Why do horses need leg protection and what kind is available?

Horse legs are among the most fragile parts of the horse’s body, which at the same time can withstand an extreme amount. Tendons and joints lie directly under the skin and are not protected from external influences by muscles or fat. Therefore, superficial as well as deep injuries can occur very quickly. One of the most common injuries of the horse is lameness from various origins. In addition to careful training, leg protection can prevent injuries to the horse’s legs.

What types of leg protection are there for the horse?

The former assumption that bandages, boots etc. stabilise the horse’s leg has now been scientifically disproved. The horse’s leg is most stable when it is neither wrapped nor covered. However, the right leg protection can protect the horse’s leg from external influences and thus from injuries caused by kicks, bumps or hitting jump poles. There are many different variations of leg protection that you can use to either protect the horse’s leg from blunt trauma or to promote regeneration after an injury:

• Boots
• Fetlock Boots
• Bandages and Leg Wraps
• Bell Boots and other heel protectors
• Travel Boots
• Stable boots
• Therapy boots

Furthermore, there are hoof boots for barefoot horses that protect the hooves from premature wear. In case of injuries in the hoof area, so-called poultice boots can be used, which protect a hoof bandage from soiling and chafing, for example.

Which leg protection is useful for horses and when?

Not every leg protector is suitable for every riding discipline, as their protective function is highly dependent on the requirements of the discipline in question.

Boots

Along with bandages, boots are probably the most frequently used leg protection for horses. There are different types of boots. However, they all have one and the same function: to protect the horse’s legs from unwanted contact and injuries. They are a very good impact protection, easy to use and to care for. In addition, they do not soak up water as much as bandages can. This makes them very comfortable to wear for the horse.

Boots are available in different designs:

• Tendon Boots
• Brushing Boots
• Dressage Boots
• Fetlock Boots

Especially tendon boots and fetlock boots offer optimal protection of the horse’s leg against blunt trauma caused by brushing. They are therefore often used for jumping, eventing, hacking and dressage.

Boots are also used in Western riding. As the requirements in western riding differ from those in English riding, there are special Western training boots.

Bandages and Leg Wraps

Bandages can be used as leg protection as well as for regeneration after an injury. They also keep the legs warm, which can be particularly advantageous for old horses. In dressage, colour-coordinated bandages round off the horse’s outfit. However, they do not protect the leg from injuries as reliably as hard shell boots.

Caution: Bandaging has to be learned! Wrapped too tightly, the bandage can massively inhibit the horse’s lymph flow, so that waste products and toxins cannot be removed. This makes it harder for existing injuries to heal and makes tendons and ligaments more sensitive, which in turn can cause injuries. Therefore, do not leave bandages on the horse’s leg longer than necessary, for example for riding. Exceptions are when the veterinarian explicitly prescribes it, for example to cure a tendon injury by bandaging.

It is best to use fleece bandages for bandaging, which are only partly elastic, so that they cannot be wrapped too tightly. Elastic bandages are completely unsuitable because there is a risk of wrapping too tightly and damaging the tissue underneath.

This is how to wrap bandages correctly so that the advantages of bandages outweigh the disadvantages:

• Always use a leg wrap that compensates for the pressure peaks of the bandage.
• The leg wrap and the bandage must lie wrinkle-free on the horse’s leg.
• Wrap from top to bottom and from the outside front to the inside bottom.

• Each layer of the bandage should overlap by approx. 3 cm.
• When you have reached the centre of the fetlock, wrap back upwards. Now the spacing of the individual bandage layers can be larger.
• The bandage closes correctly when the velcro end has reached the outside at the top.
• Ideally, the bandage should close just below the knee or hock.

Travel boots

During transport, the horse must balance itself in bends and on uneven ground. To do this, it may have to take sidesteps, during which it can injure itself. Travel boots prevent the horse from kicking itself or injuring itself on the trailer wall.

That is why travel boots extend from above the knee or hock down to the ground. Travel boots should cover the coronet and the hooves, as cuts can occur in this area, especially when loading and unloading. Travel boots are secured with several Velcro fasteners, are thickly padded and do not cause blood congestion. Even horses that are experienced in transport and stand still during the journey should wear travel boots as a preventive measure.

Accustom your horse slowly to wearing travel boots, as they cover a large part of the leg, which can take some getting used to for the horse. Even horses experienced in transport often find travel boots annoying.To avoid additional stress on the horse, consider a gradual habituation.

Stable boots

Stable boots can be used for various reasons. Depending on the model, they have both a protective and supportive effect as well as a blood flow stimulating effect. Stable boot models that are designed to protect the horse’s leg are usually thickly padded. They can be useful for horses that are kicking the stall walls, moving into a new yard or are nervous about being kept in a busy stable during a show. Unfamiliar environments can make the horse unforgiving, which is why it can suffer trauma to its legs.

Other stable boot models have either a cooling or warming effect, which can be effective after training or in regeneration.

Therapy boots

For acute injuries and inflammations, only cooling helps. After the acute case, regeneration follows, which can be promoted by increased blood circulation through warmth. Warming or cooling therapy boots can be used in both cases.

Bell Boots & Heel Protection

Bruised heels are common injuries that occur especially in horses that overreach. Young horses that cannot yet balance themselves also often tend to kick themselves in the front hooves with their hind hooves. Bell boots can effectively prevent injuries in the heel and coronet area. Many horse owners also use bell boots on horses that frequently lose their front shoes. However, the most common use of bell boots is during hacking or jumping.

If you want to specifically protect your horse’s pastern, you can resort to pastern wraps, which cover the area that many boots and bell boots are unable to cover.