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Cold-Therapy – what is it and when is it useful?

What is Cold-Therapy?


Cold-therapy (also known as Cryotherapy) is the act of cooling an area of the body – generally in our case, the horse’s lower legs. It is used for the prevention and treatment of injuries as well as recovery after strenuous exercise in every equine discipline. The principle behind it is to cause Vasoconstriction (narrowing of the blood vessels) which reduces blood flow to the area. More on that later…


There are many forms of cold therapy; the most commonly used and easily accessible method is simply cold-hosing, where cold water is run over the horse’s legs continuously for a period of time. Volume of water and duration is more important than the pressure of the water; as in, a slow flowing but continuous stream of water is fine. Another easy option (depending on your horse’s tolerance!) is Ice-Therapy where containers are filled with water - sometimes with the addition of ice - for the horse to stand in. Thankfully there are now many modern-day alternatives such as boots, gels and pastes which are far less time consuming but just as effective.


When would you use Cold-Therapy?


Cold-therapy can be used to help reduce inflammation when an injury occurs or for example after exercise to cool tendons.


Treatment of injuries

When an injury is sustained, such as a knock or cut, blood rushes to the area leading to bruising, heat and swelling which causes pain. This is known as the Inflammatory response. In reducing blood flow, the response is lessened. It is advised the Cold-Therapy should last between 20-30 minuets to have the desired effect. Vasoconstriction (narrowing of the blood vessels) induced by Cold-Therapy is often used as a treatment for horses experiencing a sudden onset of Laminitis to help alleviate pressure (inflammation) inside the hoof capsule and reduce associated pain.


After exercise

Tendons and Ligaments are nature’s equivalent of elastic bands. When stretched, heat is created as a “by-product”. This is why during exercise, the tendons of the lower limb heat up by being stretched and flexed multiple times – especially during maximal exertion. This increase in temperature allows the structures to be even more efficient as they become more flexible - just like an elastic band – which is why a good warm up routine is so important at the beginning (and a warm down at the end) of a session. However, this rise in temperature could cause the internal structures to begin to break down if it exceeds the cells biological limits leading to wear and tear and in the more extreme cases, lesions, tears and even catastrophic failure. Research has shown that if tendon cells are heated beyond 48°C for 10 mins, approximately 80% of cells will die. Applying Cold-Therapy after exercise helps reduce the Risk of Injury and prevent such damage and degradation of the tissues.


If tendons do get damaged, the area is repaired with more fibrous "scar" tissue which has less stretch capability so less effective and more prone to re-injury. Reducing this increase in temperature beforehand through the use of breathable forms of leg protection is beneficial!


Prevention better than a cure!


Consider if leg protection is needed for the exercise being undertaken and if it is, ensure that BREATHABLE boots are used to allow heat to dissipate and escape. There are plenty of options on the market combining modern research and materials so there really is no excuse these days!




Take home message: Exercise, Reducing the Risk of Injury and Treatment


Appropriate warm-up, use of breathable leg protection and utilising the benefits of Cold-Therapy after exercise helps prevent injury, reduces wear and tear and preserves your horse’s longevity. Cold-Therapy is also a very easily accessible form of treatment to reduce pain should injury and inflammation occur.

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