Scotts of Thrapston

Stable bandaging

Posted on 08. Nov, 2011 by Julia Berrie in Let's talk stables

Once again Scotts has teamed up with Veterinary Surgeons, Rossdales of Newmarket, this month offering you a thorough guide to stable bandaging.

Bandaging the horse’s legs is beneficial in so many ways, from keeping the joints and muscles warm, to providing essential support after strain or injury.

However, if applied incorrectly the bandage can be very harmful in a number of ways, from stopping blood supply to the leg to affecting joint movement.  Even tension and firm application are essential, but finding the balance between ‘taught but not tight’ is a skill well worth mastering.

Veterinary Surgeon at Rossdales, Sarah Boys Smith MA VetMB CertES(Orth) DipECVS MRCVS commented; “One of the most important things to remember is to use stable bandages as the name suggests: i.e. They should be used for horses that are stabled and not for horses that are being exercised or turned out.”

Sarah added; “Underlying structures such as the flexor tendons, in particular the superficial digital flexor tendon can be affected by bad bandaging. Skin sores can occur and range from a small amount of hair loss to open wounds. Any generalised swelling may be due to inflammation of the subcutaneous tissue or, more seriously, inflammation of the tendons. But as long as they are placed correctly and with care there is minimal risk of complications developing.”

Scotts of Thrapston and Rossdales offer these tips to get you rolling the perfect bandage.

• Always start with clean, dry legs.

• Stable bandages are usually around 4-5ins wide and about 7ft long and made from wool or man-made fibre. They are usually put on top of fybagee or Gamgee unless the bandages are designed to go on the leg without extra padding.

• The padding (which is normally fybagee or Gamgee) should be wrapped around the leg flat and wrinkle-free against the skin, taught but not tight.

• Starting at the top, wrap the bandage over the padding in a spiral pattern from front to back, down the leg and back up.

• Use uniform pressure on the bandage as you wrap, making sure there are no lumps or ridges beneath the bandage.

• The finished stable bandage should fit from just below the knee or hock to the coronet band, with the padding showing half an inch at the top and bottom.

• Re-bandage the legs every day to minimise the chance of circulation problems caused by slippage, or skin irritation due to dirt or debris entering the bandages.

• Before re-bandaging take a few minutes to examine the legs for any signs of heat, swelling or irritation. Leaving the bandages off for 10-15 minutes before reapplying them is important as swelling often takes this long to develop.

• Don’t be afraid to ask for help with your bandaging. A third hand is incredibly helpful when applying stable bandages for veterinary purposes.

Finally, reviewing the ventilation in your stable is essential when considering your horse’s comfort through the winter. It’s no good paying all this attention to bandaging if the stable is cold and draughty! Now’s the time to make repairs and ensure fresh air can circulate the box, whilst still providing a warm, cosy bed.

Scotts of Thrapston offers a selection of windows that can be added to existing stabling or purchased for new build projects. The Newmarket louvre style window and grille is ideal for controlling draughts. The six blade louvre system, opening in two sets of three blades, allows good air flow into the box by opening the top three louvres whilst enabling you to keep the chill off the horses back during the winter months, by keeping the bottom three closed.

It is a good idea to check the walls of wooden stables for frayed, chewed or sharp edges, as these can injure the horse or catch bandages, unraveling them and causing a potential hazard. Scotts of Thrapston can supply “Stokbord”, a recycled plastic that provides extra protection against kicking. This is fitted on top of the existing kicking board to give greater resistance to the impact of a horse and can, therefore, help to prolong the longevity of a timber stable. It will also help to resist damage that can be caused to a horse caused from kicking a brick or block built stable.

Tags: Rossdales, Scotts of Thrapston, stable bandaging, Timber Stables, wooden