I was impressed by the packaging of the Ice-Vibe Boots. They come in a lightweight mesh storage bag which keeps all the parts together. Included in the bag is two boots, two cold packs, two massage panels, charging cable and four universal adapters. There is also an instruction manual which makes it simple to get everything set-up and ready for your first use.

If you are using the boots with the cold packs, these needs to be placed in the freezer at least two hours before use. For day-to-day use, you can also place the cold packs in the fridge.

The vibrating panels arrive partially charged so I plugged them in to fully charge before testing the boots out. It takes two hours to charge one panel and four hours to charge both panels simultaneously so do take this into account and plan ahead. Once fully charged, the boots should last for two hours and I have found the battery life to be good.

There are three different settings on the boots and it’s recommended to use setting one for the first few days to help your horse’s legs get used to them. I headed to the yard to try them out for the first time without cold packs and on the lowest setting to give them a go.

There are slots inside the boots and the vibrating panel goes into the one with the on/off button. The button on the vibrating panel will line up with button on the outside of the boot and the smooth side of the panel will be facing the horse’s leg when inserted correctly.  

The boots are very adjustable with four Velcro straps. Annie has quite fine legs and usually wears a medium or Cob size in boots but the Full size of the Ice-Vibes fit her well. The boots are labelled left/right and the Ice-Vibe logo aligns with the front of the leg so it’s easy to put them on.

To turn on the boots, hold down the on/off button for three seconds. Make sure to hold the button down long enough; the boots make a low hum so you can tell once they are on. You can switch between the settings by pressing the button. I find that the top Velcro strap covers the on/off button so I turn them on and select the setting before fastening the strap.

Annie wasn’t fazed at all with them being turned on and looked very relaxed throughout her first experience with the Ice-Vibe Boots. Setting one automatically turns the boots off after ten minutes but you can also turn them off manually using the button.

I have mainly used the boots on Annie’s front legs but you can also use them on the hind legs.

After using the boots on setting one for the first few days, I switched to setting two. This is recommended for use before exercise without the cold packs, after exercise with the cold packs, or for rehabilitation. Setting two lasts twenty minutes so I like to put the boots on while I am grooming and tacking up Annie. By the time the boots have turned off, she is ready to ride. Using the boots before exercise increases blood flow to the tendons and ligaments, making them more elastic. This also reduces the risk of injury which is a win in my book!

I don’t have access to a fridge or freezer at the yard, so I put the cold packs in the freezer at home. I keep them in a cool bag until I need them after my ride. When heading out to clinic or competition, I add ice packs to a cool box to keep the Ice-Vibe cold packs cooler for longer which works well.

The cold packs are labelled left/right and also indicate the top, making it super simple to put them on correctly. The Velcro helps keep them in place while you put the boot over the top. After jumping or faster work, I use the cold packs with setting two for recovery. There is also a third setting which is the strongest. I haven’t used this yet as it’s recommended for larger boned horses or those with old excess scar tissue.