Cool Medics Vest

[Brown Horse]

http://www.doversaddlery.com/cool-medics-v-neck-vest/p/X1-20355/c2p/hp/

Hmm...anyone ever tried one? It's expensive but down here where it gets ridiculously hot and humid, this could save me from passing out/throwing up lol. I don't know if I would use one for shows, but maybe for schooling. Their site says it's designed to keep you 20-25 degrees cooler.

Thanks in advance :)

[LessonLearned]

I like mine. The key is to not let it get too wet when you put it in water and wring thoroughly (it will still work but if it holds too much water it will just me a heavy sticky mess). I have the vest as well as the blanket (which came in handy when my uncle from the hinterland came down to South Carolina and overheated!

[Olequa]

I love my vest. They really work well and last for a long time. I could not survive the humid KY summers without mine.

[FootPerfect]

I love my vest and I have the thing that goes around your neck as well. They are a life saver! Plus, you can buy a shorter version to wear under your safety vest and it won't show! Well, it does not show under my Charles Owen.

[Brown Horse]

Thanks guys! I was actually expecting people to say it didn't really work and it was just a wet, gross vest lol. If I don't get the vest I definitely want to look into the thing that goes around your neck...*googles it*

[Songsmom]

There is also a small cap for under your helmet. Also might do a Google. Available other places and sometimes less expensive.

[deltawave]

I bought one from the 75% off bin at the local tack shop. It's OK--kind of icky and clammy and I don't mind the heat all that much anyway. I never remember to take it with me to shows where I have to be outside all day in the sun--that's when it probably would come in most handy. I'd give it a "neutral", and am glad I got it for a very good price. :)

[rivenoak]

I have the vest & the in-the-cap beanie. Makes life more bearable in AZ summer heat, which is like standing in front of an oven that's on full-blast.

[vbunny]

What worries me is that if I am so hot that I need that kind of help...won't my horse be too? I tend to use how I feel as a gauge of how the horse is likely to be handling the heat too. While I am sure I would be more comfortable with one I'd worry about over working the horse accidentally?

[deltawave]

But presumably your horse is naked. :)

[Dr. Doolittle]

But presumably your horse is naked. :)

:lol:

I may be a bit tipsy, but that was a truly amusing (as well as logical) observation...

[evntr06]

But presumably your horse is naked.

Technically, unless horse is bald, would not he be wearing a very thin wool sweater? ;)

[Dr. Doolittle]

That's a good point--but then again, coat thicknesses vary widely among individual horses from season to season, (and apart from shedding, they can't really control or determine how much or little "insulation" they sport at a given time...And that's where we humans come in, with blanketing or no blanketing, or clipping or no clipping, based on the need of the particular horse--luckily, horses are pretty adaptable.)


Humans, OTOH, can add or subtract clothing pretty much at will...Believe me, going through menopausal hot flashes, I am shedding and adding clothing on pretty much a constant basis, determined by my constantly changing internal thermostat. :rolleyes: Thank goodness I have opposable thumbs! ;))

[Kwdf3day]

I love my vest, works great in arid climates and staves off dehydration for me. I've not tried it in humid environments yet. People were buying them up in droves last summer at young riders.

[Brown Horse]

What worries me is that if I am so hot that I need that kind of help...won't my horse be too? I tend to use how I feel as a gauge of how the horse is likely to be handling the heat too. While I am sure I would be more comfortable with one I'd worry about over working the horse accidentally?

Lol, well...I'm pretty good at knowing when to stop :winkgrin: In the two years I've owned and ridden him in the LA summers, I haven't over worked him yet. I always get overheated way earlier than anyone else does, passing out/blacking out and throwing up, no matter how much water I drink, so I would definitely like faint before my horse every got overheated lol. But the DO have things for your horse, too, like a saddle pad, blankets, fly nets, etc!

[WWGeorgeMorrisD]

how do you know you've wringed out the water all the way? how much? is this not dripping? I am trying to imagine how this works

[jenm]

how do you know you've wringed out the water all the way? how much? is this not dripping? I am trying to imagine how this works

The water wrings out really quickly so it's easy to tell. The vest will feel a bit heavy, but it's not bad at all.

I also have the neck ties and bought a poll cap for my horse. The Cool Medics line is great.

[jenm]

What worries me is that if I am so hot that I need that kind of help...won't my horse be too? I tend to use how I feel as a gauge of how the horse is likely to be handling the heat too. While I am sure I would be more comfortable with one I'd worry about over working the horse accidentally?

They have products for the horse as well!

[Peggy]

I have friends who rave about how wonderful they are.

I bought the beanie/yarmulke thing and must have gotten a defective one. It kept my head cool but after a few rides it started shedding its little cooling beads all over me so I threw it out.

[kookicat]

How do they work?

Course, it never gets that hot here lol!

[mybelle]

Yeah, I'm actually not a big fan of mine. It was somewhat expensive and I felt I would be cooler in just a nice, light cotton t-shirt. The dampness was kind of weird and not-so-cool feeling. honestly, I didn't think it was cooler at all - even like the dampness may have been capturing the heat. Also, once I used it the first and only time it faded badly. Additionally, I couldn't figure out whether to wear it directly next to my skin and wear something over it (or wear it by itself which would have made my ride not-so-G rated). I opted to wear a tank top under it, which the dampness transferred to. I tried to wring it out (per the instructions) before wearing it, but I felt like it was was detrimental o the garment to do that.

Long story - short: I wasn't really feeling it. I thought it was a waste of money..

[citydog]

When used in a *dry* heat, I think they are brilliant. We had a clinic hear last year during a super hot, dry spell, and while folks kept asking me, "Oh my god, why are you wearing a vest? Aren't you dying from the heat?!" I was actually a little on the chilly side. It was markedly less effective on humid days. I wore it over an UnderArmour "Heat Gear" t-shirt, so there was no clammy feeling at all.

[Brown Horse]

Aw that's bad news for me, as EVERY day down here is a humid day. Hmm. I wish I could try one out before I went and spent $100! Maybe I'll just start out with getting one of the neck coolers and see how that works out

[saje]

I love mine, even in the humidity.

I wear it when walking my XC if I have to do that when it's hot, but my favorite use is to put it on as soon as I've finished a test or a round. I keep it in a ziplock bag in the ice chest, and it's heaven to take off the XC vest and put that vest on! I do that pretty much the first thing when I get back to the stall, and then I can really concentrate on taking care of my horse.

It does feel soggy sometimes, but I don't care, it's so much better with it than without it!