This study aims to determine the effects of commercially available cold therapy on the equine limb. To test the effectiveness of the boot, 6 healthy performance level sport type horses were exercised at a walk, trot, and canter in a round-pen and then subjected to the application of the ice boot for 20 minutes on a treatment leg, and no ice boot on an untreated leg. Thermal images were taken of the 3rd metacarpal region pre-exercise, post-exercise, post-ice boot, and every 2 minutes after until the difference between the temperatures of the control leg and the treatment leg became zero. The images were then analyzed to determine the average temperature of the 3rd metacarpal region at each time point. The measured temperatures between treatments were found to be significantly different due to the application of the ice boot, providing evidence that the boot sufficiently cools the leg. This finding is significant to horse owners, trainers, and veterinarians that use this commonly available tool. These findings lend evidence to support the common practice of using cold therapy in treatment of disease in the horse.
Key words: cold therapy, equine, thermography, equine limb, ice boot
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