So the other night I tried introducing hock wraps to my mare that has started kicking in the trailer on the way to events. At first she stood calmly eating her hay and then she noticed the and started backing up while tied to the trailer. Picking her hind legs up and then started kicking a bit. I was able to remove them, but was wondering how everyone got their horses to accept them. I was thinking of starting off with vetwrap next time? Any opinions?
My mare hated anything on her hock so this spring I put the wraps on-fairly tight- and just left her untied picking grass, after a few times she quit fighting the wraps and now first even notice they are in.
I use the BOT wraps on my guy - and he just took to them. I didn't "introduce" them - I just put them on. Lol
Maybe try putting them on at some point before you groom her to ride, or after a ride while you groom, or while you clean her stall (if she's in one) - or maybe just put them on and take her for a hand walk? Just so she can feel/figure out that she's not tangled or trapped in something, since her hocks is an odd place to have something wrapped around.
Posted 2014-05-28 9:27 AM Subject: RE: Introducing hock wraps
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Posts: 2685
Put them on her and turn her lose somewhere like in her pen or arena. That way she is able to do all the weird stuff she wants to.
I put mine on my mare while she was in her 10 X 20 stall in the barn and she kicked her feet everywhere and high stepped for a while. Now she still high steps the first step or two but they aren't surprising to her.
Sounds good! Tomorrow night at supper she will get her a quick treatment. On full pasture (3 acres) so if they do happen to come off, I can ride my other one around to find it/them. She randomly started to kick while traveling in the trailer these past two months and I've added a stud divider to keep her from injuring her neighbor (it doesn't matter if she is in the first slot or second). So far I haven't hauled her alone yet. If there is a horse in third slot she still does it. The other horses appear to totally ignore her tantrums. Adding hock wraps just in case :/ Also going to make her a rump pad (vinyl cover and several layers of fluffy pink household insulation inside). I would just leave her at home but she LOVES to run. Wins or places in 4D 99% of time. Same run every time. Turns into a royal pain on your first practice run back if she doesn't get to run once a month. If the wraps don't make a difference though- off to the vet we go! Mares and their quirks. Heaven help us.