BANDAGING POINTERS

PONY CLUB     COACHING

C1 - Shipping     Rider Prep 2 - Stable
C2 - ship/Stable/Tail    Rider Prep 3 - shipping/Polos
B   - Ship/Stable/Tail/FAprotec   Prov. Instr. - Stable/ Polos
B2 - Ship/Stable/Tail/FApressure  level I         -ship/Stable/Tail/FA
HA - Ship/Stable/Tail/FA-sweat/poult/spider Level II        -same as 1

Bandaging material, both wraps and padding, must be clean, of correct size and rolled correctly with a plan of two methods to secure (i.e. tie tapes/pins/velcro/tape- masking or electricians type).
Be sure horse is groomed and tied correctly with halter and lead either in the aisle, or a stall with the bedding raked back.  Be aware of your position around the horse - bending or crouching, not kneeling, with materials neatly on a stable rubber in arm's reach.

SHIPPING

suitable padding to ensure a castlike appearance when finished; able to conform to the shape of the leg, thick and protective.  Cover the leg from knee to coronary band, including well over the heels with pad and wrap.  Front legs are often easier to do shipping bandages on for test purposes.  Padding should show 1-2 cm. At top and front of bottom, but the heel padding will be covered by the wrap in order to secure the heels.  For test purposes, contrasting wrap/pad will show good bandaging to advantage.

STABLE

Suitable padding conforming to the leg, thick and protective with wraps not more than 4" wide (and 8'12' + long); should cover down to and including the fetlock joint - or below to include the pastern if the suspensory or pastern need support or protection.
Tension is crucial - evenly over the leg - one finger should slip easily under the pad and wrap.  Both legs should be wrapped in the same direction, i.e. clockwise on off legs and counter clockwise on near legs.  Finished bandage should have a stovepipe appearance - straight and wrinkle free with no more than 1-2 cm. Of pad showing at top and bottom.  Should finish wrap on the outside and toward the top.  Tape should secure the wrap with the same tension as the bandage itself.

TAIL

there are two types of tail bandage.
TO LAY THE TAIL - this bandage covers the tail from the top of the dock to below the point of the buttock; the tail may be dampened although the wrap must be dry.  This bandage would stay on no more than an hour or two prior to riding and is removed by pulling the entire bandage straight down from the top.

TRAVEL

This bandage covers the tail from the top of the dock to the bottom of the dock and has a small number of hairs turned up at intervals to present the bandage sliding down when in the trailer.  This bandage would stay on only for the duration of the trailer ride and would have to be unwrapped to be removed.

In both cases, the tail must be "laid in" to provide comfort for the horse.

FIRST AID

Think of a scenario for the first aid bandage and make a plan for care from the ‘wound' outward, i.e. bruise on the knee from hitting a jump rail, hosed then poulticed and covered with a figure 8 bandage over the knee and secured by a stable bandage below.  The bandage would stay on for 5-6 hrs. Before being hosed again.  Poultice/gamgee/wrap etc.

First Aid bandages could be: foot poultices, hock or knee injuries, pastern injuries or other problem which require specialized bandages.  Sweats should not be used for the Level exams as they do no show enough difference between a stable and a sweat.

A spider bandage is used on knee or hock and is an excellent exam bandage as it has a very professional appearance when done well and does have the level of expertise required.

ALL leg bandages - except polos - require padding underneath in sufficient thickness to produce a tube-like effect.