Wrapping legs for a race question.

[beaujolais]

A wrapping legs for a race question.

In SB lingo it’s called a brace bandage - thin wrap of a poly-cotton and you put basically an ace wrap over it, wrap a “v” at the front of the ankle, closes at the top with velcro and then you put a ring of electrical tape over that.

In tbs - what do you call that? Is it still called a brace bandage?

Oh, and tbs often have “run down wraps”, I think. Please describe.

In sbs, you’d wrap for a race due to unsoundness, weaknesses, precautionary support or for mild interference (protects back shins on trotters). What about in runners?

On the racing channels, in runners, when the broadcasters mention wraps that seem to associate leg problems with it. Is that right or not necessarily?

Thanks so much !

[Jessi_P]

We only use a vet wrap, nothing heavy underneath like a porter wrap. Its not called a brace bandage AFAIK. We call them “rundowns” or “vetwraps.” They start at the top of the cannon, work down and figure 8 around the fetlock, then go back up. They are fastened with 2 pieces of electrical tape at the top.

For a horse that interferes we will glue on a moleskin patch over that spot (usually a hock or pastern). Front wraps are often used for support or as a vehicle to put a 3M patch (a plastic glue on patch) on to prevent a rundown on the underside of the fetlock. For a horse that runs down badly they might use a moleskin patch instead of a 3M patch. Elastoplast might also be used over the bandage to prevent rundowns, wrapped around the joint a time or two.

[rustbreeches]

A Trace bandage is often used in the mronings to prevent rundowns. Goes on the same as the vetwrap described above, but re-usable. Like a very heavy duty ace bandage.

An old trick for horses that rundown really badly is to take a cheap piece of steak and cut rundown patch out of it and put it between the fetlock and the vetwrap. Works perfectly, because some horses will shred even rundown patches.

Instead of buying the 3M patches, lots of people make them out of duct tape, or I have seen some people use the plastic wrap that the vetwrap comes in.

[beaujolais]

Thanks Jess & Rust,

What’s a porter wrap?

Ignorant question - if your wraps are to prevent rundowns - is the front or back or both, usually?

Thanks so much !

[sk_pacer]

Yeah, whassa porter wrap? I know what sonoma is talking about, and at one time, we actually did use Ace or Tensor bandages, 4" for brace bandages and they were just held up with black tape, one piece wrapped around the top, crossed over to the bottom, and if you did it right, you had a Z and if you did it wrong, the Z was backwards and everyone could tell

[Cayusepapoose]

A Porter wrap is when a porter house steak is used as a run down patch maybe?
OK, maybe not…

[callmegold]

Porters are thick plastic shells typically wrapped on with saratoga bandages (like an ace bandage). They were commonly used by eventers because they are very good at what they do, which is protect legs against being knocked by solid objects. Not something I’d imagine being used on a racehorse…

[sk_pacer]

Thanks, porter wraps are something I’ve never heard of before - hey, the track is a sheltered life!!!LOL

[BansheeBreeze]

Trainers I worked for used plain ol’ Ace bandages secured with electrical tape in the mornings. Race day was vetwrap with electrical tape. Mostly used self adhesive plastic 3M rundown patches for both front and hind legs. One trainer used these cotton shaped patches that you applied spray on glue to adhere, and they went over the bandage or directly on the skin in various places for horses who hit in certain areas. One trainer bandaged every single horse, all fours, every race. Another just bandaged if the horse might have an issue or tend to run down but didn’t mean it was anything serious. We were lucky the one trainer bandaged all fours anyways because one of our good colts got stepped on by another horse in a race and split the bandage down his tendon. Had he not been protected he probably would have never raced again.

[Acertainsmile]

The patches that you can apply directly to the leg are made of felt. There is a spray glue that you use to adhere. I have some awesome run down patches made of rubber, and some that are fur lined. When we put 3m’s on we use one on the first turn of the bandage and then one on the outside.

We tortured our grooms and made them cut tiny diamonds out of colored electric tape to put on our bandages, they made them look special, LOL.

[Laurierace]

Sometimes you have to get creative too. I had one horse that didn’t run down, he pounded. The bandages would be intact but he was a bloody mess underneath. I took the insoles out of an old pair of sneakers and made patches out of that. Another filly hit like crazy all over the place. I cut little patches out of a thinline pad and covered them with sheepskin I cut up from a halter fuzzy. She won and paid $169!

[BansheeBreeze]

[QUOTE=Acertainsmile;6337876]

We tortured our grooms and made them cut tiny diamonds out of colored electric tape to put on our bandages, they made them look special, LOL. :)[/QUOTE]

I would get extra creative when my trainer wasn’t at the track to yell at me for it lol. Little hearts, double layered diamonds, alternating colors all over

[lily04]

[QUOTE=Laurierace;6337886]
Sometimes you have to get creative too. I had one horse that didn’t run down, he pounded. The bandages would be intact but he was a bloody mess underneath. I took the insoles out of an old pair of sneakers and made patches out of that. Another filly hit like crazy all over the place. I cut little patches out of a thinline pad and covered them with sheepskin I cut up from a halter fuzzy. She won and paid $169![/QUOTE]

My uncle had one that pounded his fetlocks into a bloody mess an would use “falsies” under the vetrap.

[beaujolais]

SK - and at one time, we actually did use Ace or Tensor bandages

OK, so I’m as old as dirt. What are they using now, SK?

---

When tbs rundown is it in the front or hind or both?

Where, exactly, do they hurt when they rundown? In the back, obviously, but is it upper pastern, lower fetlock area - or - down into the back of the whole pastern?

Does the 3M patch get layered into the rundown wrap? Meaning - vetwrap, rundown, and another vetwrap layer on top?

[sk_pacer]

Sonoma - they now use assorted brands of COLOURED brace bandages, all stable colour co-ordinated. Some old timers still use Ace or Tensors but most use the stuff with velcro. I still feel sorry for the poor horse (as in entire) that wore hot pink harness and brace bandages

[beaujolais]

SK - I did actually mean colored type “ace” wraps with the velcro at the top. I only said ace wrap, as I didn’t know if tbs wore this type at all.

Are the harness horses wearing vetwrap type wraps now, though -or- just colored aces?

Real men do wear pink . . . Bet it was easy to find him in the crowd.

[beaujolais]

Someone, please, please answer:

When tbs rundown is it in the front or hind or both?

Where, exactly, do they hurt when they rundown? In the back, obviously, but is it upper pastern/lower fetlock area - or - down into the back of the whole pastern?

Does the 3M patch get layered into the rundown wrap? Meaning - vetwrap, rundown, and another vetwrap layer on top?

[sk_pacer]

No, not much use of VetWrap at least here, just the brace bandages, and I am so old that i did use Ace or Tensor bandages for brace bandages, the ones meant for humans!!!ROFL

He was certainly easy to spot - black horse, pink harness and bandages

[BansheeBreeze]

@sonomacounty;6338365

Someone, please, please answer:

When tbs rundown is it in the front or hind or both?

Can be one, the other, or both. Depends on the horse. It’s more common in the hind legs, hence why a horse with hind wraps is much more common and not considered a sign of injury or weakness.

Where, exactly, do they hurt when they rundown? In the back, obviously, but is it upper pastern/lower fetlock area - or - down into the back of the whole pastern?

Back of the fetlock area. This is the part that, as their leg flexes down upon impact of each stride, touches the ground.

Does the 3M patch get layered into the rundown wrap? Meaning - vetwrap, rundown, and another vetwrap layer on top?

Not generally, it’s usually just put on the outside of the wrap because if they rundown it will eat through the vetwrap pretty quick anyways. The patches stick on pretty good.

[Jessi_P]

Back ages ago when I worked with standardbreds we would use the porter wraps under brace bandages for horses that “hit” at speed, which is what I thought you were referring to in the first post. Similar to how the eventers do it. That was when I worked for Garry Martin of Jadestone Farms - we raced at Northfields in Cleveland.

When a horse runs down it burns the underneath of the fetlock joint where it comes in contact with the track surface, not the pastern. I wish I could find a picture, but imagine cupping your hand right under the fetlock, above the pastern and you’re in the right area. I use the term burns because it is from the abrasion of the track surface, similar to a brush burn. A minor rundown will take the hair off, a more serious one will take some skin, then you can have an awful rundown where they affect the underlying structures and it looks like hamburger.

As for the 3Ms (yes, I do often make my own with 2-4 pieces of duct tape as well - its cheaper! lol), they can either be layered into the bandage or placed on the outside. Some people prefer them outside, others prefer them on the inside (I think because the end result is “prettier”). Personally I usually put them on the outside as I feel they are more effective.

Horses run down most often in the back legs but do run down up front as well. I have found that horses who have problems are more apt to run down up front than sound ones. For me, a run down in a front leg means I need to take a look at the horse and figure out whats wrong, unless it was because of racing on a lightning fast track and lots of horses ran down over the track that particular day/night.

These are the patches I was referring to:

http://www.bigdweb.com/FELT-RUNDOWN-PATCH-12PK/productinfo/1836J/

You can also buy a roll of the moleskin felt and cut your own, which is what I do when needed (cheaper and you can customize the shape).

http://www.bigdweb.com/MOLE-SKIN-FELT-ROLL/productinfo/6939/

And while I am posting links, here is a link for pre-made hock patches.

http://www.bigdweb.com/FELT-HOCK-PATCH/productinfo/1834J/

One last link - this is what we spray on the moleskin patches so they stick to the skin/hair IF they arent held in place with a vetwrap (for instance a hock or pastern patch):

http://www.bigdweb.com/STIK-TITE-ADHESIVE-SPRAY-12-OZ/productinfo/6495/