The technique of using “sweating” agents is an almost everyday occurence with race horses. Horses lower legs are rubbed with any number of concoctions, then wrapped in plastic, bandaged and left overnight. Usually the goal is to “scurf” but not “burn” and it is almost always done only on the lower leg where there aren’t any major muscles, just tendons joints, and ligiments. They also use cooling muds, in the same way. I believe the wrap is there to extend the drying out time.
Will try this out in the barn in a day or two because I can’t believe that these things miraculously stay cool, and don’t convert into a sweat at some point in the night.
I have never really understood how this is supposed to work physiologically. Is the wrapping basically an “extender” of the time the cream is “hot”, or an intensifier or both?
A common occurence on the racetrack is to mix DMSO with certain leg rubs, which scares me. Not sure I’d do this to myself, but some trackers swear by it. Many of the liquids use iodine as an agent (Ball’s Solution). Victory Lane and furazone are other rubs used. Visit a horse tack shop and you’re sure to find a whole shelf of products which claim to heal almost everything. Pretty funny actually. (Not that I suggest using any of these on yourself!) The leg ointment industry in horses is often considered to be snake oil selling, so I was surprised to see discussion on this board.
What exactly are you trying to accomplish when you are wrapping?
Not sure about the biology involved but the wrapping/heat rub proceedure worked with an athlete I’m coaching. Nice picture of Secretariat - 31 lengths sure looks like a long way.