Thermodynamic effects of commercially available ice boots.

The research investigates the effectiveness of commercially available ice boots for horses. It suggests that these boots are effective at cooling the horse’s leg after exercise, taking about 14.67 minutes for the leg to return to its average temperature.

Study Objective and Methodology

• The study aimed to test the effectiveness of commercially available ice boots in cooling the legs of horses after exercise. This practice is commonly employed to prevent lameness and ensure the horse’s health.
• The researchers used 6 healthy, performance level sport horses for this experiment. Each of these horses was exercised at different speeds – walk, trot, and canter – in a round-pen.
• After exercising, an ice boot was applied to a treatment leg on each horse for 20 minutes. No ice boot was applied to the untreated leg, serving as a control for comparison.

Data Collection and Analysis

• Thermal images of the 3 metacarpal region of the horse’s leg were taken at various intervals: pre-exercise, post-exercise, post-ice boot, and then every 2 minutes until the temperature difference between the control leg and the treatment leg became zero.
• The thermal images were analyzed using FLIR Tools software, which enabled the calculation of the average temperature of the 3 metacarpal region at each time interval.

Research Findings

• The results showed significant differences in measured temperatures between the treatment and control legs, signifying that the ice boot effectively cools the horse’s leg (P<.01).
• From the measurements, a 95% confidence interval was created to establish the average time it took for the cooled leg to return to average temperature post-ice boot. This was found to be approximately 14.67 minutes for the temperature difference between the cooled and the non-cooled leg to become zero.

Significance of the Study

• The results of this study are significant as they provide evidence for the practice of using cold therapy in the treatment of equine diseases and maintaining the general health of horses. This is particularly useful information for horse owners, trainers, and veterinarians.
• The effectiveness of these widely available ice boots could potentially reduce the risk of lameness in horses, improving their performance and longevity.