Polo wraps. What are they? Why might you use them? When can’t you use them? How do you put them on?
All of these questions are commonly asked in the horse world. Polo wraps are a common piece of equipment in the equestrian world but yet it seems that so many don’t know how to correctly use them. Polo wraps are an excellent tool to have for several reasons. They can offer protection for a lot less cost than a pair/set of boots, they can be a customized fit for most sized horses, and they can offer valuable support for your horses tendons. Polo wraps can also be used as tools off the legs. For example, one might tie a polo around the neck of a school horse to provide an easily accessible strap for a student to use to steady themselves and regain balance(especially if the horse has a thin mane that isn’t good for grabbing), or to steady their hands and prevent pulling on the horses mouth.
What are they? Polo wraps are a long piece of fleece about 5 in wide that can be wrapped to offer support and protection for your horses legs. They attach with a velcro strip at one end and come in all colors of the rainbow, as well as with custom embroidered designs.
Why might you use them? Most often you see polo wraps used during training and in events that have fast turns/stops/starts. They usually are used for one of two reasons. One, for protection from interference, when a horse’s hoof may brush the back or side of another leg. Interference can be an occasionally thing(like when we trip over our own feet) or can be something that is chronic, specific to the horse and the way it moves/is built. When a horse brushes itself it can cause as little damage, like feather brushing it, or as much damage as a severed tendon. So protecting a horses legs, especially in events like jumping, contesting, cutting, and reining is always a good idea. The second reason for using a polo wrap is to offer support to the tendons in the horse’s legs. Horses tendons are under a lot of strain, so many like to wrap the legs to offer some extra support.
When can’t you use them? Some sports don’t allow leg coverings/polo wraps during competition for various reasons. Depending on where/what you compete in you should always check the rules before wrapping your horse for competition. You should also not use wraps if you are not experienced and don’t have a knowledgeable person to check your wraps the first few times. If wrapped incorrectly they can do more harm than good. If your horse has a special condition relating to his tendons, please consult a vet on whether you should do a wrap and how to do so.
How do you put them on? Below is my video of how to wrap polo wraps. In this video I also go into a few more details about the do’s and the don’ts of polo’s, and why they are used.
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