What Is Cold Water Therapy For Horses?

What is cold therapy? Cold therapy is an age-old technique, used to help treat injuries for horses. It’s simple to use, effective, and available to everybody! The application of something cold can help reduce blood flow to the injured area, helping to reduce bruising, haemorrhage, and alleviate pain.

What is cold hosing in horses?

Cold hosing is felt to draw the heat out of the tissues, reduce excess blood flow, reduce swelling and bleeding, and temporarily relieve pain. Because the running water is gently massaging the area at a constant temperature, it won’t be warmed up by the body as cold or ice packs would.

How long should you cold hose a horse?

“[Hosing] is the most popular method, and your veterinarian may tell you to cold hose an injury or a limb for 15 to 30 minutes,” says Seabaugh.

Why do they put horses legs in ice water?

When a horse injures a leg, many times the first – and best – course of action is to cool the area as quickly as possible using ice packs or very cold water. Your immediate goal is to try to reduce inflammation and swelling in order to minimize tissue damage and speed healing.

What does cold therapy do?

Cold therapy is also known as cryotherapy. It works by reducing blood flow to a particular area, which can significantly reduce inflammation and swelling that causes pain, especially around a joint or a tendon. It can temporarily reduce nerve activity, which can also relieve pain.

Does cold hosing help arthritis in horses?

Cooling a horse’s tissue temperature below about 66 degrees Fahrenheit reduces pain, edema (swelling) and bleeding and slows down the inflammatory response. It also diminishes the severity of laminitis. Even uninjured horses can benefit from cold therapy.

What is cold water training?

Also called cold water immersion (CWI) or cryotherapy, the practice of taking a 10 to 15 minute dip in very cold water (50-59°F) after an intense exercise session or competition is believed to help reduce muscle pain and soreness.

Do horses prefer warm or cold water?

Some of my friends at the University of Pennsylvania did a study to determine if horses prefer warm or cold water in winter. They found that if horses were offered only warm water (66^oF), they drank more volume than if offered only cold water (32-38^oF).

Should I blanket a cold wet horse?

Blanket Fit
Make sure blankets are kept dry and do not put a blanket on a wet horse; wait until the horse is dry before blanketing. Or take a wet blanket off a horse to keep it from becoming chilled. Days that the temperature becomes warm remove the blanket so the horse does not sweat and become wet under the blanket.

Can a horse go into shock from cold water?

Giving a hot, sweaty, or overheated horse very cold water can shock their system and make them very ill, contributing to a potential colic episode (one of the leading causes of death for horses).

How often should I ice my horses legs?

For example, if your horse has a weakened tendon from an old injury, or a suspensory ligament that’s easily strained during exercise, he’ll benefit from a routine icing following every session of hard work. For this type of icing, one 20-minute session directly after exercise is typically enough.

How long should I ice my horses feet?

Stand Fluffy in a wash tub of ice water, deep enough to cover the entire hoof. Keep her in the ice water for an hour or so, a couple of times for each front foot if you have an army of helpers. You can’t really ice them too much — and any amount will help.

How long should you ice horses legs?

You need to ice limbs for only about 15 or 20 minutes after a difficult workout to obtain the benefits. If you had noticed any heat or swelling in your post-workout leg inspection, check again after icing—if it hasn’t diminished, give your veterinarian a call. Liniments and poultices.

What are the risks of cold therapy?

The most serious injuries to skin and tissue have been associated with cold therapy. Those injuries range from numbness to frostbite, which if serious could require skin grafts or amputation. It is important to keep in mind that water-circulating cold therapy devices are different from ice packs.

Is cold water anti inflammatory?

Cold water immersion and active recovery are common post‐exercise recovery treatments. A key assumption about the benefits of cold water immersion is that it reduces inflammation in skeletal muscle.

When should you not use cold therapy?

Do not apply ice or heat to large areas of the body if only one joint or body part is the focus. As an example, a full-body ice bath should not be used to treat an ankle sprain. The body cannot sustain the vasodilation, or decrease of blood flow, to such a large area.

What is the best treatment for arthritis in horses?

Treatment of Arthritis in Horses

• Daily exercise will help keep your horse active and comfortable.
• Daily anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) such as Equioxx can be used long-term, whereas phenylbutazone can be used in acute situations or before more uncomfortable situations.

Can cold water cure arthritis?

Does Cold Therapy Help Arthritis Pain? Yes. Cold packs numb the sore area and reduce inflammation and swelling.

How do you treat arthritis in horses naturally?

Feed a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids, which are anti-inflammatory in nature and low in omega-6 fatty acids, which are pro-inflammatory. In other words, feed more fiber (hay and grass) and fats rich in omega-3s and less grains and oils high in omega-6.

How often should you do cold water therapy?

When it comes to the number of times one should go for cold water therapy in a week, there is no definite answer. However, studies have linked health benefits with performing CWI at least four days per week on average. Just remember, if you are new to cold water therapy, start slowly.

How do you use cold water therapy?

“After having your normal shower in warm water, turn the shower to the cold setting and stand under the water for one minute before getting out. Next time, try standing under the water for two minutes. The time after that, try having a cold shower for a few minutes without starting with warm water.”