Cryochaps V Cold Hosing

Cold hosing horses’ legs has long been central to cooling after exercise or in the event of an injury. This is important, as cold hosing helps cool the legs quickly and kickstarts the recovery process. 

However, cold hosing comes with its limitations. Firstly, it may be impractical to stand on the yard, allowing the water to flood the place whilst you try to cool your horse’s legs! This is particularly problematic in winter as the water is likely to freeze, creating a slipping hazard to humans and horses. Thirdly, you may not always be able to access running water at shows or you may need to fill a bucket with water and carry it back to your stable or lorry. 

Our non-slip ice boots are designed to provide a practical and effective alternative to cold hosing, meaning you can avoid drenching the yard or having to carry buckets of water around! 

But how do Cryochaps perform against cold hosing? 

Testing Cryochaps Against Cold Hosing

A study published in 2019 investigated the cooling effectiveness of cold hosing versus several alternatives, including standing in ice and water, clay, cooling gel and equine ice boots. 

A water-filled flask heated to 40.2°C (external temperature) and 42.1°C (internal temperature) was cooled using the various methods that might be used to cool a horse’s legs. 

Not only did Cryochaps outperform clays, gels and water boots, but there was also no significant difference in the amount of heat removed between Cryochaps and cold hosing. 

You can read the study in full here: Marlin, D.J. (2019) Evaluation of the COOLING EFFICACY OF DIFFERENT EQUINE LEG COOLING METHODS Comparative Exercise Physiology. 

Cryochaps Non-Slip Ice Boots: A Practical Alternative to Cold Hosing

So, when you next head out to a competition or arena hire and accessing a hosepipe or wash bay proves difficult, consider switching to Cryochaps ice boots for horses! Your horse will continue to benefit from an excellent cool-down, whilst the yard owner will thank you for not causing a flood! Cryochaps K2F ice boots are available to purchase as a single ice boot, pair, or quad set of ice boots.