Leg support discussion

[whoops]

Hello everyone, looking for stories/advice.

Right now I ride in polos on all 4 legs. While I know nothing can offer true “support”, I like to do what I can for both protection from bumps AND deep footing/soft tissue issues. Plus it’s too hot for polos in in the summer, and maresie hates most boots.

Are exercise bandages a comparable option? Are they cooler, or hotter? Better for “support”? What protection do they offer? I’ve wrapped them before so I know how, I just don’t know how they work/help lol.

I’ve also heard you can wrap them to help stress on the suspensory by reducing the extreme range of motion, is this true? How does this work if so?

TIA

[RAyers]

The best way, as shown in the veterinary literature (e.g. AAEP, see Bramlage’s work on track breakdown) and throughout history is riding on a variety of surfaces. Just working in a ring, regardless of “protective/supportive” type system. Shock loading, e.g. riding on asphalt or dirt roads has been shown to increase the diameter and fiber alignment of tendons, ligaments, and bone. Bandaging and boots only protect for strikes and bumps. The other key is that polos and boots can overheat tendons and ligaments leading to injury. Again, the science has proven this quite true, hence why boot design is going toward vented boots.

[Pennywell_Bay]

@RAyers

The best way, as shown in the veterinary literature and throughout history is riding on a variety of surfaces. Bandaging and boots only protect for strikes and bumps. The other key is that polos and boots can overheat tendons and ligaments leading to injury. Again, the science has proven this quite true, hence why boot design is going toward vented boots.

additional key: proper warm up and cool down.

[whoops]

@RAyers

The best way, as shown in the veterinary literature and throughout history is riding on a variety of surfaces. Bandaging and boots only protect for strikes and bumps. The other key is that polos and boots can overheat tendons and ligaments leading to injury. Again, the science has proven this quite true, hence why boot design is going toward vented boots.

My biggest fear is overheating the legs, hence looking at other options! How do bandages do in the temperature area? Do they get as hot? Boots are not really an option.

[RAyers]

A colleague of mine who is an official of USEF did her Master’s thesis on bandages on tendon heat and protein breakdown showed that by simply increasing the temperature of the leg 6-7 degrees above body temp (101 in a horse) will breakdown the proteins in tendons and ligaments. She measured temperatures under bandages at 106.7 after low impact exercise.

Again, this indicates the need for proper adaptation and training of the tissues (not just the horse) at the cellular level. A big key is the NECESSITY of inflammation to INCREASE tissue healing and growth. Things like bandages etc. used for anything other than strike protection is actually a detriment to the animal. By letting animal get sore, you can develop a better physiologic and biologic response to exercise in the animal. You see this in human sports medicine (e.g. icing is no longer recommended after work during training).

[whoops]

@RAyers

A colleague of mine who is an official of USEF did her Master’s thesis on bandages on tendon heat and protein breakdown showed that by simply increasing the temperature of the let 6-7 degrees above body temp (101 in a horse) will breakdown the proteins in tendons and ligaments. She measure temperatures under bandages at 106.7 after low impact exercise.

Wow. So bandages are a bad idea period, even in winter? What about with the climatex wraps?

[RAyers]

External temperatures have no bearing on internal tissue temperatures.

As for climate wraps, I have no idea. I do not use wraps or boots except for stadium jumping (protect against overstrikes) and XC (cannon bone strikes and overstrikes). Because of the science and medicine studies I work my horses on multiple surfaces, e.g. long walks or trot sets on packed dirt roads.

[NancyM]

There is no such thing as “support” from bandages. Even the tight, elastic running bandages used on racehorses have minimal to no actual “support”. They are truly only useful as protection for a horse who interferes with himself while racing, as they are the ONLY thing that won’t shift and/or fall off at very high speeds. The damage that bandages can cause if they are improperly put on, or if they slip, far outweighs any benefit in most cases.

The only way to make a horse’s legs stronger is through exercise, fitness, motion. If you have a horse with a conformation flaw that makes him more likely to interfere and hit himself with opposite legs, you may elect to use protection from that happening to avoid an injury, and polos are one option for that for many disciplines. But that is their only use.

[whoops]

@NancyM

There is no such thing as “support” from bandages. Even the tight, elastic running bandages used on racehorses have minimal to no actual “support”. They are truly only useful as protection for a horse who interferes with himself while racing, as they are the ONLY thing that won’t shift and/or fall off at very high speeds. The damage that bandages can cause if they are improperly put on, or if they slip, far outweighs any benefit in most cases.

The only way to make a horse’s legs stronger is through exercise, fitness, motion. If you have a horse with a conformation flaw that makes him more likely to interfere and hit himself with opposite legs, you may elect to use protection from that happening to avoid an injury, and polos are one option for that for many disciplines. But that is their only use.

So if she interferes during lateral work occasionally, would polos or bandages be better? Can bandages be cooler than polos, which she gets hot in?

[TheMoo]

@whoops

So if she interferes during lateral work occasionally, would polos or bandages be better? Can bandages be cooler than polos, which she gets hot in?

Why are boots not an option? I’m just curious.

If she interferes than polos are better than nothing. The bandages have way more stretch to them than polos so I never recommend them unless the person is extremely proficient at wrapping.

Putting anything on the leg leg is going to cause the leg to be hotter than with nothing. If you are wrapping because of interference than I don’t see why you can’t just keep using polos.

[whoops]

@TheMoo

Why are boots not an option? I’m just curious.

If she interferes than polos are better than nothing. The bandages have way more stretch to them than polos so I never recommend them unless the person is extremely proficient at wrapping.

Putting anything on the leg leg is going to cause the leg to be hotter than with nothing. If you are wrapping because of interference than I don’t see why you can’t just keep using polos.

Boots are not an option because mares. She’s hurt herself more times tantruming over boots than anything else, so I’ve just given up - she kicks, rears, bolts, leaps, practices airs above the ground, etc. I’ve tried splint boots, SMB, jumping, racing, dressage, trail, whatever. She hates them.

I’m a fair hand at wrapping, spent a few summers at a track helping my uncle, so I’ve wrapped a ton of bandages, polos, standing wraps - just never learned what each was best for. Plus my trainer is great and will help as needed.

Polos the only issue is summer/warm weather, it’s WAY too hot to use them safely. I want to just protect but not overheat, if possible.

[TheMoo]

@whoops

Boots are not an option because mares. She’s hurt herself more times tantruming over boots than anything else, so I’ve just given up - she kicks, rears, bolts, leaps, practices airs above the ground, etc. I’ve tried splint boots, SMB, jumping, racing, dressage, trail, whatever. She hates them.

I’m a fair hand at wrapping, spent a few summers at a track helping my uncle, so I’ve wrapped a ton of bandages, polos, standing wraps - just never learned what each was best for. Plus my trainer is great and will help as needed.

Polos the only issue is summer/warm weather, it’s WAY too hot to use them safely. I want to just protect but not overheat, if possible.

Ha! I have one of those! She has gotten over it. Just walks all funny right off the rip and then settles down. Have you tried the eskadron climatex bandages and liners? That might be the best option. What is your weather like?

[whoops]

@TheMoo

Ha! I have one of those! She has gotten over it. Just walks all funny right off the rip and then settles down. Have you tried the eskadron climatex bandages and liners? That might be the best option. What is your weather like?

That’s what I’m looking at! Weather is awful, summers are usually high 90* and 80-90% humidity. Real feel is up to 115* some days. Usually I ride at 4-5am, when it’s only 85* with high humidity. Basically if hell was on earth lol. Some days it’s too hot to ride even at 4am, before the sun is even up.

[TheMoo]

@whoops

That’s what I’m looking at! Weather is awful, summers are usually high 90* and 80-90% humidity. Real feel is up to 115* some days. Usually I ride at 4-5am, when it’s only 85* with high humidity. Basically if hell was on earth lol. Some days it’s too hot to ride even at 4am, before the sun is even up.

Oy! Yeah try those.

[handfish]

Can anyone explain the rationale for Back on Track boots?

The ceramic material is marketed as a warming/heat reflecting technology, but heat is bad for legs, then why would you want to use BoT for boots?

[whoops]

@handfish

Can anyone explain the rationale for Back on Track boots?

The ceramic material is marketed as a warming/heat reflecting technology, but heat is bad for legs, then why would you want to use BoT for boots?

I don’t know for sure but I think its the amount of warmth, not warmth at all. BoT stuff warms mildly, like when you stretch and warm up your muscles, but dramatic heat can cause breakdown/damage. I think it’s like with ice - cold is good, freezing the skin is not, hence using a cloth underneath to decrease the amount of cold.

Someone can correct me, I’m not entirely sure.

[NancyM]

@whoops

That’s what I’m looking at! Weather is awful, summers are usually high 90* and 80-90% humidity. Real feel is up to 115* some days. Usually I ride at 4-5am, when it’s only 85* with high humidity. Basically if hell was on earth lol. Some days it’s too hot to ride even at 4am, before the sun is even up.

LOL Yikes. Sounds like you need to move to more “horse friendly” country.

Polos heating up are not an issue in my area, with what I do with horses. I don’t ride long, maximum of an hour, usually less, so they are not on long. I find they give more extensive protection than most brushing boots do, if they are applied correctly with a figure 8 around the ankle. They usually stay on well, don’t slip or shift, unless footing is very wet (which it isn’t where I live LOL).

[NancyM]

@handfish

Can anyone explain the rationale for Back on Track boots?

The ceramic material is marketed as a warming/heat reflecting technology, but heat is bad for legs, then why would you want to use BoT for boots?

Marketing to horse people to make money.

[Laurierace]

@NancyM

Marketing to horse people to make money.

Isn’t that the point of every equine related product?

[CPL713]

Not to hijack the thread too much, but @RAyers I’m curious about the heating effects of boots/wraps in turnout situations. I currently have my horse going out in stable boot wraps (the kind that cover from knee to hoof) because he tears his legs open when getting up and down from rolling on the all-weather footing. When it gets hot this summer, we plan to leave them off because I don’t want his legs getting hot, but now I’m curious about how much the legs heat up when just standing around in wraps.