Bandage advice

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Luckylocalian

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Morning all

I want to buy some bandages to ride my boy in as feel they will give more support. Can anyone recommend any makes of bandages/gamgee/pads that are particularly good or whether fleece ones or really elasticated ones are better?

Thanks
 
Nothing you strap on a horse's leg can give support. the pressures involved are just too big for a bit of fabric to make any diffrence, sorry.
 
I have just bought some Eskadron ones, I think they are called climatech or something similar!?!? They are FANTASTIC, they have a gamgee padded type start to the bandage then they turn into the elasticated bandage part but they are tough and sturdy and have a double velcro closing.
 
Really - is there really nothing you can do to support the legs? If that's the case then why does everyone wear bangages/shock support boots/medicine boots and all that jazz? Are you suggesting it is all just a bit of a gimmick?
 
Remeber if the bandages are elasticated you have to put something underneath like gamgee.
The banadgaes that the first half are polo/fleece then the rest elastic are fine without gamgee.
 
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Really - is there really nothing you can do to support the legs? If that's the case then why does everyone wear bangages/shock support boots/medicine boots and all that jazz? Are you suggesting it is all just a bit of a gimmick?

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No- boots and bandages can be very useful. I'm just saying that they can't do much to support the leg. Think about it- you have, say, 600kb of horse putting pressure on to one leg. A bandage isn't going to make much diffrence, is it?
 
No I totally agree with your reasoning I just wonder why people actually use them then as if it is just to prevent knocks surely a cheapo brushing boot could do that?
 
If you want to use a bandage for support then the elastic ones are best - most equestrian shops sell them. You will need to put a pad underneath them though.
Alittlemonster is correct though - boots and bandages can only offer very limited support. Their main role is to protect the leg from knocks and brushing. If you feel your horse needs support you should get his legs checked by a vet.
 
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No I totally agree with your reasoning I just wonder why people actually use them then as if it is just to prevent knocks surely a cheapo brushing boot could do that?

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I'm not sure really- I use leather brushing boots on my girl as she's stil quite weak and knocks herself when she gets tired.

A lot of it is to make the owner feel better. ;-)
 
Too true alittlemonster! Isn't most of what we do as owners for our ouwn peace of mind!!!

Zalacca I don't think my horse has leg problems and he doesn't need to see a vet! I just want to make sure I am doing everything I possibly can to prevent any problems as he is only a baby and a big one at that and I want to be a good mummy!
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The dressage fraternity tend to use bandages as they are more flexible so the horse can move better. They are not as protective as brushing boots which are sturdier, but they are protective enough for flatwork. They tend to use polo bandages, not the traditional elasticated exercise bandages which need padding underneath.

As for supporting the leg, I agree with the above that there's no bit of material that can support the leg from the horse's weight (remember the horses legs hit the floor one at a time - except in trot - so that's the whole weight on one leg).

However, there are some bandages on the market that claim to offer some support. And I'm pretty sure there are some bandages recommended by vets for horses recovering from tendon/ligament injuries.

I find bandages a bit of a faff, and they can also come loose and get in the way, which could alarm a young horse. I use Stretch and Flex flatwork wraps for dressage warm up, mainly because they're white and they look posh!

At home, I use bog standard brushing boots, and I haven't really noticed much difference in my horse's movement!

You can't go wrong with good old Woof boots for every day, I reckon. They do seem to go on forever.
 
If you aren't confident bandaging or don't know how to do it, DON'T. Bandages that are on too tight or incorrectly done can cause tendon problems. Too loose and they can come undone and trip up the horse. I know a horse who has horribly scarred legs from bad bandaging.
 
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