How to Make an Ice Boot for a Horse

A horse's legs, made up of many small bones, ligaments and tendons, can be sensitive to injury. When the animal's legs are injured they can swell up and cold water or ice is often used to reduce the swelling. Traditionally a horse's legs were cold hosed, but it can be convenient to use ice boots instead. Ice boots can also help prevent inflammation and injury after difficult training sessions. Make homemade ice boots with shipping boots and ice packs if needed.

Things You'll Need

  • Shipping boots
  • Reusable ice packs
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Instructions

    • 1

      Do up the bottom strap on a pair of lightweight shipping boots around the horse's fetlock. Shipping boots are ideal because they can be fitted snugly around the pastern or fetlock and loosely around the canon bone at the same time. They are tall enough to cover the entire canon bone and the tendons that frequently require icing after a strenuous workout.

    • 2

      Insert frozen, flexible ice packs between the horse's leg and the shipping boot. Depending on the size of the ice packs you may need more than one. Place the ice packs into the boot so that the entire leg from the knee to the fetlock joint is in contact with the them.

    • 3

      Secure the remaining straps on the boot. Tighten the straps snugly enough that they don't allow the ice packs to slip, but not so tight as to cause discomfort to the horse. Repeat on the other legs as necessary.

    • 4

      Remove the ice packs and shipping boots as soon as the ice packs have the majority of their cold. Leaving the packs and boots on the horse may cause the leg to heat up beneath them.