How To Use a Polo Wrap
- December 30, 2014
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- Jenn Zeller
Posted in: Horse Care
One of the things I see, that many folks could do better, would be to properly utilize a polo wrap. Let’s face it, when we were kids we liked wrapping our horse’s legs because a). they look cool, and b). there are countless color options. But the truth is doing it wrong could cause more harm than good. There were plenty of video options out there to show you – and I really planned to make my own, but due to time constraints and extra hands to run the camera, I went looking for a good explanation for you.
In high school I was a groom for a couple professional polo players. I’ve wrapped more legs than I can shake a stick at, and can roll, and unroll a polo wrap in my sleep.
There are few things to note that are not in the video:
1. When readying a polo wrap for a leg (such as a newly purchased wrap), you want to roll velcro over velcro, so that it comes out right when it’s on the leg of the horse.
2. You roll from back to front on the leg — so that on the left legs you’re wrapping counter clockwise and on the right legs you’re wrapping clockwise.
3. It’s not necessary to “lock” the polo wrap in place, as he does in the video- but it is helpful.
4. If you’re just starting to learn to wrap legs, don’t hesitate to ask your vet or an experienced hand to check your work — because you can do do more harm than good if they’re not done right.
Getting the “V” at the suspensory/fetlock position is very important — not just from the standpoint of mobility, but also for helping to support the suspensory. It’s why I choose to use iconoclast boots on my barrel horses instead of the other options I could use.
I hope this video helps you out in your equine endeavors!
Happy Trails!
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Posted in: Horse Care
About Jenn Zeller
Jenn Zeller is the creative mind and boss lady behind The South Dakota Cowgirl. She is an aspiring horsewoman, photographer, brilliant social media strategist and lover of all things western. After a brief career in the investment world to support her horse habit (and satisfy her...