October 12, 2014

Product Review: Equi FlexSleeves

In the giant bucket of stuff I won at Jump Start, there were two vouchers for two sets of Equi Flexsleeves, so I wandered over to their vendor tent to claim them:


I had never heard of them before, but my male teammate ran over to me and was like "Oh my gosh, tell me you won the socks!  Can I buy them off of you for $10?  I've wanted a pair for so long but it's like 90 bucks!"  I was like "What...I've never heard of these things before..."

Connor checks out his socks.

They are supposed to convey all the benefits of standing bandages/compression wraps and none of the dangers (bandage bows, horse ripping bandages off overnight, etc).

"Why am I wearing socks, exactly?"

I don't wrap very often; only if he's stabled overnight on concrete at an expo or show, so keep that in mind as you read my pros and cons.

Pros:
- Take up a fraction of the space of standing wraps/bandages in my show trunk.
- Didn't slip at all when we walked around to check fit.
- Dummy proof: you can't get them too tight and cause a bandage bow.  If they are a size too small, you'll know within seconds of putting them on because they slip (according to I believe the inventor, who was manning the booth that day)
- Less heat than standing bandages

Cons:
- Exceptionally difficult to get his size small sleeves over his warmblood-sized feet (pony literally wears a large in bell boots)
- They don't last forever - expected lifespan of a year with regular use
- You have to slip a plastic bag over their feet and slide the sock on over that to avoid it snagging.  My horse was totally fine with the crinkly bag, but some individuals may not like that.

The internet says:
- Some people swear by them for replacing standing bandages.  Seems to be grooms in bigger barns who think that, overall.
- Some people love them for keeping medicine on legs

I can see myself using these:
- In place of standing bandages just because of the show trunk space issue
- On the trailer when I don't want to use shipping boots or standing bandages after a show (because I don't like heat) but do want to afford him some support on the way home.

12 comments:

  1. I have vouchers for these too, from the eventing derby we won, but haven't gotten them yet. I am interested to try them though. I don't see them replacing my beloved wraps and bandages but might be good for overnights at shows.

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  2. Oooo interested. I'm not a pro at standing wraps, and they are a pain in the butt to keep clean and such. Very interesting!

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    1. They're worth a try if you can score some for a deal! I'm not sure I would have paid $90 for them unless I used standing bandages a lot.

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  3. Hmmm interesting. I like wraps bc there is some padding there when traveling or stalled.

    But these do look cool and sound like a great idea.

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    1. Yeah, I'm not in need of padded protection with him in most traveling or stall situations, but if you are, they're not for you!

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  4. These sound like they have some potential, thanks for the review!

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    1. I feel the same way, you're welcome! My show season is effectively over, but I'll write a followup review in the spring after he wears them overnight.

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  5. I heard they stretch over time...so interested in hearing how they are long term. I just don't think these will work with poultice lol

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    1. Yeah, that's why I put that they have an expiration date of about a year of use. The inventor admits as much. The only way I can see them working with poutice is if you use saran wrap between the poultice and the sock.

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  6. If you have time, what are his hoof measurements? You're the first person to mention hoof size possibly being an issue.. which is not boding well for my eventual purchase of these.

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    1. I'll take them today, I'm not sure off the top of my head. I don't think hoof size is supposed to be an issue, but it did take me a while to get them on him.

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