Page 64 - Libro_MariaA_26agosto

María Alejandra Ramelli

If the barn is too cold, then you should buy a pretty warm blanket. But, if the
barn is not so cold, then you can buy a blanket that is not too warm. The idea
is to keep your horse in a good temperature. He shouldn’t feel too cold, but he
shouldn’t start sweating in the middle of the night either. The size of your horse
depends on each brand, so you should measure the height
and length of your horse and ask a tack shop advisor to
tell you the right size for your horse.

Leg wraps/ polo wraps

Leg wraps can be used for both exercise and
rest. Leg wraps are normally used for dres-
sage or flat work, and are not recommended
for use when jumping, as they don’t protect
against hard knocks. Mary Anne McPhail,
dressage Chair in Equine Sports Medicine at
Michigan State University, mentioned that
“Polo wraps do not support the leg. They
give some protection against trauma, but less
than some of the boots” (no year of publica-
tion) . Plus, show jumping horses are not allowed to compete with
1
polo wraps. Only boots are allowed, and are required in all four
legs (Fédération Équestre Internationale, 2018). Leg wraps are also
used as stable wraps for horses living in stalls. They are not usually
necessary unless your horse is in hard work. Stall wraps are made
of wool, flannel or fleece, and include a cotton quilt underneath. The
main purpose of stall wraps is keeping your horse from accumu-
lating fluids in his legs as he stands in his stall. They are usually left overnight, but
they shouldn’t be on for more that 12 consecutive hours, and shouldn’t interfere with
blood circulation in any way (Hill, 2005).

MAGNUS TALKS

Every time Maria puts me polo wraps
instead of boots I know we are not going
to jump, so I know I won’t have much
adrenaline.

1 Author quoted by (Loving, 2008)

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