Regular fleece wraps.
Recently, there were some great questions posted in the PoloBARN.com message board on the subject of polo wraps. The first comment I will make is that you are always well advised to check in with your veterinarian as to the best strategy for your horses. I say this because there are various options depending on your horse’s present physical condition and previous history. Your vet will be the one you call when you are having leg problems, so why not get some advice before you have to place the call. With that said, I will share my experience in the sea of polo bandaging.
You first need to realize that we are trying to do two things with a polo wrap/boot. One, we want to offer extra support for the horse while galloping around and darting left and right. The polo wrap helps support the more delicate length of ligaments and tendons that run from the knee and hocks down to and across the horse’s ankles. Two, we are trying to protect that more sensitive area from direct blows. Now you may immediately think mallets, but the greater concern is their own hooves as well as the hooves of others. Like horses do in the wild, polo often has horses running in close quarters with one another. At speed, they are more likely to hit their own legs as well as each other’s. When a horse bangs against another leg, we are now dealing with hooves that have metal shoes on them, so you can imagine that can be an incredible blow, much more so than what would result from an accidental hit by a mallet. And lets not forget outdoor polo balls whizzing around at some pretty incredible speeds. So it is not as simple as you may think to address both issues of support and protection with a single solution.
POLO BANDAGES
The straight-ahead practice-Polo wraps, all four legs. Polo wraps, preceded by their ancestor the sand down polo wraps are the most popular. The old sand down was half fleece and half smooth wrap. They fabric was stronger and there were two strings sewn on the end to secure the wrap.
The present day polo bandages come with Velcro and in every color imaginable. The material isn’t as strong, but more flexible. That means a little less protection, but it flexes better with the movement of the leg and it tends to tear apart easier if it unravels while a horse is galloping. That is good as it means the horse is less apt to fall by tripping on the unraveled wrap as in my observations, it tears apart as soon as they step on it. However, it is still best practice to stop as quickly as possible if a wrap starts to come off. And you are far less likely to experience unraveling wraps if you make a minor investment in either masking or vinyl tape. Tape in my opinion is a “no brainer” (that means even us polo pros get it). I still believe polo bandages are a great start as long as they are clean and in good condition. Once they loose their elasticity, replace them. There is a proper technique required in putting wraps on and if not put on correctly, can in fact cause damage. It is also recommended to remove them as soon as you are finished exercising or playing. They tend to get pretty wet when playing, so you need to get those off promptly afterwards. It is not good practice to leave them on after polo and use them for shipping protection. It is better to take them off and put on dry shipping wraps prior to the trip home. However a dry polo wrap and a bell boot is a suitable option if you do not have shipping boots. A standing wrap and bell boots may be a better option. I have these great fleece lined shipping boots with Velcro fasteners and are easy on and off and then I put on the overnight standing wraps at home. The difference in shipping wraps is you are focused on both the tendons and down around the upper part of the hoof to fully protect them from stepping on each other or themselves.
PRO CHOICE BOOTS
Pro Choice boots are a heavier material that only requires one to be able to read left or right stamped on the inside, and be able to attach the Velcro and go. The boots offer the best protection by far. Some question whether the boot gets the horse’s leg too hot when applied directly against the leg. That is a legitimate question. We used pro choice for many seasons in the Pro Polo in LA, which was an intense level of play (18-24 goal polo) with a great deal of contact. Some used to refer to it as Polo’s version of a cross between roller ball and hockey. So that was pretty solid testing that the product passed all concerns with flying colors. Pro Choice is also a great product for any polo school situations offering the best protection from learning players. All you have to do is an at home self test. Wrap your left arm with a polo bandage. Now wrap your right arm with a pro-choice boot. Now have your spouse or significant other wack you with a polo mallet in both arms. One, you will get the point very quickly, two, your spouse or significant other will have a ton of fun. Just kidding !!!!! But you get my point, there is no way a polo bandage will supply the proper protection from a blow from a horse’s galloping hoof striking them or from an accidental mallet or ball.
COMBINATION BANDAGE & BOOTS
One of the popular solutions out there is a combination of a turn out boot and the polo wrap. The turn out boot is a little easier to put on then a pro-choice boot over a polo bandage. The turn out boot gives both extra tendon and ankle protection, but does leave the front of the ankle and cannon bone exposed. The pro-choice boot over the polo wrap offers full protection. Personally, I like both of these options. I think the polo wrap teamed up with either a pro-choice boot or a turn out boot is a great defense against potential injury.
REAR LEGS
Many players only use the extra boot protection on the front legs and not the rear. It is your decision along with your vet, but I like the extra protection on all four. It is true that there is much more pressure on the front legs of a horse because of their natural way of moving, but the rear legs of a horse are just as exposed to the blows from galloping legs, balls, and mallets that we have been discussing. Now there are also what they call skid boots for horses that really get underneath themselves, which basically means they stop incredibly well at speed. The back of their rear ankles and lower tendons of their rear legs will actually slide on the grass or surface and need extra protection, voila, skid boots. (I have no idea as how to spell voila-but just try to sound it out and give me a break) And for most of us who have trouble stopping our horses at speed, the good thing, is that we won’t need skid boots. So when your eyes are watering, your hands and arms are cramping up, you spend your whole time trying to stop, and very little time at the ball, think of all the money you saved both by not wasting it on good horses and the extra perk of not having to buy skid boots.
UNDERNEATH IT ALL-VETWRAP & ACE WRAPS
Another subject that comes up is additional elastic support underneath the polo bandage by way of vet wrap, ace bandages, or even a jell cast. These practices are usually used because the horse has had previous injuries that requires a little additional support. I have used a figure eight support around the lower front ankles on many horses through the years with great success. The vetwrap and jell cast may also be a helpful tool in giving some extra support to an old tendon. The caution here is how these materials are applied and when. The vetwrap and ace bandages should not be left on for extended periods. They should go on immediately before the game and come off as soon as the horse is finished. These materials also require trained hands. This is not something to experiment with. Have your trainer, pro, or vet help show you the proper methods. I do not see jell casts very often any more as I think some feel they did not give the proper flexion required when a horse is in work. Again, your veterinarian is your best counsel.
BELL BOOTS
Because of a legitimate concern for some reduction in the flexion of the ankle due to the bell boot rubbing up against the bandage or tendon boots, some players are going without the extra protection offered for the pastern and coronet band at the top of the hoof. But I still think bell boots should be given serious consideration for most players if they fit properly. Pro Choice is the clear stand out in bell boots that should come factory installed on every front hoof in polo, in my opinion. The reason is that horses’ in work will often overstep onto themselves, which the bell boot will protect, in addition to being stepped on by other horses, and an accidental mallet or ball. I have run into a few horses that had a very short pastern and were not able to have a bell boot on, as the boot would hang too low and cause them to trip. Make sure you put your bell boots on as high as possible and snug. You do not want them dragging on the grass. They are purposed to protect the pastern and the coronet band around the top of the hoof. The bell boots are usually not used on rear legs, except in maybe a polo school situation.
SUMMARY
So there is a lot to consider for a relatively small area of the horse, but at the same time, most would agree the most important parts. Those four parts, their legs, are supporting close to 250 pounds on each leg, as well as your weight and the additional force that is created by the speeds horses are able to achieve. These parts are subjected to a great deal of contact due to the nature of the activity, so it most certainly warrants your concern. So goes the legs, so goes your polo. I will close as I opened, check with your local Vet on their suggestions as to your best strategy for leg care. Maybe if you listen to them some more up front, you won’t have to pay them so much later. Happy Polo !!!
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