A Better Way To Deliver Icing For Horse Recovery

Performance Horse Recovery With Cold Therapy

Racing journalist Richard Haynes recently caught up with Equi-Ice creator, Tom Simpson, to talk about his inspiration behind the development of Equi-Ice and how the product meets a need for all horse owners who are concerned about horse recovery post exercise and their horse’s health and welfare.

Physio Tom, one of Australia’s leading equine physiotherapists, shared that his inspiration for Equi-Ice came from simple frustrations with current methods of using icing for horse recovery in his physiotherapy practice. “Direct ice application has so many benefits for the equine patient,” he said, “yet containing the ice in plastic bags or pillow cases just wasn’t as effective as we needed it to be.  The ice wouldn’t stay in the places it needed to. With Equi-ice, the sectioned design maximises coverage of direct ice contact and benefit to the horse’s core muscle groups. It is tailored to the anatomy of the horse and is adaptable to multiple muscle regions.”

The Development Of Equi-Ice

The product, which took approximately 5 years from concept to commercialisation, while looks simple, has a design that has been refined over time, and tested amongst some of Australia’s elite equine athletes. “Not only to trainers and horse owners love the benefits they are seeing from faster recoveries, the horses themselves seem to genuinely enjoy the application. It gives them immediate pain relief, which is immediately observable by the way they lick their lips, and ease into a posture to retain the ice pack on their back.

The new product is made from neoprene to insulate the ice, and a double layered mesh to allow measured drip and contact of the ice. The combination of these two materials allows direct contact with the horse’s back in a way that provides some protection for the horse.

“Horses of all types all around the world – not only performance equine athletes such as racehorses, polo horses, dressage, endurance and showjumping horses, through to working and recreation horses, can benefit from using Equi-Ice when indicated”, says Physio Tom. “I recommend seeking advice from your veterinarian or equine physiotherapist to determine if icing is appropriate for your horse”.

Equi-Ice can be purchased from our online store, and selected trade shows and distributors.