Evolution of Equine Kinesiology Tape

As therapists, to ensure the most successful outcome for our clients, we follow the principles and guidelines of rehabilitation. Our assessment, accurate health history and clarifying questions will determine which stage of rehabilitation that the animal is in. Based on those observations with gait analysis, when possible, we determine if the injury is acute, sub-acute or chronic. Compiling all those facts allows therapists, together with the other members of the health care team, to determine the most accurate treatment plan for our clients.

As we progress through the stages of rehabilitation, we would expect our plans to be modified or changed at some point. Often, injury healing times are unpredictable. Setbacks can frequently occur – especially when treating large animals.

So, it would make sense that the tools we use along their therapeutic process would change as well. This was my revelation when first began taping horses. For some stages of healing, I needed a kinesiology tape that had a certain percentage of elastic fibers woven into it. If edema in the affected area decreased or increased, I required a tape with specific properties to allow it to stretch as well as recoil to accommodate the fluid volume change without compromising the application.

But then there were other situations where I needed a kinesiology tape that could truly hold a body part in place. If a joint was unstable due to ligament laxity, a much more rigid tape was needed. And because of the severity of the injury, the tape had to stay on for a much longer duration of time. And it definitely was going to require a much stronger adhesive. Having some capacity to repel water would be a huge benefit as well.

Equine kinesiology tapes had not changed much since their inception. My first tape, Hestaband Cotton was first produced in 2018. It has a tighter fabric weave and a forgiving adhesive which makes it a wonderful tape for those just learning this new skill set. Hestaband Satin, released publicly last year, is a completely different fabric weave with the strongest adhesive I can make. It has very little elastic fibers to provide stability and is designed for advanced applications.

There is a huge benefit to having two very different tapes in your kit. Often you may have edema present with an instability. A perfect example of this is a sprained fetlock joint. A combination application would be very effective in cases like these. The Cotton tape accommodates for the swelling while Satin stabilizes the joint to assist with healing the tissue and preventing micro tearing.

As the skill set of therapists evolved, so has our kinesiology tapes. Imagine where we will be in a few years!