Beat the Heat with Equi Cool Down
This Spring, I had a wonderful opportunity to work on the website & branding for Equi Cool Down, through Horsefly Group (a fantastic marketing firm). I ended up taking some photos for them and was able to test out the products.
I will admit that I have tried almost every cooling product out there because I’m super sensitive to the heat. I have the caps, neck towels, ties, and even a cooling vest! (See my other post – Summer Essentials – for reviews about those) Most products are fairly similar in design, but ECD is one of a few that actually sells products for your horse. Yay! And their products are by far the easiest to use. You don’t have to soak them in cold water forever. You don’t have to chill them before use and they don’t take 30 minutes to activate. Just wet the product, wring it out and shake to activate. It’s so easy!
One of the best features is that you can use any water temperature! This is a big deal for Equestrians because you can use them anywhere: show grounds, camping, on the trail or anywhere that doesn’t have access to a cold water faucet. Water buckets or troughs work great.
Dancer has battled anhidrosis following a mild heat stroke a few years ago, so I have to watch him carefully in the Summer. I normally give him Guinness in the mornings with his grain and keep him hosed down if it’s brutally hot in the afternoon. With all of the other things I’m doing to help him stay cool, our new favorites are the ECD products. The body wrap in particular is amazing! It’s cool to the touch and immediately starts to work after you put it on. I’ve tried it myself and it’s great! If you want to keep your horse really cool, try hosing him off and then put the body wrap on!
The neck wrap and leg wraps are also wonderful! You can use the neck wrap with the blanket for added cooling power. I gifted my trainer with some leg wraps and she loves them. Many people use the leg wraps instead of ice for sore or swollen areas. I tested this out when Dancer got a cut on his lower leg and it worked great. I also liked how convenient it is to just wrap it and go. It stays in place really well and I don’t have to worry about keeping Dancer still or standing there forever with a hose on his leg. (He doesn’t go for soaking in buckets!)
I also love the human products and have tried the neck towel (pictured above) and the headband. I like the neck towel, but I have to tuck it inside of my shirt to keep it from flapping around when I ride. The headband works great for everything outside of the saddle. I found it didn’t fit under my helmet. However, I’ve used it a lot for working outside doing non-horsey activities. With my long hair, it’s nice to have something that cools and keeps the hair out of my face a the same time.
So if you’re on the fence about cooling products, I highly recommend Equi Cool Down! They hold up great after multiple uses, can be washed and also come with convenient plastic cases for storage (and to keep them damp). I have enjoyed their products this Summer and don’t know if I could ever go another Summer without them!
[And now here is my disclaimer: I was paid to work for Equi Cool Down and I was given products to try for that project. However, they are not paying me to write this blog post. I only review products that I can stand behind. If I don’t enjoy the product, I don’t write about them here!]
