Training Barrel Horses

Lesson 2: Caring for the Perfect Barrel Horse

Preventive Care II

There are some easy ways to help prevent leg injuries, in addition to the few already mentioned. Leg wraps and boots are generally fairly inexpensive, and they’re fantastic things to have on hand for running barrels.

For starters, polo wraps are inexpensive, generally running under $20 for a set of four. It’s important to learn how to properly put these on your horse before a run, because they are applied tightly enough to help prevent injuries like pulling tendons or muscles—so it can also be easy to apply them too tightly or just not wrap them correctly and cause problems because of that. It’s also important to remove the wraps—or any other type of boots you may use—periodically to allow your horse’s legs to breathe and to allow circulation to return to normal. Also, sand, dirt and grime can easily get into boots and wraps and cause your horse injury by rubbing constantly against his skin, so be sure to clean your wraps and boots thoroughly before reapplying them.

An easy way to learn how to properly apply the wraps is to read a good instructional book with pictures on the subject, so you can actually see how it should be done. I recommend that you do that or visit the link http://www.equisearch.com/tack/polowrap/, a page from one of my recommended links; while I can show diagrams and photographs as I explain here, the link mentioned above is described by a vet and includes its own photographs.

If you’re concerned about overreaching (some horses strike the backs of their front feet with their back when they’re making those tight turns), you can apply overreach boots on your horse’s front feet after putting on whatever kinds of boots or wraps you choose. These boots are also inexpensive and are easy to apply—simply slip them over the horse’s front feet (bell side facing back) and velcro them closed. When you’re competing, or even just training, it may be a good idea to use tape on them to prevent the velcro from coming undone.

Professional’s Choice makes some great boots for horses, too, called Sports Medicine Boots. These are more expensive, running about $50-70 for a set of two. These boots actually provide protection against soft tissue injury, and are great for any high-impact, physically demanding sport.

And finally, after your horse’s run, another great ally in preventing injury or even just sore muscles is to give him a good rub down. Personally, I love Absorbine for this—it comes in a few different forms and scents, but however you prefer it, it’s fantastic. If you just rub some into your horse’s legs after a workout, and rub it in well, you can actually see your horse feeling better. It’s calming to him and, again, helps his muscles to warm, relax, and let go of their soreness. What’s more, you can actually feel it on your own hands as you rub it in, and it prevents soreness from the massage you’re giving your horse! Invest in a bottle and try it; I doubt that you won’t want to keep using it.

  1  2  3  4  5