Can/should you bandage wet legs?

Jasper65

Jasper65

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as title really

my lad is currently in but has muddy legs and needs bandaging. Am i ok to wash his legs off and then bandage them up with stable bandages and pads??
 
I *think* you can bandage wet but not dirty legs. Do make sure the bandages aren't on too tight, and that the bandages themselves aren't wet when you put them on.
 
Thats what i thought but wasnt 100% sure. Bandages and Pads are all clean and dry. I didnt want to bandage his legs muddy as it will be uncomfortable but didnt particularly want to leave him with cold wet legs and he really needs bandages on as his legs swell.
 
We wash off legs after hunting, then bandage (stable bandages and quilted pads) for warmth and to help dry. They get checked later in the evening and the bandages/pads changed for dry ones.

I find that as the legs and bandages dry, they become stretched and so less supportive. I want them to give support, so change them for dry ones. If they were only on for warmth, I probably wouldn't worry so much.

sometimes, I put leg wraps on (thermatex-like ones) to help dry the legs, and then bandage afterwards.
 
so if i wash his legs off then put bandages on.
then about 1-2 hours later swap them for clean dry ones this should be ok ?
 
Naturally said:
I *think* you can bandage wet but not dirty legs. Do make sure the bandages aren't on too tight, and that the bandages themselves aren't wet when you put them on.
Click to expand...

A bit wrong there!

You CAN bandage wet muddy legs and it will help dry off the legs and warm the horse up nicely so that you can brush the legs off later.
Just remember the basic bandaging rules as Naturally said.
We would always do this at out hunting yard where we never washed anything other than tails (yes, it was a lot of work but we never got mud fever or cracked heels!) Even if they came in wet and cold, the bandages soon warmed them up and they started drying off all over, not just the legs.
If your pony has mud fever I wouldn't be washing off all the time no matter how wet the mud is as you're just weakening the skin.
 
Maesfern, I'm happy to be corrected, but would have thought that warm legs with open pores plus dirt is a real risk for introducing skin infections and irritation?

May I just ask why so many of the replies state warmth as a reason why you bandage?

I am of the impression that the lower limbs need to be kept cool, especially after exercise, otherwise isn't there is an increased risk of tendon injuries and disorders like windgalls?
 
As long as you bandage correctly (which so many people don't know how to do now) and use good quality wool bandages, the legs are able to breath. If you use man made fibres then they will sweat which is when you have your problems. If you use woolen bandages on wet legs, they act just like Thermatex does and wick the moisture out to the surface of the bandage.
If you've looked after hunters then you'll know that sometimes they come in very cold and wet. Your job then is to dry and warm them up. In the days before Thermatex, this would be an anti sweat rug with a normal rug on top (again before modern rugs so either a woolen day rug or a jute rug) then bandage the legs which as I've said before, is a great way to warm them up and dry them off. Because the material is wool and breathes, unless you bandage badly, you shouldn't cause a problem at all. You take the bandages off as soon as they're dry and brush off any dried mud, you don't leave that wet set on overnight. If you want to bandage overnight then change to a dry set. We never had any problems at all because wounds were seen to immediately on their return. You have to be a pretty bad groom to miss anything before bandaging TBH even if the legs are muddy.
 
Aaaah. I never wash legs off, just leave mud on to brush off the next morning. Maesfen, you make me happy as my young mans legs swell when he's standing in but comes in with damp slightly muddy legs - luckily he doesn't like his feet and legs being anything other than bone dry so he's generally not that bad. He used to be on a normal straw bed then I changed to deep litter and they stopped swelling and recently they've started swelling again. I'm presuming its just a lack of movement when he's in - 7pm until 7am. I'm not good at bandaging though so will have to practice practice practice!
 
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