Polo Bandages: Pad or No Pads, and general tips

[efsf]

hello!

I'm interested in using polo bandages (I've never really used them in the past) and I've seen various opinions on them.

Would you apply pads underneath the polo bandages (like the Lemieux ones) or put the bandage straight onto the legs?

Also, what are your general tips for ensuring bandages are the correct tension and stuff like that?

Thanks in advance

 

[Drzoidberg2]

Personally I would never use pads under exercise bandages, the legs get hot enough without adding pads. It's how I've always been taught, stable/travel get padding, excercise never do. You can get the combination wraps now that have half fleece half elasticated, I've never used them but I know someone with a riding school horse who wears polowraps and she says the combination ones mean she worries less when he's being tacked up by the girls working for her.

For tips it's the same as any bandage, don't wrap too tight or too loose, make sure you have even tension the whole way through, always wrap towards the tail so not pulling on the tendon etc.

I have to say though, I'm not a big bandage fan, I think too much can go wrong, and they are very hard to manage in wet weather! Unless you have a good reason for them if it was me I would be looking at alternatives like the wrap boots.

 

[PorkChop]

Is it for exercising or travelling.

For exercising I would use very thin pads and for travelling thick gamgee pads.

For exercising you don't need pads but you do need to be sure that you are spot on with your banading, hard to describe how to get the perfect tensioning, you need to get someone to show you and then practice like mad