, etc.
i've not seen ice burns on a horse but then perhaps it wouldn't show because of their coat?
i've used ice in those big whirlyboots at a 3-day, that was great for the horse's legs, they came out ice cold and tight, no swelling at all.
the spa with really cold sea water does the same thing.

 

[connie1288]

I have used ice in bags as Kerilli describes, also loose ice in tubigrips.
Someone i worked for also used to have a ice cold bath if he had had a nasty fall rather than the nice hot i would prefer, he claimed less bruising and aches.

 

[Nic]

[ QUOTE ]

Someone i worked for also used to have a ice cold bath if he had had a nasty fall rather than the nice hot i would prefer, he claimed less bruising and aches.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is what physio's will tell you to do. Less fun than a steamy radox one though!

 

[Rafferoo]

Ditto table dancers comments about using tubs of ice/water for the feet and ice and tubigrips. I have not ridden in a 3 day myself but have groomed for a friend that has ridden at 3 and 4* and there are probably one or two that may not have trotted up sound without it.

Re: the comments about icing infection not being a good idea I once made a mistake by icing and cold hosing what I thought was a kick on a horses shoulder. It turned out that it was swelling caused by an infected puncture wound and it ended with the vet lancing a rather large abscess that emitted an impressive amount of gunk! We got it sorted with antibiotics and poulticing but felt very bad about my error!!

 

[oofadoofa]

Not quite ice, but I bought two of these (designed for people) and they're brilliant for icing legs and will also stay on knees!!

http://www.homedics.co.uk/uk/products/diagnostics/homedics-hot-and-cold-magnetic-knee-wrap.html

 

[OldGit]

Smashed my talus year before last, after I was seen in #clinic I was admitted and put in an ice boot thing - amazing how quickly the swelling settled. Had to tell some of the nurses how to use it though!!