Bandaging a horse correctly to protect its legs

29. April 2021 / Guide / 2 Minutes
Bandaging a horse correctly to protect its legs
Bandages are long, thin cloth wraps that protect the horse's leg during everyday training and transport and prevent injuries.

Why and when should I bandage my horse?

  • For protection in everyday training, bandages are a popular method to protect the horse's legs and sensitive fetlock head from external forces and rubbing against each other. This is especially common with young and poorly balanced horses.
  • As an alternative to the classic transport boots, your horse can be bandaged to protect the legs from injury during loading and transport.
  • Bandages are good for supporting wound healing and thick legs, as they support your horse's connective tissue and protect wounds from factors that can prolong wound healing (such as dirt).
A veteranarian applying a bandage

Should I use bandages or boots?

This is entirely up to you and will depend on your preferences. While the sensitive horse legs in show jumping are protected from bumps and other influences with boots, dressage riders tend to opt for bandages.

If you want to wrap your horse, the horse's leg can only be wrapped with the bandage. To provide even better protection against injury, you can also use bandage pads.

Bandages do not only protect the horse's leg; they are available in a wide range of colours and, together with a matching saddle pad and fly bonnet, create a beautifully harmonious outfit for your horse. Since almost everyone loves colour-coordinated outfits, bandages have now established themselves as an indispensable accessory in riders' lockers.

Riding with bandages

How do I bandage my horse correctly? What should I pay attention to?

When bandaging, ensure that the bandage is neither too tight nor too loose on the horse's leg. This is especially important in order to maintain good circulation while preventing injuries caused by loose bandages.

When bandaging, start in the middle of the tubular bone and bandage downwards towards the fetlock. When you have reached the bottom, wrap upwards again. Make sure that the fabric does not wrinkle.

Which bandages are suitable for my horse and what size should they be?

When choosing suitable bandages for your horse or pony, you should make sure that the bandages are flexible and elastic so that they can adapt to the horse's leg as best as possible. Fleece bandages are particularly popular because they are flexible, breathable and moisture-wicking. A positive side effect: they are also quite robust and easy to care for.

Bandages are usually available in the standard sizes - pony, thoroughbred and warmblood. The sizes differ in width and length and can be cut to size as needed due to the thin material.

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