Bandages or boots for horses? When to use what to protect your horse's legs?

Horses' legs are exceptionally sensitive and prone to injuries and trauma. Often, even a seemingly mild issue might leave the horse unable to participate in training sessions or competitions. This makes riders very cautious while taking care of the horses' legs.

One of the solutions is to use bandages and boots. Even though they have a similar function - to protect the horse's legs - they are used in different situations. For many horse owners, the financial aspect is also important - boots are usually more expensive than wraps. However, wraps (horse bandages) must be carefully chosen for a particular horse. Learn about the advantages of using wraps and boots so that you can choose the best type of protection.

When to use wraps for horses?

You can read more about wraps in another article. Wraps, called also bandages differ because of the applied material but their common task is to protect the horse's movement system from outer injuries (sprains, twists, tearing of tendons). Each type has a different application:

1. Animo bandages Wils 2. Animo bandages Wenz

• elastic wraps — they are recommended for training sessions when you want to protect the joints, tendons, and tendon attachments of older horses or during intense workouts. You must always use pads for this type of wraps. Horse bandages protect from cuts and minimize the risk of injuries. Many people also note that horses look very elegant with wraps on, especially when they match the fly hat and saddle cloth.
  
• elastic fleece wraps — this is the most versatile and popular kind of wraps. They do not require you to use a pad but they can warm up the horse's legs, which is why they are not suitable for high temperatures. Horse wraps can protect the animals from mild injuries, e.g. caused by strickling. They are also used for horses that legs swell while the weather changes.
  
• fleece wraps — their task is to improve the action of an ointment and warm the horse's legs up. They are recommended for older or injured horses. Because of their limited elasticity and warm material, they do not protect the legs enough to be used as training wraps.
  

When to use horse boots?

Boots are supposed to protect the horse's legs from external trauma (e.g. after hitting an obstacle) and to minimize the risk of injuries. In our offer, you will find many types of boots, depending on their intended use - jumping, dressage, training, and transport ones. Most often, you will find them in sets for front or back legs.

1. Veredus Piaff Revo front boots 2. Veredus Piaff Revo back boots

We use boots while show jumping, cross, and field trips. This type of protection from mechanical trauma works better than wraps and does not pose the same threats as bandages that might untie and create a very dangerous situation while jumping over an obstacle or running at full canter.

Boots for horses are often used by people training with shoed horses or ones that tend to strickle or speed up when there is a chance the horse might hurt his legs with his shoes. They are also perfect for dressage training sessions. Although they are more expensive, many people appreciate their durability and how easy they are to clean and put on. You should always fit the boots to your horse's legs so that they do not shift or squeeze.

Both boots and wraps for horses are available in Equishop in many variations. That would allow you to buy the perfect product for your steed!

Check our full offer of wraps and boots for horses:

Horse wraps

Horse boots

Any questions? Call us or leave a message.

Equestrian shop: +48 784 039 784

Saddle department: +48 606 914 300

E-mail: kontakt@equishop.com

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