FAQ About Therapy Boots For Horses

1. Can‘ t I use a simple ice pack or cold water spray instead of a cooling boot?

Although cooling boots or bandages are available in different price segments, not every horse owner wants to invest in them. If there is no cooling boot at hand in an acute case, the cold water can be a remedy. However, the cold water does not penetrate to the deep layers, while much of the cold is lost to the environment. If your horse has a thick coat or long feathers, the water will not even penetrate to the skin. Cooling boots, on the other hand, are thickly padded and keep the loss of cold to a minimum and ensure that the cold penetrates all the way to the injury.

Instead of a stream of water, you can wrap a bag of crushed ice or frozen peas around the horse’s leg. Tissue freezing is only to be feared in horses with thin coats or pre-damaged skin. Nevertheless, a towel should be placed between them for insulation.

Water and ice are sensible alternatives to cooling boots and bandages. However, cooling boots ease the handling of an acute injury.

2. How long may I cool the horse’s leg or leave a cooling boot on the horse’s leg?

In order to achieve a deep effect, the affected area must be cooled for at least 10 minutes so that the blood circulation shuts down. After the treatment, the blood flow increases dramatically. If you cool for less than 10 minutes, the opposite effect is achieved and the inflammation spreads. The cooling process should be repeated 3 to 4 times a day in acute cases. However, the cooling should not last longer than 72 hours. After this time, one switches to heat therapy to stimulate the blood circulation and the regeneration process.

3. What is the difference between a cooling boot and a cooling bandage?

A cooling bandage is less padded and insulated than a cooling boot, which is why it cannot store cold for as long. The special inner material of a cooling bandage is briefly placed in a bowl of (cold) water and then wrung out. The horse’s leg is then wrapped as with a normal bandage.

4. Some therapy boots are also suitable for turnout. What do I have to pay attention to when I turn the horse out with the therapy boot?

Not all therapy boots are suitable for turnout. For example, cooling or massage boots should not be left on the leg for several hours. These should not be used for longer periods in the paddock or out in the field.

If you have accustomed your horse to warm ceramic boots, they can be worn around the clock. Paddock boots specially designed for this purpose are suitable for turnout. Thanks to the extremely tear-proof material, they are very durable.

Our tip: If you would like to continue the warmth treatment of your horse in the paddock or field, we recommend the Felix Bühler Ceramic Rehab Paddock Boots made of tear-resistant and waterproof nylon fabric.

5. How long can I leave a compression bandage on the horse’s leg?

As with all other therapeutic boots, a gradual habituation applies to compression bandages. Start with one hour and then increase the time every hour to 23 hours. You should always keep an eye on the horse, as the feeling of pressure can be disconcerting.

If the horse has been bandaged for several days (due to an acute injury), the bandage should not be completely removed immediately, but weaned off gradually. Swelling could occur, causing the tissue to wear out.

6. Can compression bandages slip?

Yes, they can. Due to the changing circumference of the leg, the compression bandage can become too large as the leg reduces in swelling. To determine the size of the bandage, use the horse’s leg as a guide after movement, when it is at its thinnest.

The change of coat can also play a role in determining the size. If you measure in winter when the coat is thick, the bandage may be too big in summer and slip.

7. What should horse owners look for in therapy boots and compression bandages?

It is particularly important that they are the right size and fit correctly on the horse’s leg. They must not slip or pinch. Therapy boots are anatomically shaped in order to achieve a perfect fit and thus the greatest possible effectiveness. It may be necessary to try out several models until a boot is found that actually fits the horse.

Follow the manufacturer’s instructions when putting them on and using them, for example to avoid hypothermia at the joint.

Therapy boots work on a cellular level and their effect is therefore not visible externally. Therefore, always keep an eye on your horse’s reaction in order to stop the treatment if necessary.

8. How are therapy boots put on correctly?

There are different fastening options depending on the manufacturer. Pay attention to the manufacturer’s instructions and follow them.

Basically, they are put on in the same way as other normal boots. Slide the boot from the carpus or hock down along the horse’s leg until it ends at the fetlock. Then close them so that the fastener faces backwards.

For cooling boots with a pocket, insert the cooling pads before fastening. Some cooling boots have loose cooling elements that are placed under the closing boot and fastened to the horse’s leg first.

Vibration elements are in stretchable insert pockets and do not need to be attached separately.

9. Is it worth buying therapeutic boots or is it enough to borrow them from the vet/horse clinic?

Many equine clinics offer private horse owners to borrow pulsating magnetic boots for a fee, for example. The costs vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Fees of 10 £ per day may be charged. Some rental companies offer a rental period of a few weeks at staggered prices. In this case, monthly prices of up to 250 £ and more can be charged. However, tendon damage in particular requires long-term therapy, which is why four weeks of therapy is often not enough.

Some boots for thermotherapy can be used for both cooling and warming, depending on the water temperature with which they have been activated. In this way, the combination can already save on initial costs.

Compression bandages are also a good idea to add to the first aid kit. Due to the close skin contact, these should not be used for several horses to avoid the spread of skin diseases.

If you would like to support the usual preventive measures with therapy boots, the purchase is definitely worthwhile. If you only want to support treatment during an injury, renting appropriate boots and therapy equipment would be worth considering.

10. Are there proven successful results of magnetic boots?

Although magnetic treatment is becoming increasingly popular in both the equine and human fields, the healing effect of magnetic fields is not recognised by medical science. Due to the uncertainty of the facts, magnetic therapy is regarded as a complementary therapy to conventional medicine or as part of a holistic therapy concept. All of the recommendations for use and modes of action of magnetic boots described by us remain controversial in medical circles. Nevertheless, countless testimonials testify to a positive effect on the healing process.

11. Can I use therapy boots during training?

Therapy boots can not only be used before or after training, but can also support the training. Tendon boots with fused ceramic particles are particularly suitable for this purpose. They support the blood circulation in the leg and can thus make the tendons and ligaments more supple, which in turn can prevent injuries. Make sure you use breathable materials, e.g. spacer fabric and mesh fabric, so that heat does not build up between the boot and the horse’s leg.

Our tip: We recommend the Felix Bühler Ceramic Rehab Work Boots made of extremely breathable spacer fabric. The permanent air circulation prevents the horse’s leg from sweating, while the fused-in ceramic fibres stimulate blood circulation.

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