How to put on EquiCrown compression wraps (and when to use FIT, ACTIVE or Silver)

Short answer: measure the leg when it is at its smallest, choose your size from the EquiCrown size chart, open the wrap fully, fasten it from the bottom up so it is snug but not tight, and check that you can slide a finger under the top edge. Use FIT for stocking up, stall rest and the trailer, ACTIVE for riding and rehab work, and FIT Silver where your veterinarian is managing a bacterial skin condition. None of them treats heat, lameness or a wound. For those, call the vet.

We run horses on our own place outside Sherwood Park, and EquiCrown is our own brand. People search for horse compression socks and standing wraps for horses; these are neither a pull-on sock nor a hand-rolled wrap. They open fully, go around the leg and close.

FIT, ACTIVE, Silver or made to measure

Measuring

Measure when the leg is at its smallest, ideally right after exercise or riding. If you cannot, walk the horse and cold-hose the leg first (EquiCrown product pages). You need three numbers in centimetres: the narrowest point of the cannon (cD), the widest point above the fetlock (cC), and the length from just below the knee or hock to the fetlock. Read them against the size chart: five sizes, front and hind, in regular or short length. Short is for shorter cannon bones or ponies. If a leg sits between sizes, the chart says to size up for FIT and down for ACTIVE, or to ask about made-to-measure.

Putting on FIT and FIT Silver

1. Open the closure fully along the front of the cannon.
2. Position the wrap around the leg with the closure down the front of the cannon bone.
3. Starting from the bottom, fasten upward. The fit should be snug but not constricting.
4. Check that the wrap sits smoothly with no bunching, and that you can slide a finger under the top edge comfortably.

On FIT, the hook-and-eye can be adjusted without removing the wrap if the leg swells or shrinks through the day.

Putting on ACTIVE

1. Unzip the wrap fully and open the Velcro tabs.
2. Position it with the zipper on the outside of the cannon bone.
3. Starting from the bottom, zip upward, making sure the fetlock flex sock seats properly around the fetlock joint.
4. Secure the Velcro over-tabs at the top for a snug, even closure.
5. Check for bunching or folding, and slide a finger under the top edge.

Taking them off, and checking the leg

Open the closure fully and lift the wrap away, then look at the leg every time. Beeler-Marfisi’s Equine Guelph bandaging notes list the signs a wrap is causing trouble: swelling above or below it, increased lameness, a horse stomping or chewing at it, and a wrap that looks or feels wet. The same notes say a wrap that is too loose or too tight can cause pressure sores and bandage bows. EquiCrown’s pages say the knit delivers consistent compression, but they still tell you to check the fit for bunching.

When to use FIT, ACTIVE or Silver

• FIT for horses that stock up overnight, swell on the trailer or spend time on stall rest. The product page says the hook-and-eye closure adjusts to changes in leg circumference.
• ACTIVE for riding. The page says it is built for use during exercise and replaces polo wraps. For extended stall rest or overnight transport, it says many owners prefer FIT.
• FIT Silver for a bacterial lower-leg condition your vet is managing. The page says its silver ions reduce bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA at the skin surface, and that if a horse has no bacterial issue, standard FIT or ACTIVE may be all you need.
• MTM when a leg falls between standard sizes. Each wrap is knit to order, so expect a longer lead time.

How long can they stay on?

It depends on the wrap, and none of the pages sets a maximum number of hours. FIT is designed for extended wear, including overnight stalling and trailering, and the page says to check the leg periodically. ACTIVE is designed primarily for active work. For FIT Silver the page says to follow your vet’s guidance for the condition, because wear time varies by case, and to check the leg regularly for any change in skin condition. If you plan long stretches, ask your veterinarian.

Washing

The FIT, ACTIVE and FIT Silver pages say machine wash at 40°C (104°F). Wash at least once a week with regular use, which restores full compression. Use a gentle cycle and air dry. FIT Silver’s page adds no bleach or fabric softener, and says air drying preserves the silver-ion properties.

What they are not for

A compression wrap supports a leg and helps control swelling. It does not diagnose anything. The Merck Veterinary Manual says lameness is not a specific disease and a veterinarian needs to find the cause, with an exam that looks for heat, pain and swelling. It also says lymphangitis is usually a bacterial infection of the lymph vessels, that swelling can climb the whole limb and cause lameness, and that severe or untreated cases often become long-term, with scarring and hardening of the leg. The Equine Guelph notes add that lower-leg wounds heal poorly and a poorly managed bandage can have dire consequences. Call your vet for heat, lameness, a wound, or swelling that comes on suddenly or keeps coming back. The FIT page itself says wound management and surgery support are for use with your vet’s protocol.

To tell ordinary stocking up from something that needs a vet, read Stocking up and lymphangitis in horses: what the swelling means and what helps. The full range is in the horse health and care collection.

Uncle Jeeter says: “If your horse stocks up overnight, put these on before you turn in and pull ’em in the morning. Measure right after exercise when the leg’s at its smallest — get the size right and the wrap does the rest.”

Questions people ask

Can my horse wear EquiCrown wraps overnight?
The FIT page says yes: FIT is designed for extended wear, including overnight stalling and trailering, and you should check the leg periodically. ACTIVE is designed primarily for active work, and the FIT Silver page says to follow your vet’s guidance on wear time.

What size do I order if my horse is between sizes?
The size chart says to size up for FIT and down for ACTIVE. If a leg does not fit any standard size, ask about made-to-measure, which is knit to your horse’s exact measurements.

How do I wash them?
Machine wash at 40°C on a gentle cycle and air dry. Wash at least once a week with regular use to restore full compression. For FIT Silver, skip the bleach and fabric softener.

Can I wrap over ointment or a wound?
The FIT and FIT Silver pages say to apply your topical treatment first and wrap over it, and that the wraps are ointment resistant. For an actual wound, ask your veterinarian which dressing and bandage to use and follow their instructions.

Do I need FIT Silver for mud fever?
The FIT Silver page says the silver targets the bacterial side of conditions like mud fever and cellulitis, and that standard FIT or ACTIVE may be all you need if there is no bacterial issue. Have your veterinarian diagnose the skin condition first.

Sources: EquiCrown FIT, ACTIVE, FIT Silver and MTM product pages and size chart at farmandbarn.com; Beeler-Marfisi, “Stall Bandages”, Equine Guelph First Aid Seminar notes (2018); Merck Veterinary Manual, “Lameness in Horses” and “Lymphangitis in Horses”.

Next step: measure first, then pick a wrap. EquiCrown FIT Compression Wraps are $139.99 CAD a leg and $269.98 a pair. Not sure of the size? Message the barn with your measurements.