Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

I saw a couple of posts about Coldflex and thought it would be helpful to clarify how the product works. The bullet list below gives some of the highlights and general information about the product.

 

·        Coldflex cooling wraps are a polyurethane elastic foam with a gel impregnated in the foam. The Coldflex pads are a felt material with the same type of gel. The gel is 96% water based and there is nothing in the gel that would test.

·        Coldflex works by drawing heat out of the tissues (evaporative cooling).

·        When the Coldflex product (the wrap or the pad) is removed, the body will continue to exhaust heat out of the tissues for 30 minutes, an hour or  more (depending on how long the product was left on).

·        Since Coldflex is drawing heat out (versus ice which tries to force cold in), there is no danger of the types of tissue damage that could happen when icing.

·        The Coldflex evaporative cooling effect will draw heat out of deep tissue. Coldflex is effective in cooling the body and has been documented to reduce the body core temperature. Keep in mind that using alcohol based “cooling” products will not cool as deeply as Coldflex. Alcohol will cool, but it is only cooling the surface tissues.

·        The effectiveness of Coldflex can be enhanced by refrigerating it; however, do not freeze the product. Toss the Coldflex tub in your ice chest to get an extra blast of cold when applied.

·        The horse should be tied (to a trailer, cross-tie, etc.) when ColdFlex is on the legs. This is to prevent the horse from lying down. Coldflex will give cooling and compression when correctly applied, but it is not “abrasion resistant” and will not withstand the pressure/abrasion resulting from the horse laying down and/or getting up.

·        If the wraps get dirty, they can be dunked in a bucket of water and then squeegee off the excess water. The wrap should be moist when stored, not soggy.

·        Coldflex should be stored out of direct sunlight.

·        When the wrap needs to be re-charged, just a small amount of water is necessary (less is more in this instance). Be aware of the feel of the wrap when you first open the package so you’re aware of the level of moisture that is best for the wrap.

·        When they wrap the horse’s legs, it is best to use a piece of VetRap to secure the end of the Coldflex wrap. This will hold the wrap in place. If VetRap is not available then tuck the end of the Coldflex wrap in on itself to secure it.

·        Coldflex is air activated. Don’t cover it at all (except for the VetRap used to secure the end).

·        Coldflex works by drawing heat out. The heat will travel through the Coldflex wrap so the wrap may feel warm to the touch. Even though it feels warm, the wrap is still drawing heat out of the tissues. (Frequently the rider will think Coldflex isn’t working because it is warm to the touch. To reiterate: The heat extracted from the tissues has to go somewhere and it goes through the Coldflex wrap. Because of that the wrap may feel warm to the touch.)

·        If leaving Coldflex on for an extended period of time, the rider should check the wrap to make sure it’s not drying out. If it feels dry to the touch, the wrap should be misted with water (remember: just moist, not soggy).

 

Coldflex dealers usually have a sample/demo wrap so you can get a feel for the product before you buy it. If your dealer doesn’t have a demo wrap, just let me know and I’ll make sure to get a demo wrap to the dealer.

 

...S
Susan Favro
Susan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx