The legs of the horse are the most damage prone body part
comparatively to any other part of the horse's body. The legs have no muscling
or fat buildup, just tendons and ligaments. So if a horse hits the leg, or
damages it in some way (another horse kicks it or the horse runs into a fence,
etc.), there isn't a shield (muscle or fat) to help protect those sensitive
areas. But there is hope. There are wraps and boots that can help support
(although may not always prevent injury to) the legs. Those protective "clothes"
include:
Polo Wraps:
Polo wraps are probably one of the simplest of all
the protective gear available. These are long pieces of cloth, usually fleece
that you can wrap around the cannon bone (from below the knee to a little bit
below the fetlock) to help with potential light damage to the tendons and soft
tissues during exercise. Polo Wraps can be used during riding, longeing,
turn out, and sometimes shipping. As polo wraps have a tendency to be made from
a stretchy material, it is recommended that the wrap not be applied to tightly,
as that can cause more damage than good. Polo wraps come in a variety of sizes,
including:
~Horse Size (9 feet long by 4 ½ inches wide),
~Miniature (5 feet long by 3 ½ inches wide),
~Pony (6 feet long by 4 inches wide),
~Arabian (7 feet long by 4 inches wide), and
~Draft (11 feet long by 5 inches wide)
Splint Boots
Splint boots provide
support and protection for the splint bones, tendons and soft tissue of the
lower leg during exercise. They also protect the leg from scraping, brushing
and other working injuries. This type of boot usually has a protective
strike plate over the splint area on the inside. When placing the boot on the
horse’s leg, the strike plate is on the inside of the leg, with the bulbous
part near the fetlock. The Velcro pieces should also point toward the back end
of the horse on the outside. Splint
Boots come in small, medium and large sizes, with the medium size fitting most
average horses.
Sport Medicine Boots (SMBs)
SMBs provide support and protection against suspensory
injuries. SMBs are the only boots that are endorsed by the veterinary community
as they absorb shock to the leg from hoof impact. They can be useful in any
discipline where blunt force trauma to legs is likely, such as hitting jumps or
interference injuries. Sports Medicine
Boots come in small, medium and large sizes, with the medium size fitting most
average horses.
Skid Boots
Skid boots protect the fetlocks on the hind legs from
abrasions from the ground when a reining horses does a hard sliding stop. This type of boot comes in horse size (average) but is
adjustable.
Shipping Boots
These boots are used to protect the horse’s legs during
transport. Shipping boots usually reach from the
top of the hoof to the knee or hock joint to ensure protection of critical leg
parts. Shipping boots usually come in cob (small), medium and large sizes.
Standing Wraps
Standing wraps are used
more as a band-aid, or curative treatment, than as a protective device. The wrap consists of a “puffy” padding (sometimes called pillow wraps) that is wrapped around the afflicted area, as well as a Velcro-ed wrap that holds the padding in place (referred to as stable bandages). Standing wraps are used for a variety of
reasons. They can be used to protect the horse during travel, to protect a
wound from infection, as a base (for wounds and bandages higher up on the leg),
and to secure a poultice or dressing. As
with any wrap that can be stretched over the leg, there may be a greater chance
that the wrap is applied incorrectly (too tight or misplaced) and therefore do
more harm than good. The standing bandages are usually about 5 inches wide by
12 feet long. Pillow wraps come in 12 inches, 14 inches and 16 inches wide by
30 inches long.