Ring footing under polo wraps

[Grey_Dove032016]

I have a big (18h+) warmblood gelding who has a tendency to be heavy on his feet/drag his feet while working on the flat. I’ve noticed that after a ride, he has a good bit of footing under any polo wraps on his back legs. I’m not entirely sure how it’s getting all the way under the wraps to sit against his skin (wraps are tight and properly applied), but I imagine it’s not the most comfortable feeling in the world. I’ve been trying to ride him in Incrediwear wraps on the back because he has a tendency to stock up back there, but I encounter the same issue with those as with regular polos. He also has a fair amount of footing on his back legs when I ride without polos too.

Is there some secret way of avoiding footing under wraps? Maybe they’re gappier at the top than I realize? I understand that some is likely to work its way in there, but this is a significant amount. Should I just skip the back wraps? Is it actually uncomfortable/harmful or am I anthropomorphizing?

He’s a sport horse in moderate work (2’9"/3’ hunters/eq right now with goals to move up to 3’6"). Do I only wrap him on jumping days and hack him bare legged?

Thanks for any suggestions!

[ChocoMare]

Leave the wraps in the barn. There is no cloth, fabric or lycra anything that will “support” anything. Our Creator designed the horse just right It only creates more heat and, as you’ve seen, invites sand etc to move in and irritate the skin.

If they’re stocking up, they need to move more. The lymphatic system moves fluid in/out of cells via Movement of the Horse.

[fivestrideline]

Seconding leaving the wraps off of ALL legs. Lots of research showing how wraps especially cause permanent and irreparable damage to cells and tendons by trapping heat - and also irritating skin by trapping footing. If he’s stocking up, he needs more space to move or wraps/stable boots in the stall if that’s not an option.

The only legwear I put on regularly is bell boots, and I only would boot up the legs if going XC or with a confirmed interfering horse. No wrap or boot is going to provide support, and him dragging his toes isn’t affected by what’s on his legs.

[Grey_Dove032016]

I appreciate the input- I’ve been somewhat hesitant to use wraps because of the trapped heat issue, so it’s good to know those aren’t baseless concerns. Seems like I may need to reevaluate his workout gear.

@fivestrideline

him dragging his toes isn’t affected by what’s on his legs.

I didn’t mean to imply that I thought the wraps were helping the toe dragging, I just offered that as a possible explanation for the volume of footing that ends up under his wraps

[JB]

Drop the wraps. Unless his conformation is such that he’s regularly hitting his legs with the opposite foot (or worse, grabbing the back of a front leg with a hind good) he doesn’t need wraps.

Polos retain a lot of heat. There far more advanced materials and designs these days to help provide that protein while not heating up the leg.

And, address the heaviness. Barring a physical issue, it’s a rider issue, so he’s got to learn to be light and reactive, even if it means dropping back to 20 minute sessions as learning to really move properly, is haarrrrd work, and 20 solid minutes may really wear him out.

A horse jumping 2’9"/3’ should be well past the stage of getting heavy in front on a regular basis.

[Brown_Derby]

The stocking up issue is way more important than the arena footing. Turnout, warm up, and shoeing need to be examined.

[mmeqcenter]

I’d be having a vet workup to determine why he’s dragging his hind feet so significantly, myself.

[Grey_Dove032016]

Ok, general consensus (a COTH rarity!) is to scrap the wraps. Great! Less work/effort/laundry for me

@JB

A horse jumping 2’9"/3’ should be well past the stage of getting heavy in front on a regular basis.

I should have clarified, he’s not so much getting heavy in the front as he is dragging his toes in the back. He had a tendency to get really heavy in the front when we first got him, but we’ve done a good bit of the hard work you mentioned getting him to carry himself properly!

@mmeqcenter

I’d be having a vet workup to determine why he’s dragging his hind feet so significantly, myself.

Definitely worth looking into! I’ll put that on the list for the next time the vet’s out.

[findeight]

Consult with your vet. Off hand the stocking up is pretty routine in horses that are stalled or kept in a small enclosure. Long as it shrinks once the horse gets moving, not alarming. You can wrap when you put them up but thats just cosmetic. Much like human ankles swell if we sit too much. Move more.

The toe dragging ( started recently, right?) is a concern. You need a vet consult. He may need some help with joint lubrication, might need a few chiro visits and farrier should be involved in the discussion.

There will be some cost for diagnostics which should include, hocks, stifles, hips and back, far better to get to the root of the problem then try to hide minor issues under wraps. Big horses are harder on everything, including themselves. Get him more comfortable and help him develop a great attitude towards work as opposed to evading things that hurt.

[WNT]

If you are also concerned about interfering behind, I’ve found a simple fetlock boot or rubber fetlock ring are usually enough to give some “bumper” protection without overheating.