Ice Ice Baby: Mackinnon Ice Boots are a necessity for any competition horse.
By Christine Mazur
Keeping an advanced Dressage horse in good condition takes a lot of work. Most often when one thinks of the use of ice boots it is after a gallop Cross Country or a quick jump-off. However, I believe it is essentially good horsemanship to cool their tendons and ligaments down after any strenuous workout.
[READ MORE]
Over the years, I have tried many brands and types of ice/water products. There are a lot of gimmicks on the market but MacKinnon Ice Horse is offering a range of products that are straight forward, high quality and well priced. Most importantly, their products are effective. The inserts that come with the boots are called “First+Ice” and even when thoroughly frozen they stay pliable so that they mold to the horses leg within the boot. You must follow the directions by wetting the horses leg before applying the boot as it conducts the cold into their leg much more effectively than dry skin. I used a set of the Evendura boots as well as a hock boot. The boots were designed well for horses with very wide, durable Velcro flaps that close the boot tightly and evenly and it was easy to put on. The Velcro is strong so you definitely need two hands to open the boots. For the recommended length of time of about 25 minutes, the boot stayed very cold and my horses legs were absolutely frozen when I took the boots off, even on a warm day. You have to watch the hock boot a bit more closely as the natural shape of the leg tends to let the boot slide down, so about halfway through the treatment I found I did have to snug the hock boot back into place when the “ice” melted a bit.
MSRP on a pair of Evendura boots is $129 and $70 for a hock boot. Outstanding value on a high quality, effective ice boot. With a wide range of products to choose from, Ice Horse has done an excellent job specializing their brand. Their website: www.icehorse.net also offers a great resource for education and articles.
[MINIMIZE TEXT]
Ice Horse ECT System - "RATING: If 4 is the top; this is a 5"
For several years there have been icing systems on the market that provide compression, constant temperature and better cold circulation solutions. The most popular, and most expensive, is Game Ready. Although I'm sure it's a wonderful product, I've experienced and have been told that it can break easily, leaving the horse without his therapy while the unit is in for repairs. Between the cost and fragile nature, I was looking for an alternative.
[READ MORE]
Enter MacKinnon's Ice Horse ECT System
I was excited when Savvy Equestrian asked me to test this product. It works by wrapping the legs in a dry circulating pad [tendon and hock pads included]. A neoprene insulating compression bandage is placed over the pad and there is a clever coupling that connects the pad to the hoses that deliver the circulating ice water. The system runs on AC or an optional battery pack. It's durable, light weight and affordable, being less than ½ the cost of it's competitor. The insulated ice chest keeps your supply of ice cold longer. One bag of ice can last through treating several horses
The Cold Therapy ECT System has a temperature regulator on it that allows the user to regulate the amount of cold delivered to the leg. This reduces the risk of frostbite, which is something to avoid at all costs.
Cold and compression are the key elements to prevent sports injuries and to reduce inflammation in a chronic or traumatic situation. It is no wonder that many people recognized the Ice Horse system as the same kind of system that had been used on them for sports related injuries.
The Test
I used the Cold Therapy ECT System for two different situations. The first use was for regular preventative cold therapy after training and competing sessions. I used the ice boots [another MacKinnon product] along with the cold therapy system. We put the ice boots on the hind legs and the cold therapy system wraps on the front legs. Ice Horse can treat two legs at a time because they provide a Y-splitter hose. We found that this would be the fastest way to cool all 4 legs down after competition. The cooling of the tendons is important after exercise. After 20 minutes, we switched from the front legs to the hocks with the Cold Therapy ECT System.
The second situation was for a traumatic injury. A horse had been kicked in the knee and the swelling was fairly substantial from the knee down the leg to the fetlock. I used the hock wrap on the knee of the injured horse along with the regular leg wrap. The system circulated the cold water for the required 20 minutes. After the first day of treatment, the swelling was reduced considerably.
Bonus Feature
So far we've talked about the things you'd expect from the product. Now let's go onto the most amazing feature. The Ice Horse is indestructible. While my daughter, who can be rough on equipment, hadn’t broken it all through her Young Rider campaign, I was still skeptical about the products durability. How could a product be this good?
Last month we had the ultimate product test that made me a believer. A horse in our stables, who is notoriously spooky, was being Ice Horse’d. He spooked at the spirits in the sky (or wherever) and bolted out of the crossties dragging the Ice Horse chest with him. Of course, he thought it was now chasing him. He went down the aisle and the Ice Horse stayed with him. Sort of like crack-the-whip.
The hysterical horse was finally caught, he was detached from the Ice Horse and everyone expected that it would be time for a new Ice Horse. Not so. The unit did not break. Really! No other system could hold up under those circumstances, in my opinion. The spontaneous demonstration made a few converts in the barn that day.
Ice Horse works equally well at home or on the road, in the tent stabling out in a field. It comes with a canvas tote bag and when you schlep it across a field, it's wonderfully light-weight. It looks like a mini beverage cooler (um, once you’ve finished treating your horse, you can put a mini wine in to chill…)
PROS
Dry
Effective
Durable
Light-weight
Relatively affordable
CONS
The pads do not wrap all the way around the leg.
I would like to see a coupling on the back of the unit.
CONCLUSION
After testing this product for 5 months, I have only good things about it. When I walk into the stabling at a show I often see grooms with their heavy, duct taped, icing system. They look at my Ice Horse in it’s handy dandy blue canvas shoulder bag with a bit of envy in their eyes. Word must be getting around!
RATING If 4 is the top; this is a 5.
PUBLISHER’S NOTES
My interactions with Chuck Dumbrell at MacKinnon have been professional, informative and friendly. I've learned a few important things during the review process that may be interesting side bars.
1] You can learn how to use Ice Horse by watching the online video demonstration on the MacKinnon website. The product arrives with the video on DVD and VHS and there is additional printed literature. This is one of the better instruction sets I've seen with a product
2] If your Ice Horse needs repair, MacKinnon will send a loaner so you're covered in the interim.
3] Concerning placing the coupler for the hose at the back of the machine; apparently its complicated to do because contained within the hose are three hoses from the motor...Its a technical issue that they are currently addressing.
[MINIMIZE TEXT]
Evendura - "Once again, MacKinnon has a great product."
The wonderful thing about this product is the First+Ice Inserts. They are a non-gel reusable pack that does not freeze to be impossibly stiff. Other ice inserts are often so stiff that when you try to bend them around the horses’ legs; they break and leak. Or they don’t really come in contact with the leg until a certain amount of melting has occurred.
[READ MORE]
First+Ice is squishy and will form around the leg. These little babies also fit into teeny weenie freezers. You can stuff a bunch of them into the mini refrigerator freezer in your hotel room and take them with you to the show the next morning. If I know that I am at a show where there is a mini fridge in the room (some Hampton Inns, etc.,) I don’t bring the show freezer with me. I will freeze them in the room at night, and then put them into my ice cooler when I leave until I need them during the day.
When I received the products to test, I wondered which horse was going to need to be iced. My daughter’s Young Rider horse turned out to be the perfect candidate. He was a 17year old borrowed horse, owned by a veterinarian. This horse was iced after every ride in every competition and at home while we had the delight of having him. During the time he was with us we wanted to make certain he was well cared for and well prepared for the NAYRC. The owner was quite happy with how he was being iced. The horse was notoriously quirky about his hind legs and never got the hock wraps to budge.
I am now using the Knee to Fetlock wrap on my older Grand Prix horse. He was kicked on the knee by a young horse and his leg is swollen all the way to the fetlock. I am so relieved that I can ice the whole thing!
Pros
Economical, starting at $45
Stays in place
Forms to the leg
Easy to use
Cons
First+Ice inserts need to be replaced periodically.
Conclusion
Once again, MacKinnon has a great product. I can’t imagine wanting or needing anything other than these.
[MINIMIZE TEXT]
Joie Gatlin - International Show Jumping Competitor
"Ice Horse cold therapy products are a part of our daily regime, both at our show jumping competitions and at home."
Sharee Wright and "Seeya"
"Ice Horse products kept my horse in competition when several veterinarians said she was done. Cold therapy works!"
Susan Dutta - International Dressage Rider
"Inflammation is a normal event after physical exercise. Daily therapy with
Ice Horse products snuffs out these small fires before they become a major blaze and more difficult to control."
Tami Hoag - International Grand Prix Dressage Rider
"Small inflammations occur from daily physical exercise and a good maintenance program keeps the tissues healthy and strong. Ice Boots are part of our daily regime. You must always pay close attention to the well-being of your horse and Ice Horse is at the forefront of my daily regimen."
Jonty Evans - International Event Rider and Trainer
"As an international event rider, time is of the essence when preparing and competing at shows. I have been very impressed with the MacKinnon Tendon Wraps. The wraps usage is versatile as it can be used for pre and post preparation at shows and for training events."
Volume 9 Number 6 - June, 2002
Easy Cold Therapy for the Hoof
"A cleaner option which keeps the feet dry and also allows the horse to lie down during the treatment is the new MacKinnon Ice Horse Big Black Boot. A skid resistant plastic polymer, wide web, oversized bar shoe is molded to the bottom of a durable padded synthetic upper boot that opens with flaps in the back.
"Inside the boot is heavy duty netting on the sides/ front and bottom that hold cooling packs. (First+Ice®). The packs remain pliable after freezing. The boot closes securely with hook and loop straps. The boots provide effective, but not excessive cooling for up to two hours. The boot works great for horses with sole bruises and sore feet as well.
"The boots from MacKinnon are excellent, and we’ve not seen anything that makes cooling hooves simpler or more effective. In addition they’re durable. We would make them a tack room basic, not just for laminitis episodes, but for pain relief with sole bruising and sore feet."
Volume 6 Number 5 - May, 1999
Bowed Tendons Take Cold, Time, Support
"A bowed tendon means a lengthy lay-up. And there is no such thing as a miracle cure or quick fix… There is one all-important rule for dealing with acute tendon injuries; cold, cold and more cold… The more cooling done in a 24 hour period the better. The MacKinnon Ice Horse Cold Therapy machine is unsurpassed for providing continuous cooling without the associated watery mess. The gentle compression offered by this device is a plus in controlling swelling."
Volume 4 Number 9 - September 1997
BOTTOM LINE
"We feel Ice Horse is the superior product. Labor is minimal, although for safety reasons someone should be present during treatment. Fit and comfort for the horse are excellent and the application of cold is well tolerated. The fact that the cold remains constant for up to eight hours is what really impressed us. Plus the excellent and even compression over the treatment site aids in the control and elimination of edema."
| 
