ASKHQ: THERAPY BOOTS FOR TRAVEL – A GOOD IDEA OR NOT?

Q: Can I use therapy or cooling ice boots on my horse while travelling to and from a show? Will it help to keep their legs safer?

A: The use of any therapy boot during travel will depend on the length of the journey. For any trips longer than 20 minutes, we would not recommend using any form of therapy boot. Most therapy and recovery boots are made from insulation fabrics that are designed to retain water or ice or reflect heat. Therefore, when used for journeys longer than 20 minutes, there is a risk of overheating the legs, even with cooling or ice boots, due to the lack of breathability of the fabric.

While we may think horses and their legs are mainly still while in transit, their legs actually work very hard while on a box or trailer to stabilise them and rebalance to the movement of the box. With the legs already working hard, compromising their ability to lose heat can negate the recovery effects of the boots and contribute to heating and damage to the limbs.

Instead, our recommendation would be to use any cooling or ice boots directly after exercise or competition before you load your horse into the box. This is the time at which such products are most helpful.

To then protect the legs during transit, opt for a breathable travel boot, leg wrap, or bandage/padding option that will not compromise the temperature of the limbs when they work to stay steady on the journey home.