Why do dressage horses wear White leg bandages

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karen65

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I'm assuming it is to protect their tendons when performing advanced work. Are there other reasons they wear them? Is dressage at a high level likely to cause more wear and tear on tendons than other forms of equestrian sports? Only asking as I've often wondered about the main reasons and this is a good site to ask.
 
proper bandages will offer more support and protection - but i had never questioned why white!! although you can buy a huge variety of different colours, you only see white at shows (or cream which I did have once but was blooming difficult to actually get!)
 
It draws more attention to the legs making them stand out more. So for more difficult moves make them appear even more fantastic.
 
True, but I don't think bandages of any colour are actually allowed in the arena for the tests? Its purely a 'warm up' and 'prize giving' attire?!??

Dressage horses are remarkably fit, not in the sense of galloping like race horses, but their muscle tone is toned to the brink of all tone! Hence why you rarely see top dressage horses turned out in paddocks all day just being a horse and don't see them doing anything 'dangerous' like XC! If they do hurt themselves they can lose vital tone and therefore can't 'do' what they are cabable of. This is another reason why they are bandaged, booted and rugged and 'wrapped in cotton wool' to within an inch of their lives. Obviously, there are exceptions, and some can just be horses.
Also remember that many are top breeding stallions too, and the owner/rider has to look after them like a porcelain doll.
 
It's not just a question of protection but also of flexibility. Dressage horses like all horses in hard work need protection, but a rigid boot would be, indeed, too rigid. Bandages still offer protection from knocks etc but also allow the horses' legs more freedom.

This is, for example, the reason behind 'flexible' boots like the Equilibrium training wraps, aimed at the dressage market (their leaflet says 'as flexible as bandages' etc).

As for the colour: as pointed out above white will highlight a horse's movement (it's just an optical effect!), therefore horses ridden at stallion shows, prize givings etc, auction presentations etc will always wear white in order to present them in the best light possible.

The second consideration is one of tradition, white bandages look classy and traditional.

Having said that there are plenty of riders who warm up in bandages of different colours! Especially at the higher levels :)
 
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