Product review: The Ice Bonnet cooling system for overheated horses

Today our special interview guest is Carmen Herrmann Stiles, inventor of the Ice Bonnet™ cooling system for horses who are overheating during training and riding, during transport and during competition.

How did this invention come about, Carmen?
One day my daughter was showing her hunter/jumper (one of my ranch's rescue horses, by the way). After her class we noticed the horse's sweat had dried up and her breathing was labored. Those are symptoms of overheating in a horse, and her body was shutting down. We tried hosing her off with cold water but her core temperature was not cooling, so I called my vet. The vet explained that we needed to ice her brain because when a horse overheats, the brain literally fries! The vet told us the most important places to ice were the poll and the jugular vein. So I took ice from my cooler and held it on her head and neck. The horse instantly relaxed and within about 15-20 minutes she was cooled and back to normal.

My family operates Herrmann Royal Lipizzans and I spent many years touring with the show, setting up tents and announcing. As a result of the hard work setting up tents, my rotator cuffs are shot and holding the ice on our horse's head was vey painful for me. I decided I better buy something in case this happened again. I searched the Internet and horse product catalogs and was astonished there was nothing available for cooling down overheated horses. So I came up with the idea that would become the Ice Bonnet™ and partnered with a training client, Jim Crews. Jim and his wife Louise own two Friesians that I trained.

When we created the Ice Bonnet™, we viewed it as a rescue device to help horses that were in distress from overheating, but we soon realized it's a preventative for overheating as well. Here in Florida we use the Ice Bonnet™ all the time, during training, on trail rides, at shows, and most important, while transporting horses in the trailer. Trailers get very hot and sometimes you have to stop, or you get a flat, stuck in bad traffic, etc. We know we can't leave children and dogs in hot cars and yet people leave horses in hot trailers all the time.

How does the Ice Bonnet™ fit on the horse?
It's really a very easy, simple and uncomplicated device. The fabric is breathable and feels like the soft side of Velcro. We provide lots of straps so you can get a customized fit. We've used the Ice Bonnet™ on ponies as small as 12 hands to draft horses as tall as 18.1 hands, and always get a perfect fit. The pockets are on the outside and you can add ice in three different ways:

1. The Ice Bonnet™ comes with ice packs that insert into the pockets. You freeze the packs in advance and then slip them into the pockets.
2. You can use 2 gallon-size resealable plastic bags and 3 quart-sized resealable plastic bags. Fill the bags with water, freeze them, and slip them into the pockets.
3. You can also put crushed ice or ice cubes directly into the outer pockets.

As the ice melts, does it drip?
When using the ice packs or resealable baggies there is very little dripping so your tack stays dry. When using straight ice in the pockets you will get some dripping but it just helps to cool the horse more.

Can you ride with the Ice Bonnet™ on the horse?
Yes, you can. That's why it's so great for trail riding, for training and at shows. It fits very nicely under the bridle, and you can put it over the bridle as well.

How do you clean it?
You can clean the outside with a soft brush or hand wash it. The pockets are lined with cool-conducting nylon that's very smooth and easy to wipe clean.

Does it only come in blue?
The special fabric we use only comes in blue at this time but we are hoping to offer other colors in the future.

Where is the Ice Bonnet™ manufactured?
The Ice Bonnet™ is made right here in the US, in Oklahoma to be exact.

How much does it cost?
$124.95 and we offer free shipping. You can order from our site, or call us to order at 866-926-6661, or look for our Ice Bonnet™ team at shows and events.

We are also seeking resellers and distributors. If interested in carrying the Ice Bonnet™, please email me.

Denny Chapman uses the Ice Bonnet.

I hear there was an incident last weekend (July 31, 2010) at the Florida Outlaws Ocala Mounted Shooting Club event.
Yes, Denny Chapman, one of the event coordinators who was a recent contender on the History Channel reality show Top Shot, has used the Ice Bonnet™ and is a big supporter of it. He, and Mary Rivers, the other event coordinator, asked me to set up a booth at the event. Competitor Amanda Cook had a horse that was overheating. When the show coordinators heard about it, they immediately called for my cousin Sabrina Donoho who was there promoting the Ice Bonnet™. Amanda's horse was in bad shape, actually staggering. Sabrina put the Ice Bonnet™ on him and within minutes the horse started to recover. Sabrina knows our product well, but it was her first hands-on experience with an overheating horse. Even she was amazed at how quickly it worked. Amanda wrote a testimonial for our product.

 We would have lost him if it wasn't for the Ice Bonnet™. I can't thank you enough! ~ Amanda Cook

Thank you so much Carmen. You have created a wonderful life-saving product that helps hard-working horses, show horses, trail horses, horses being transported - all horses who suffer from overheating!

ABOUT OVERHEATING AND HOW THE ICE BONNET™ WORKS

• Normal temperature for horse  99.5 to 100.5
• Can reach 103 to 104 without risk as long as the horse cools off and is re-hydrated.  (you can buy prepackaged electrolyte mix to make sports drink for your horse)
• If temperature reaches 105 the horse is seriously overheated and vigorous cooling is needed.  The Ice Bonnet™ fills the need better than fans or cool water that must be scraped off and reapplied.
• The THI (temperature-humidity index) when above 140 can cause overheating in horses, when it reaches 180 veterinarians recommend not to exercise your horse.
• Horses are one of only two animals (being single-hoofed rhino is the other) that do not have an internal system to cool the blood going to the brain. Therefore they are in danger of heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
• The temperature of the blood in a horses brain can be 36-40 degrees higher than the blood in the rest of the horse's body. If a horse reaches a temperature of over 104 it takes 75% of the horses energy to try to cool blood back down. The horse sends his blood to the capillaries close to the skin to cool the blood down. That only leaves 25% of his energy  going to his muscles. The Ice Bonnet™ system applies ice to the poll, jugular and carotid to help cool the blood flow thus lowering the temperature.
• The Ice Bonnet™ may help your horse from ever reaching these temperatures. Use the Ice Bonnet™ after training, competing, hauling in a trailer, or while you are riding.
• Danger signs! Temp at 106 or higher, elevated heart rate that persists after thirty minutes rest, ( resting rate 38 to 40 beats per minute can exceed 180 during heavy exercise) muddy colored gums instead of pink, unresponsive, or muscles spasms. Seek immediate vet care.

More information:

• www.icebonnet.com
• www.ridingwithstyle.com
• www.hlipizzans.com

Photo credits:
Ice Bonnet™ - Carmen Herrmann Stiles; Denny Chapman - www.dennychapman.com; Amanda Cook - www.westernshootinghorse.ning.com