Newsdate: Mon 07 September 2015 – 8:57 am
Location: SANTA CRUZ, California

Hock joints pose a confounding situation in veterinary care. In 'Bandaging: Wrapping It Up' in The Horse, FEI veterinarian Michael A. Ball, DVM, wrote: “It is very difficult to bandage the hock so that a bandage stays in the proper position and does more good than harm.

Hock protection for horses

Informal testing, over a three-week trial period, has shown The Hock Shield™ can successfully stay up, without turning on a horse's legs, more than 90% of the time providing safe and reliable protection and healing from sores and abrasions.
© 2015 by Horse Products

It is important, if a hock bandage is used, that it fits the hock/leg well and is secured adequately to prevent slipping. In addition, hock bandages might make some horses kick even more. If this happens, even the best of bandages is no match for the forces created by a kicking horse.”

Horse owner and Hock Shield™ creator Shari Click of Santa Cruz, CA, concurs: If a horse decides they don't want something on them – whether that's a bandage or a rider – then it's going to come off. There's just no arguing with the laws of physics when you're talking 200 to 300 pounds per-square-inch (psi) in force.

But informal testing, over a three-week trial period, has shown The Hock Shield™ can successfully stay up, without turning on a horse's legs, more than 90% of the time and each washable neoprene and Velcro set of hock covers can, depending on your horse, provide safe and reliable protection and healing from sores and abrasions for three to six months.

“To clean them,” says Click, “Just use a little shampoo in a bucket of water, scrub and hang to dry. They can go in the wash and dryer, providing the Velcro straps are closed so they do not collect lint.”

Hock Shield is a custom-fit hock protector designed to stay in place to prevent and help heal hock sores, featuring a tear-resistant neoprene outer shell and soft fleece lining.

The Hock Shield (half-wrap) comes in two adjustable sizes, featuring a soft, flexible 'pocket' in the center back to provide comfort in the delicate area where tendons pass just under the skin. This is the perfect solution for the majority of horses with hock sores.

Hock Shield Ultra (full-wrap) comes in four sizes and can also be used for horses with arthritic hocks to prevent chill. The thin neoprene and double layer of fleece make a very comfortable but tough boot that can be worn full-time on horses with deep, chronic sores.

Find more about Hock Shield at www.hockshield.com or call (831) 426-1206.