Bandaging is a skill and one you have to be confident to perform. A bad bandage that slips or is too tight can cause more harm than good. Don't be frightened to do it but make sure you are shown and talked through the correct method by an experienced person before attempting it yourself.
Below are a few tips from one of our resident vets Jason Lowe to help you on your way!
Below are a few tips from one of our resident vets Jason Lowe to help you on your way!
- Make sure you always have the bandaging material on hand and even better see if someone can be there to pass it to you.
- Look out for pressure points! When bandaging over joints and around tendons it is critical you don't end up with pressure points so extra padding or slicing the bandage to relieve the pressure in those areas is really useful.
- It is always a good idea to use bandage wraps, sterile cotton or gamgee tissue underneath the bandage to ensure you have more protection and less chance of applying too much pressure!
- Always bandage the leg so that the flexor tendons on the back of the cannon bone are being pulled in medially. i.e. anti-clockwise for left legs and clockwise for right legs.
- If you are new to using Elastoplast or Vetrap it can be useful to unravel the bandage and then re-roll it up before using it. This way you are less likely to apply it too tight while trying to pull the bandage off the roll.
- Bandages which are rolled tightly are easier to bandage onto a horse's leg.
