I was just wondering what each of these boots is for. Do they both produce similar protection or do they guard against different types of injury? How do you choose between polo wraps and splint boots?
Polo wraps do not provide much in the way of protection from interference on the part of the horse or knocks from things like jumps. Polo wraps are intended to assist in the warm up of the tissues in the lower leg. Splint boots or any boot with a hook and loop closure and a hard shell are designed to protect the horses legs from knocks. Neither will “prevent” injury, just help minimize the chances of it, at least in the case of scrapes and bumps.
If you haven’t used either before HAVE SOMEONE TEACH YOU. Cannot overstress this enough! But to answer, they both protect the lower legs. Splint boots usually have a little extra padding over the tendon, and also wrap the whole way around the leg. They will protect from moderate impact from hitting a fence, hitting themselves, etc. Polos also wrap all the way around, but you will need more practice learning to put them on correctly. I like polos for schooling because I think they’re less prone to rubbing. You cannot hack out with them of course, they will slip and stretch when wet.
