Bandages - tradition or genuinely required?

[Bonnie Allie]

Pondering the logic of bandaging horses legs for dressage/flat work in the arena.

When I ask folk the “why”, most consistent answer is support.

Im a runner myself and a big user of physio for acute injuries, usually horse related and to keep my body aligned.

When I run in sand I don’t bandage my legs. When I go for long runs, including trail runs, I don’t need to support my legs with bandages. This is because I’ve built up my legs over time to prevent injury.

Physio tells me consistent use of support structures such as bandages will cause the brain to switch off the messaging to the tendons, ligaments in the area required to strengthen. Over time this will weaken the body’s support structures and leave the area open to strain or injury.

So I was pondering, are white bandages on dressage horses in the arena just tradition or are they functional or could it be better to consider building strength without them?

 

[Auslander]

Not functional in the slightest! If you look at how the horses lower leg works, there's no way a bit of fluffy material is going to offer any support whatsoever. Same with sports medicine boots. Any leg protection is just that - protection from knocks/rubs etc. There is no exercise boot or bandage that will support the internal structures of the horses leg, because of how those structures move.
White bandages do look swanky though

 

[Snowfilly]

they can protect from knocks and scuffs but there’s no way they can offer any meaningful support.

From a training perspective, some nice white bandages do make it easier to see what dark coloured legs are doing against a dark coloured school though!

 

[milliepops]

i video some of my friends who come for lessons and yep, white boots or bandages definitely make dark horses show up better on screen!

 

[sbloom]

Appearances only and a harmful effect on tendons and ligaments, even if only tiny, as they heat them up...plus if they DO provide "support" (surely no boot/bandage can support the fetlock, which can hit the floor when landing over a fence) without weakening the intrinsic structures?

 

[CanteringCarrot]

I feel as though they're just for looks and the "for support" reasoning is nonsense. I use them every now and again but they definitely make my horse's legs hotter and more sweaty. I've experimented with bandages, bandages with climatex liners, and climatex bandages. None are significantly cooler than the others, so I prefer my Arma mesh boots. His legs are quite cool and dry afterward with those. Mine does brush behind when not "engaged" and I did like something on his legs originally for the learning new dressage movements/potential for legs all over the place.

I actually hate the look of bandages with giant liners underneath them that stick out of the top and bottom of the bandage by a lot. Hideous. However, if these are white and the horse has white overreach boots on, it may look more snazzy for a sales video.

 

[PurBee]

Appearances only and a harmful effect on tendons and ligaments, even if only tiny, as they heat them up...plus if they DO provide "support" (surely no boot/bandage can support the fetlock, which can hit the floor when landing over a fence) without weakening the intrinsic structures?

There was that study showing the temp of the legs with and without bandages comparison identifying it problematic due to high temps while working in coverings causes internal cell death.
I’ll dig for the study later when more time allows…anyone know the one i mean?

 

[sbloom]

There was that study showing the temp of the legs with and without bandages comparison identifying it problematic due to high temps while working in coverings causes internal cell death.
I’ll dig for the study later when more time allows…anyone know the one i mean?

No idea what report it was but yes, it's well proven.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

There was that study showing the temp of the legs with and without bandages comparison identifying it problematic due to high temps while working in coverings causes internal cell death.
I’ll dig for the study later when more time allows…anyone know the one i mean?

Yes, and I also want to find it again.

 

[PurBee]

Quickly found this rather than the actual study talking about this issue:

Temperature Effects
For all the good we hope to achieve through applying wraps and boots to our horses, there’s one important effect that has been scientifically tested—and we still don’t really know whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing.

What we do know is that covering the legs with this kind of equipment causes a temperature increase of up to 30%, probably by trapping the heat inside, says Simone Westermann, DrMedVet, of the University of Veterinary Medicine, in Vienna, Austria. Her team’s study results showed that exercising without boots led to very little temperature increase in the legs compared to covered legs.

While boots and wraps might have some tendon-warming benefits on very cold days, the temperature increase could be damaging to tendons in certain situations. “It cannot be excluded that heat development under a tendon boot during strenuous exercise could be detrimental to the tendon cells,” she says.

Roepstorff agrees. “In vitro (in the lab) studies have shown that extreme temperatures (48°C/118.4°F) decrease survival of tendon cells dramatically. At the same time core tendon temperature has been measured to 45°C (113°F) during high-speed locomotion” he says. “They literally start to melt.”

The consequence is that you don’t need much of an increase in temperature to reach the breakdown stage. “The main cause for tendon injuries (is) of course the force, but I think the heating effect of boots and bandages could increase risk as well,” says Roepstorff.

But don’t panic and throw out the boots just yet. More research is needed to determine the exact advantages, if any, and disadvantages. In the meantime, being aware of the science behind boots and wraps, and recognizing that tradition isn’t always right, is a good start.

“We are living with a lot of presumptions about what these things do, but we don’t really know,” Roepstorff says. “And I’m not sure it’s always good. Clinically we do indeed see a number of injuries due to ill-fitted bandages and protection boots.”

https://thehorse.com/110289/the-science-behind-equine-boots-and-bandages/

 

[stangs]

The (Westermann et al, 2014) study as mentioned in the article above:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24669923/

 

[PurBee]

No idea what report it was but yes, it's well proven.

I recall reading the study and thinking how many performance horses often suffer with tendon issues, which is to be expected from the nature of the sports….yet wondering how many injuries would have been lessened without the boots and wraps so often seen in high level horse sports.

Cells literally melt at high temps and they recorded very high temps especially while the horse was moving.
The article lists reasons we wrap and bandage for convalescence scenarios and the effect of that too. Its worth knowing when to wrap and when to not as the pressures+ temps induced drastically affect healing and/or delay it/cause injury.

 

[sbloom]

I recall reading the study and thinking how many performance horses often suffer with tendon issues, which is to be expected from the nature of the sports….yet wondering how many injuries would have been lessened without the boots and wraps so often seen in high level horse sports.

Cells literally melt at high temps and they recorded very high temps especially while the horse was moving.
The article lists reasons we wrap and bandage for convalescence scenarios and the effect of that too. Its worth knowing when to wrap and when to not as the pressures+ temps induced drastically affect healing and/or delay it/cause injury.

Add in the fact we don't work horses on a variety of surfaces (and many arena tend to be too deep/bouncy) and so many work with at least mild topline syndrome and don't lift through the thoracic sling, it's a recipe for disaster.

 

[awelshandawarmblood]

In my opinion they just heat up the leg & are only used to look the part nowadays. So many different ventilated boots etc that would be more beneficial now.

 

[LEC]

I know one top level Dr yard which ices the horses legs avidly after exercise but still uses dressage bandages with wraps
They look nice and that’s the only advantage. Polo is the same though, all those multi million pound ponies and you would think with modern tech the horses would be in ballistic boots with D30 for impacts. Oh no, they stick bloody bandages on. Look fancier I guess.

 

[ester]

neither, there for matchy purposes only

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Also bought white for video purposes. She doesn’t wear them unless I’m filming but when you have a sand coloured pony and a sand arena to work in, it’s very helpful to watch white legs.

 

[Pippity]

Bandages are for keeping white legs white when you're on your way to a party and have spent hours scrubbing them!

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Bandages are for keeping white legs white when you're on your way to a party and have spent hours scrubbing them!

Yeah, and then they do a liquid excitement poo which runs down their hocks and down into the top of the bandages....

 

[bouncing_ball]

I don’t use boots / travel boots / bandages. Occasionally white boots for filming / posh occasions. But don’t for protection.

I think I’d use boots XC for protection but it’s decades since I’ve taken a horse!

 

[Kaylum]

I asked an auction retailer what the bandages were for she said to keep the horses legs warm. She also sells those horrible cheap sets with brushing boots and over reach boots that are so flimsy they are no protection at all.

 

[milliepops]

friend used to bandage on a yard where the school surface was really abrasive and would work up inside boots. they were useful for that but if the surface was wet they got disgusting. I had fleece edged boots which kept the sand out.
I don't miss that surface at all!!!

 

[Orangehorse]

Not functional in the slightest! If you look at how the horses lower leg works, there's no way a bit of fluffy material is going to offer any support whatsoever. Same with sports medicine boots. Any leg protection is just that - protection from knocks/rubs etc. There is no exercise boot or bandage that will support the internal structures of the horses leg, because of how those structures move.
White bandages do look swanky though

My vet told me that 50 years ago.
Stable bandages keep their legs warm.

 

[GinaGeo]

I did a simple study into boots and bandages at Uni. The literature and studies were conclusive.

Haven’t bothered with them since. I boot for Cross Country now and that’s it ?

And I’ll only use Air cooled boots and I ice afterwards.

Heat really damages tendon cells.

 

[Cortez]

I haven't put on exercise bandages for over 30 years, not since I left the snazzy dressage yard I was working at where horses were bandaged on all legs for every ride. Where I experienced the only bowed tendon I've ever had to deal with. White ones for sales vids and that's it.

 

[LEC]

I did a simple study into boots and bandages at Uni. The literature and studies were conclusive.

Haven’t bothered with them since. I boot for Cross Country now and that’s it ?

And I’ll only use Air cooled boots and I ice afterwards.

Heat really damages tendon cells.

I don’t ride in boots at all on really ridiculous sport horses worth £££. Even in gallop work. Decided if TBs worth millions don’t need to then I don’t. Plus had a very long discussion with vet friend about it. They now only wear tendon boots with vents if have studs in for jumping and xc boots for xc.

 

[Goldenstar]

I don’t use boots I buy straight movers and if they whack them themselves being sill they will learn not to do it again .
I would boot for XC but would bother if the horses are only jumping small stuff I only use overreach boots but sometimes I don’t bother .
At times I use overreach boots when the horses need them .