Thermography as a Method to Evaluate Temperature Changes in the Acropodial Region of a Warmblood Horse Following the Application of an Ice Boot Pack: A Pilot Study

This pilot study evaluated the effectiveness of ice boots in cooling the metacarpal and coronary regions of a horse after training over 8 days (n = 8). Background: While cryotherapy is effective in managing exertional heat illness, stress fractures, and laminitis in horses, conventional methods are often costly and impractical. This pilot study assessed the efficacy of ice boots as an accessible alternative for cooling the metacarpal and coronary regions post-training. Methods: A four-year-old Warmblood mare was trained on a treadmill over 8 days. An ice boot was applied to the right thoracic limb for 20 min post-exercise. Thermographic images were captured at six time points from pre-training to 30 min post-cooling. Mean temperatures in four regions were analyzed using the FLIR Tools software v6.4.18039.1003. Results: Post-training, metacarpal temperatures increased by 10.97 ± 0.46 °C (p = 0.000). Ice boot application reduced metacarpal temperature by 20.27 ± 0.22 °C (p = 0.001) and coronary band temperature by 5.28 ± 0.30 °C (p = 0.001), with altered thermal patterns visible on the imaging. Treated regions returned to baseline within 30 min, while the control limb took 50 min. Conclusions: Ice boots provide rapid, effective cooling and distinctive thermal pattern changes, offering a practical cryotherapy alternative for equine limb care post-training. These initial findings lay the groundwork for larger studies involving more horses under varied conditions, which will be necessary to confirm the results and establish clear guidelines for the clinical use of ice boots in equine practice.