# Dangers of Tail Bandages (sorry it's a long one)



## Hannahbelle83 (13 April 2010)

Hi all, I'm new to Horse and Hound Forums but I wanted to post like Hairy Molly (see earlier posts):

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/4190229/page/0/fpart/1/vc/1

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=265489&highlight=tail+bandages

to alert everyone of the dangers of tail bandaging. 

I have had a pony for 13 years and got a new horse about 7 months ago so I'm quite experienced. I know I made the mistake and I feel awful so please don't make me feel any worse, I just wanted to make everyone aware of how bad it can be to leave a tail bandage on for too long.

My new horse is gorgeous and has a very smart pulled (well trimmed actually) tail and to keep it neat I would bandage it sometimes after riding while I did my daily jobs and then take it off before I left. The other day when I went to leave my boy was lying down and I completely forgot about the bandage . I was down to the yard early the next morning and noticed it straight away, when I went to take it off he just clamped his tail down and was reluctant to let me touch it. I got the bandage off and immediately bathed his tail in warm water to get the circulation going again, and put him in the field to get it moving. When I brought him in in the afternoon, his tail was very swollen, very hot and so so sore, with little pink areas of flesh showing underneath. I called the Vet and she said to bathe it in warm salty water and put antiseptic cream on it. Later that night his tail looked to be getting worse so I got the vet out to have a look at it. She said it would be fine and just to keep bathing it and applying cream and also prescribed some Bute to relieve the pain. The next day it was worse, more skin had come off underneath (the vet said this would happen) and it was still really hot and looked very red and angry. Called the Vet again and got some antibiotics and and Dermisol cream. He has been on the antibiotics for two days now and the skin underneath is still coming away but where this started to happen first is now looking a healthy pink colour. The sweilling has gone and the pain too, he lets me lift it and bathe it with no problem. The dermisol cream seems to be fab too. So fingers crossed he will be OK.

The vet said that what had happened was the bandage had been rubbed in the night and had tightened in places (as it wasn't too tight when I put it on) and it had caused a pressure sore. The skin under there is so sensitive and delicate. Luckily so far no hair has fallen out and to look at him his tail looks normal, until you lift it. I have heard that in severe cases a tail bandage left on for too long causes the tail to DROP OFF  due to a loss of circulation, and also if I didnt keep his sores clean and treated with antibiotics he could have got a very nasty infection and the tail could have still been lost. I am still ever so worried and feel awful as it was my fault. But I am also so shocked that every single person at my yard did not know that a tail bandage can do so much damage in so little time, not one person knew how dangerous it is. 

I will NEVER use a tail bandage again and will keep a neat tail with a comb and hair gel! I'd rather have a messy tail than no tail at all. PLEASE... consider how bad a tail bandage can be if forgotten. I feel that all tail bandages should come with a warning on the packaging.

Hx


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## shell1978 (13 April 2010)

oh bless you, what a horrible experience to have to go through. Glad your GG is ok. It certainly does make you think!


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## r0450111 (13 April 2010)

i knowof a pony who got travelled from Rep of Ireland to UK on a transporter. Ended up travelling yard to yard for 13 hours. Tail bandage left on the whole time. People who had purchased him took it straight off and tail went too. Ended up getting gangrene and poor sod was PTS shortly afterwards. I hate tail bandages, although i will allow they can look very smart.


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## Hannahbelle83 (15 April 2010)

God that's awful, I bet the owners were so upset! That must have been one tight bandage. I really can't believe that the dangers aren't made more clear. I was bathing his tail last night and still people at the yard are so shocked and had no idea that a tail bandage can do so much damage! I'm openly telling them what happened so they won't make the same mistake.

Luckily, it seems to be healing well, the skin is all pink now and only a tiny bit that looks sore, the swelling has gone and he is fine with me touching it. I think he has been very good considering, it must have been so painful


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## milliepops (15 April 2010)

Hannahbelle83 said:



			I have heard that in severe cases a tail bandage left on for too long causes the tail to DROP OFF  due to a loss of circulation,
		
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Just to add, this is true:
http://happa.org.uk/newsview.asp?id=26

Pretty grim.  The horse in this article has now recovered and has found a new loan home as far as I know.

 OP - hope your horse continues to make a good recovery


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## fatpiggy (15 April 2010)

Bandages generally are to be used with caution. When my girl was on box rest with a mild DDFT I bandaged both front legs to provide support. I had no problems at all, but my vet told me that he regularly had to go back to similar cases and treat them for further problems caused by incorrect bandages causing the skin to slough off. Getting the tension exactly right is quite a science and something that everyone should practice regularly, not wait until there is a problem and have to learn from scratch. I never left a tail bandage on for more than 1 hour. A good old fashioned damp water brush does a perfectly good job at tidying things up.


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## applecart14 (15 April 2010)

Please don't beat yourself up, these things happen, we have all put boots/bandages on and forgotten about them, but most of us have been luckier than you. I've done stupid things like left tendon boots on overnight, left my horse on the walker and driven down the lane before realising and I have found a little cut on his leg, ridden with the intention of giving it a good hosing and clean afterwards and then forgotten about it for about five days - when I've looked again its scabbed over or even not visible still!!  Sounds incredible but when you have other pressures like work, money and home life to worry about it is easy to forget such things.

Bandages can be nasty things.  I went to a show about 14 years ago in the summer with my first horse and bandaged his legs.  The day was long and hot and we were there for about five hours.  We had no transport so had to hack back.  When I got back to the yard I took off his bandages to find a perfectly formed classic text book bowed tendon, due to the leg swelling in the heat and the bandage being on too tight.  I can remember mentioning to the yard instructor 'Biggles leg looks a funny shape'.  Her eyes nearly popped out of her sockets and I was instructed to walk him straight down to the stream in his field and stand him in the water.  In those days I was really naive and wondered what all the fuss was about!!  I think horses were a lot stronger and hardier in those days and within a week his leg looked 'a normal shape' again and I was back riding!!!


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## Booboos (15 April 2010)

What bad luck! I'm glad your horse is recovering!

Loads of horrible stories with tail bandages! I have to admit I don't use them, but mainly because my lot are on the scruffy side! I use those wrap around tail guards for travelling but half the time the horse rubs them off all by himself in the lorry.


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## Lill (16 April 2010)

milliepops said:



			Just to add, this is true:
http://happa.org.uk/newsview.asp?id=26

Pretty grim.  The horse in this article has now recovered and has found a new loan home as far as I know.

 OP - hope your horse continues to make a good recovery 

Click to expand...

This is true, a horse in one of the neighbour's fields has no tail as they left a tail bandage on and put a turnout rug on i think thus forgetting about the tail bandage.  Horse now has no tail and just a few wispy bits of hair!

ETA Just read article, i see its a similar situation!


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## hairymolly (19 April 2010)

After going through a similar experience a few years ago I am glad that you have posted this.  The more aware that we can make people of this the better.  I you read my previous post my mare didnt have bandage on for an excessive amout of time and it was not on overly tight, we think she had rubbed her bum in trailer (partly the reason that I bandaged her for travelling, didnt appreciate the bog brush look for shows) causing it to move/fold causing an area of pressure which prob meant she rubbed her bum more.  She spent two weeks at vets, was on box rest for 6 weeks, she had to wear dressing for 3 months and I could have lost her from the infection.  have never ever felt so gulity and I will never use a tail bandage again.

OP dont beat yourself up too much, we all make mistakes and you didnt do it on purpose.  Oh and I can recommend a tubigrip to keep it clean till it heals, washes and dries easily.  Obviously make sure its not too tight.  Hope horsey continues to heal fast.


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## ofcourseyoucan (19 April 2010)

abstaining to posting my thoughts but i dont think it is the bandage or the manufacturers that are at fault!


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## hairymolly (19 April 2010)

ofcourseyoucan said:



			abstaining to posting my thoughts but i dont think it is the bandage or the manufacturers that are at fault!
		
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I dont think anybody said that they were at fault.


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## Hannahbelle83 (20 April 2010)

No the bandage and the manufacturers are not at fault... but I think more needs to be done so people are made aware of the possible dangers. I said it before I am shocked that not one person on my yard knew the possible dangers of leaving on a bandage. A few people said things like "oh I knew they could rub and make it a bit sore" but the fact that if it is just that bit too tight and is left on overnight the whole tail could be lost.


Just a simple warning on the packet or in the shops to remind people to take it off after use or no longer than 30mins if tight or 4-6 hours if travelling but not too tight.

Thank you for people being so nice about it, I'm glad other people will learn from my mistake and not do the same. Accidents happen so easily, I was lucky I hadn't done it too tight.  His tail is healing pretty well hairlymolly, all the sores are gone (that Dermisol worked wonders) and the hair started to fall out a lot at the weekend, but seems to be sprouting back already. My instructor did a good job of neatening it up yesterday so it actually looks almost normal and like i meant for the sides to be hairless. I also feel so guilty and will never bandage again. I'm glad your horsey made a full recovery.


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## siennamum (20 April 2010)

I went to remove a tail bandage from a pony a few years ago and it was so tight I couldn't pull it down. Myf riend who had put it on grew up round horses - very experienced, and was amused by my horror. She thought I was simply being hysterical.
i had to direct her to websites etc. to make her understand the potential problem.

People simply don't realise the dangers. I use tail bandages for travelling but am paranoid about forgetting them, and have gone back to the yard after getting home a couple of times convinced that I've forgotten to take the tail bandage off.


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## Hannahbelle83 (20 April 2010)

Yeah you're meant to be able to pull it off in one sweep, so it shouldn't be too tight that you can't do that, eeeshk!

Tail protection is the one legal requirement for travelling a horse apparently, not boots, poll guard etc, just tail protection (don't quote me on that). A lot of horses rub their tails, or even in trailers swish them over the ramp whilst travelling, so without tail protection you can get a very damaged tail. I'm going to use a tail guard from now on.

I too usually check everything twice, haynets, water, stable bolts... have been back to the yard to check things, but this one time, just simply forgot


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## Maesfen (20 April 2010)

Hannahbelle83 said:



			No the bandage and the manufacturers are not at fault... but I think more needs to be done so people are made aware of the possible dangers. I said it before I am shocked that not one person on my yard knew the possible dangers of leaving on a bandage. A few people said things like "oh I knew they could rub and make it a bit sore" but the fact that if it is just that bit too tight and is left on overnight the whole tail could be lost.
		
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Yes, more needs to be done and it's not by the manufactorers.  
People need to learn how to look after a horse and use the equipment properly right from the start.  There is no excuse for ignorance when you are dealing with a living animal whatsoever especially as the knowledge is so easily available.

OP, this is not aimed at you, yours was a genuine mistake which you will never make again, but far too many people take on horses without an absolute clue of the most simple requirements and it's the horses that suffer; it's just not good enough.  I can't believe those saying they had no idea it's such a basic, it's before D test level.


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## ischa (20 April 2010)

glad your horsey better ,it does make you think . its not just tail banages you have to be careful of ,its also leg banages .
where i use to work which was a breeding stud farm breeding racehorses ,they use to go to a local racing trainer .
 one day we sent a 3yr mare up there .
the groom who was looking after her, put her stable banages on after exercise  which this point was left on over night alittle to tight too .till in the morning the groom went in and took them off
 to this point the banages cut right throw .  at this point she was returned home to us and did get better but it did take awhile because a lot of excess flesh had grown back which had to be cut of every know and then . her legs did make a full recovery but her cereer didnt  due to her legs not with standing it  . 
luckly this horse  has turned out  to be a dressage horse 
so what ever u use you gotta be careful of and at this point i have never used  banages never have and never will .


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## Hannahbelle83 (20 April 2010)

MFH9 I entirely agree. Everyday I am shaking my head at the yard at something someone has done with their horse as they are absolutely ignorant/clueless, or both, to how things are done properly. Luckily when I was a kid we had an incredible yard owner that taught us everything hands on and the traditional way too. He would shout at us like mad as the ponies always came first, as they should, but he taught us everything the right way. You seem to get people now that just have a few lessons and then go and buy a horse! It drives me to despair. People really do need to learn how to look after horses properly from the start. I also studied the pony club manual over and over when I was a kid, mum and dad wouldnt get me a horse until i knew how to look after one properly.

This was an interesting thread last week:

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=361957&highlight=basics

Ischa, yes it is leg bandages too, I've seen damage done by these left on too long and too tight. It's terrible when people just get complacent and then these things happen.


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## Serenity087 (20 April 2010)

I'm impressed, Dorey had her tail bandage on every night for... what.. 4 weeks or so?  And for the last two weeks had it on during the day too.

That I know, she didn't even lose a hair.

Yes, we checked it (she was never on her own, which probably helped) and yes, it was redone twice a day to avoid slipping.

But I think people need to have a rethink here.  She had that bandage on almost as long as the horse in the HAPPA article without harm.  It's not the tail bandages that are dangerous...


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## Lucy_Nottingham (20 April 2010)

iv done work experience placements where we have been called out because someone put a tail bandage on too tight and forgot about it! Next morning was a black necrotic tail and when then pulled the bandage, the whole thing snapped off!! (cue me and vet being called! Was so gross I nearly threw up and I have a very VERY strong stomach!) 

Iv also seen a horse with such poorly applied leg bandages they rubbed a sore not only through the skin on the horses leg but into the superficial flexor tendon! 

And the owner was like - he is now worse lame than when you came last week for him (we had given him bute and box rest basically and owner decided to leg bandage) and it was like yes he is because of this HUGE GAPING SORE ON THE LEG! 

I know there are some accidents (like OP) but sometimes people should stop and ask for help from more knowledgable people. ITs not just on too tight, on too long etc that cause problems but also putting them on just wrong (with excessive creases/lumps etc) can also rub horrid bandage sores on the horse. 

Hope your horse continues to improve Hannah


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## Hannahbelle83 (20 April 2010)

yes you're right harper gal and lucy, it's not just the bandage it's how it is done. So people need to be aware that it needs to be done properly and not too tight and if it is tight then not on too long - due to what can happen. It also shouldn't be too loose as that can cause other dangers too. 

I think with your horse harper girl, changing it twice a day would keep the circulation going and being with her stopped her rubbing. Any bandages that have to be on for a long period have to be redone regularly and not too tight. So it is a case of knowing how to use them correctly.

But then, people who know to bandage can still have accidents, mine was not too tight, and had no creases - he must have just rubbed it so in one area it became tighter. I now will not tail bandage again in case I forget again...


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## Hannahbelle83 (20 April 2010)

P.S. Thank you 



Lucy_Nottingham said:



			Hope your horse continues to improve Hannah 

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## xena_wales (20 April 2010)

My friend's horse lost her tail after she forgot to take her bandage off in the evening.  She took it off the next morning, but by then the damage was done   So scary how quickly it can go wrong!


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## hairymolly (20 April 2010)

Harper_Gal said:



			I'm impressed, Dorey had her tail bandage on every night for... what.. 4 weeks or so?  And for the last two weeks had it on during the day too.

That I know, she didn't even lose a hair.

Yes, we checked it (she was never on her own, which probably helped) and yes, it was redone twice a day to avoid slipping.

But I think people need to have a rethink here.  She had that bandage on almost as long as the horse in the HAPPA article without harm.  It's not the tail bandages that are dangerous...
		
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My horse had wore a tail bandage for travelling to shoes most weeks and I will admit to sometimes leaving the bandage on overnight to lay her tail the night before a show.  Now I never had any probs prior to the day where she wore it for a few hours and ended up nearly losing her tail!!!  It was no tighter than usual and I took great care when putting it on to make sure it was nice and even.  Vet thinks the problem was caused by her rubbbing her bum meaning that the bandage moved/folded over resulting in an area of presure.  

After many years as a responsible horse owner I will openly admit to still being able to learn from others.  In fact I have found that horse ownership has been a constant learning experience and yes i probably have made mistakes over the years, now if that makes me a dangerous horse owner then I guess that i will just have to accept that.  But personally I think that being unwilling/too arrogant to learn from others experiences/mistakes is dangerous.


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## Hannahbelle83 (21 April 2010)

hairymolly said:



			After many years as a responsible horse owner I will openly admit to still being able to learn from others.  In fact I have found that horse ownership has been a constant learning experience and yes i probably have made mistakes over the years, now if that makes me a dangerous horse owner then I guess that i will just have to accept that.  But personally I think that being unwilling/too arrogant to learn from others experiences/mistakes is dangerous.
		
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HM, you are in no way at all a dangerous horse owner, we both unfortunately had very bad luck. Or we are both dangerous horse owners...?  We both know how to bandage, and it seems both our horses rubbed and that caused the problem. Mine was a lot worse as i forgot to take it off and if I hadn't then his tail would be ok. 

But where would we all be without mistakes, you learn from mistakes as you never make the same one again. I, like you, hope that many people will learn from the mistake I made and don't just consider what I did as stupid or dangerous and carry on regardless.


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## MiJodsR2BlinkinTite (21 April 2010)

I remember something like this happening with a friend of mine when we were in Pony Club; she'd bandaged her pony's tail and it was too tight, and it went all swollen, sore and horrible, and anyway, the end result was the pony had to be destroyed. It was awful - and it wasn't that she didn't come from a horsey background or anything like that coz her dad was MFH at the time, it was just on too tight and she didn't realise.

I won't use tail-bandages at all; never have done since that incident.


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## Dubsie (22 April 2010)

Have you seen these?:
[LINK]http://www.coolhorsesocks.co.uk/site/buy-on-line.html?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=10&category_id=3[/LINK]

Anyone tried them?

I'd imagine being like big socks they'll gently hug the tail without too much pressure.


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