Bandages - for schooling?

H

H-J

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 June 2006
Messages
6,386
Location
Essex
www.piczo.com
Are bandages the best for of ligament and tendon support for schooling?

If not what do you suggest?

Am so fussy about not putting the wrong things on and over heating the legs etc!! At the moment Dexter schools and jumps in Prolites. And dougal wears nothing hacking out and just brushing boots for schooling and open front boots for jumping.
 
I think bandages are best, but others may disagree.

I use fleece polo bandages on Finnus for flatwork and travelling and bushing boots for hacking, generally. Had no probs in the 5 yrs i've used them on him
smile.gif
 
Do you use gamgee underneath or just the bandages?

Ive always used gamgee or eskadron pads, but wondered what everyone else uses underneath if anything
smile.gif
 
I normally use Woof wear brushing boots for everything!!.....Well use competition boots at competition, just Amerigo tendon for SJ and NEW XC boots for XC

I personally would never hack out without boots after an incident when I went out on for a long hack never had any obvious problems and when I got back there was a hole through the strike pad and thick neoprene boot right down to my horses leg!! I never knew what he had done it on but knew full well if he hadn't had boots on that hole would have been down to the bone in his leg!!

I do sometimes use fleece bandages for flat work or hacking if my boot are wet or in the wash and same as FinnMcCoul just on their own no padding as thats how fleece ones are meant to be used. I personally find them too think for jump schooling as when he hits a fence there is a lot there to pad him from feeling it!!
 
I find fleece ones quite bulky
frown.gif
thats what I use to bandage after an event after icing.

I have non stretch cottony bandages with gamgee for schooling, are the fleece ones def better?
 
Saratoga bandages are really good and supportive, you dont need anything underneath them and they stop the legs from getting too hot which I agree happens in the summer with normal polo bandages as you've mentioned. They are half fleece and half elastic stretchy material. Stephens also do some similar and I think New boots do something similar also.

Also the Equilibrium Stretch and flex training wraps are good too, the boots are good too but not quite as supportive but they keep their legs really cool.
 
Stephen's Equine Essentials make some combination bandages which are half fleece/half elastic. The idea is that the fleece bit goes on first, then the elasticed bit over the fleece. We have used them and they are very good, retail at about £13.00 a pair and they wash lovely!!! Come in lots of nice colours too!!
grin.gif
 
I don't usually use boots but out hacking I ALWAYS use reflective brushing boots for visibility. I've been stopped so many times by people to say they could see us coming miles away and it was a fantastic idea.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I always thought boots with lots of stretch in them like these were no good as they could over tighten?

[/ QUOTE ]

TBH the Equilibrium ones are really no tighter than fitting bandages, there is probably more chance/risk of over tightening bandages.

But- I do think bandages are more supportive.
 
there is an article floating about on here somewhere about the dieffernt support that bandages and boots etc offer, and the conclusive evidence shows that bandages, with or without gamgee do not offer any form of support to leg structures and neither do boots (the dalmar fancy all in one boots are the only ones that did offer some support) maybe ask kerilli, i think she might have got the article?
i personally school in fleece bandages, as i find them quick to apply and easy to wash and dry, i run the tab down the back of the tedon, so i dont bandage directly onto the tendon
all jumping,hacking, in boots (open/closed tendon)
smile.gif
 
have both equilibrium wraps and fleece/elastic bandages. legs stay cooler in wraps and they protect his legs well as they are light and slim fitting. he brushes behind and chunkier boots actually impede his movement and although expensive we do go through them less quickly as he wears them less out esp in sand school wear he wears through the stirke pad on fatter ones. not sure either give much tendon support !
 
You just need to get ones that aren't too think.

I have some cottage craft fleece ones that are fine and some others that cant remeber the name off.....helpful, moi? Bought them in Ingatestone, so you'll find them.
 
i can't find the article i read, but it was a very detailed report of an in vitro test of different boots and bandages, (on a cadaver leg).
the result was that no boot or bandage offers any support whatsoever except for the dalmar one (not on the market yet) which is like an external-hinge mechanism to prevent hyperflexion of the fetlock. bandages, boots, smbs... nothing gave support. which makes sense really... we weigh a lot less than a horse, but if you do your achilles tendon or break your ankle or something, nothing short of a solid cast will offer the support you need. (well, that's what my layman's-type brain says, anyway!)
there is a recent study which suggests that having boots and/or bandages on the legs actually reduces the dispersion of the shockwaves travelling up the leg every time the hoof hits the floor, to the detriment of the tendons...
frown.gif
frown.gif

fwiw i use woof boots for schooling on the flat, open fronted tendon boots for sj, NEW boots (aircooled type) in front for xc, premier equine extreme xc behind, nothing on horses' legs for slow hacks, style xc boots for quicker hacks or nutty horses hacking out on windy days!
 
I like equilibrium boots with a support strap under the fetlock. Keeps tendons cool and supported and useful for horses which brush.
 
My general opinion is that boots & bandages are more to protect from knocks & brushes than for support. Anything that is tight enough to offer support surely impedes movement/flexability of the fetlock joint. I use polo bandages occasionally, especially my horse has got a little cut or something that a boot could rub. But generally dont you think bandages are just a pain compared to boots?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top