After suffering a strain, sprain or traumatic injury, a horse’s legs may swell and feel warm to the touch.

To reduce the swelling and improve healing, a sweat bandage may be applied.

The sweat bandage generates heat and:

• Aids in reducing fluid build-up in the legs (act of sweating)
• Dilates blood vessels and increases circulation to the injury site, thus aiding in the healing process.

Additionally, the sweat bandage adds pressure and support to the injury site. Sweat bandages are generally not recommended for recent injuries or those that include open wounds

Issues with traditional sweating methods
(plastic wrap, cotton batting/pillow wrap, and stable bandaging)

Is it Convenient?

Owners may have issues with the entire wrapping process (applying plastic wrap, then padding, then stable bandaging). This is a time consuming task, and if either owner or horse become impatient or the proper procedure is not performed correctly, the sweat bandage may be applied improperly and cause more damage.

Is it Safe?

Owners may have issues with applying plastic wrap directly to horse’s leg as a first layer. If plastic wrap is not applied correctly, it could slip, potentially clinging to itself, and creating a safety issue that could cut off circulation or cord tendons.

Some veterinarians suggest owners apply the padding first, then plastic wrap, and then cover with a stable bandage. This eliminates a safety issue, but is not as effective.

When applying the stable bandage, it can not be too loose or too tight.
If too tight, this could cause poor circulation or cording/binding of
the tendons. If too loose, the entire wrap will slip down the horse's
leg and the benefits of "sweating" are not realized.

Is it Effective?

With either wrapping scenario (plastic wrap directly or padding then plastic) problems exist in cool or cold weather.

When applying plastic wrap directly to the leg – after the wrap has been completed, the sweating process begins, but where does the moisture/sweat go? The plastic wrap is not porous, so the sweat remains directly against the leg.

The result -The leg may chill in short period of time, thus counteracting the second purpose of the sweat, which is to dilate blood vessels and increase circulation. Additionally, a leg soaked with sweat plus “sweating agents” may cause irritation or “scratches” to the horse’s leg

When applying padding directly to the leg then plastic wrap – after the wrap has been completed, the sweating process begins. Moisture gets trapped in either the cotton batting or poly-fil pillow wrap (no thermal properties) and has minimal opportunity to evaporate.

The result -The leg may chill in short period of time, thus counteracting the second purpose of the sweat, which is to dilate blood vessels and increase circulation. Additionally, a leg soaked with sweat plus “sweating agents” may cause irritation or “scratches” to the horse’s leg.