A SIMPLE WAY to ice a chronic hoof issue: Human Eye Ice Packs!

As you all know, I am in a constant battle between letting Mama Tess walk around – which is very good for her – and the deadly GRASS which is everywhere she would walk around.

Her barn and veranda certainly allow her to walk around, but we really want her to start moving freely.

So, we decided to try a grazing muzzle for a short time outside and be very vigilant in looking for any signs of heat in her hooves.

This was Tess a few days ago, strolling outside in her SoftRide and EasyBoot RX combination. I’ve got my hawkeyes on her and my timer.

THE DILEMMA and why I need Ice packs.

She hates her grazing muzzle. When she wears it, she stands rock still. Not good for walking…

So, I ended up hand-walking the Pouty Queen.

MT: “What is the point of this exercise?”

Me: You need to walk so that you move around and keep your girlish figure – but you can only eat a limited amount of blades of grass – and only at certain times of the day.

MT: “I can do that by myself. In fact, I prefer it. You need not come along with me.”

Me: Yes, but you cannot eat grass. It is bad for you.

MT: “Grass is bad for a horse? Are you kidding me? We are grazing animals. We live on grass. You will NEVER get me to believe that grass is bad for me!

Me: Uh… then you need to wear the muzzle.

MT (hoofes crossed): “OK, let me walk around and I promise to not eat any grass.”

Me (presenting the muzzle): I don’t trust you. Here, wear this grazing muzzle.

MT: AAGH! I cannot breathe in that thing! ARE YOU TRYING TO TAKE ALL THE FUN OUT OF MY LIFE?! I’d rather not go out than wear this contraption. Fine. I’ll just stand here and STARE AT YOU UNTIL YOU TAKE IT OFF. Or, I’ll shuffle back inside the barn with my head hanging and MAKE YOU FEEL SORRY FOR ME.

Inevitably, we have this same discussion – in one way or another – every day. Sigh.

Generally, the discussion starts as I do her daily hoof wrap and rewrap; checking for any signs of anything… So, I’ve come to need and rely on many handy items to make this chore as efficient and quick as possible.

Here is a new one!

You can get them from Amazon in pink or blue.

HUMAN EYE PACKS!

I’m sure that others have thought of this… I just haven’t read about it so I thought I’d write here.

I use SoftRide boots, Equine Slippers and now, I’ve just started using an Easy Boot RX on Tess’ malformed left foot.

Well… I wanted to find an ice pack that I could insert into these boots easily. Since the boots all have velcro closures, adding an ice pack is fairly easy.

Except, for Tess’ petite feet, all the ice packs I was using were just a tad too big.

Initially, I had used the little white ice packs you get when a frozen item is shipped to you. They are approx 6″x 3″ and 1.5″ thick. You’ve probably also used something similar in a lunchbox.

These are the icepacks I get in cold shipped supplies. Many people use them in lunchboxes. I have used them often inside her boots (as you can see, I have one vet wrapped), but they were a bit awkward and thick.

These are the human eye packs. Much smaller and more thin. They pliable when frozen, which is a huge advantage.

Here i have inserted two eye ice packs into her boot. They fit snugly and I can focus on two areas at a time. She doesn’t have to be tied while she’s icing and she can walk around. The bad is that they only last about 30-45 mins. However, it is really easy to change them out for a fresh set.