Q&A Tendon Ice Boots

Q: Are your Ice Horse cold therapy tendon boots long enough for a large warmblood's hind legs? Also, am I correct to assume that one would have to store these boots in the freezer prior to use? If yes, how long do the cold packs remain cold when put out at room temperature (say approximately 75 degrees F)?

A: There's nothing available in the traditional horse wrap market that I know of that's long enough to cover the hind leg of a warmblood from the base of the hock to the top of the fetlock. You could get an extra large ice therapy sheet (I found them once at Costco) and apply it with a standing wrap bandage if you need to cover the entire length. I use the ICE HORSE tendon wraps regularly on a warmblood that has some issues right above the suspensory branch on the left hind. They work great for him. I also use the hock ice wrap when I ice his hind legs. Although sometimes I toss the whole wrap in the freezer, I usually keep only the 2 ice inserts in the freezer and pull them out just before putting them into the wrap and applying them to the horse. The ice inserts that come with the wrap are designed not to be stiff when frozen so they mold to the leg without pressure points. (regular ice therapy sheets are stiff when frozen) When I need to use them on a horse that is located away from an available freezer, I keep them in a portable ice chest until I apply them to the horse to get the full benefit. If I need to use them again later, I put them back in the freezer or ice chest to refreeze which takes about an hour.