Performance horses are athletes too, and just like human athletes, they need protection and extra care to achieve the best results. But of course, good results are not the only thing you should care about. Keeping your horses healthy and in good shape should be essential for any considerate horse owner.

In this post, we’ll cover the basics of leg protection for performance horses. Once you’ll become accustomed to this topic, you’ll also become more familiar when it comes to the options you have to make your horse’s life more comfortable and improve his performance.

Choosing the right leg protection can make or break its career as an athlete, so read on and choose wisely.

Leg Protection Basics For Horse Athletes

During its lifespan as an athlete, your horse's legs will experience a lot of wear and tear. From long transportations to intense workouts and everything in between, the performance horse’s legs suffer abrupt changes and are prone to accidents and injury.

There are many ways to protect your horse’s legs, and one of them includes using wraps. Some benefits of using wraps are:

• Preventing injuries
• Maintaining healthy legs
• Offering therapy for injuries

Different types of boots or bandages can also help prevent injuries or trauma and provide leg support, so they are necessary for equine athletes. Yet, purchasing inappropriate leg protection or using leg protection incorrectly can do more harm than good. The first thing you need to do is learn how to wrap correctly and the ideal pressure for a compression bandage.

If the wraps are too tight, they might constrict blood flow, but they can slip and become inefficient if they are too loose. If the horse’s leg wrap is too tight in one area and too loose in another, it can cause inconsistent pressure.

There are hundreds of products available on the market designed to protect a horse’s most important and fragile parts: his legs.

But how do you know how to choose the right ones?

There are a few things you should take into consideration before choosing what horse leg protection to buy. Leg protection options can vary based on age, fitness level, and discipline.

From traditional polo wrapping to modern compression boots, we’ll cover the basics to find out more about the different types of performance horse leg protection.

Protection While Traveling For Performance Horses

Performance horses travel a lot, and they are often stalled for extended periods of time. Due to this reason, they often suffer the stress and consequences of limited movement. This can lead to the accumulation of fluids or stocking up, which reduces the range of movements and can affect performance.

Protecting their legs using compression to prevent stock up and make sure they stay healthy is essential in these situations.

Leg Protection Types - From Traditional to Modern Compression Wraps

Over the years, the materials and technologies used to wrap a horse’s legs evolved to serve their purpose better. Let’s look at how it all started and where we stand today to see the difference between traditional polo wraps and modern compression wraps.

Traditional Polo Wraps

Traditionally, competition horse owners used polo wraps to compress the horse’s legs and make sure they stay healthy and ready to ride. They are made from stretchy fleece material that can be wrapped around the horse’s legs comfortably.

They are cheap and easy to use, and if applied correctly, they still work well, although they also have some drawbacks.

The correct way to apply them is by wrapping them toward the inside and back of the legs. This way, they support the horse’s natural anatomy. Also, you have to make sure you apply constant pressure to keep them on and prevent them from slipping.

Overall, they don’t offer a lot of tendon support, and they also have the disadvantage of elevating the legs’ temperature, which can be harmful in some conditions.

EquiCrown Compression Wraps

Thankfully, the times have changed, and compression wraps evolved, using the latest technology to help performance horses reach their true potential. Today, compression wraps are made from flexible enough materials to provide the right support and pressure without overheating the horse’s legs. They also offer a pleasant, massage-like effect that is helpful after extended training.

The Equicrown Active compression wraps are our recommendation for performance horses. They are created using modern technologies to equip athletes better and replace traditional polo wraps. These kinds of wraps are easy to apply, and they provide excellent results for riding, rest, or rehab.

EquiCrown is one of the favorite brands of performance horse owners, and for a good reason: they properly sustain the circulation, prevent the stock up, and offer tendon support where it is needed.

In a nutshell

From simple polo wraps to sophisticated compression wraps, we’ve seen it all. As horse owners, we will be happy to recommend the best performance horse leg care products to ensure your horse can perform for years to come. Send us a message or a call if you need more information on EquiCrown Compression wraps.