[BostonHJ]

I wish I had known about these earlier and now have to spread the word! I have always been prone to getting really bad rubs where my stirrup leather crosses over the inside/front of my calf. Once the cycle starts, it doesn't matter what boots/chaps/breeches I wear - I am guaranteed to have an open sore there for months on end. We are talking bleed through breeches and socks, feels like it is getting cauterized in the shower type cut. Someone recommended I try the EquiFit gel bands.

AMAZING. My last ride was cut short when the spot I thought had healed, opened back up in a big and painful way. I was ready for months of ace bandages, band-aids and another set of scars. I wore the Gel Bands today and didn't even notice the cut. I forgot about it until I went to get changed. Normally this is something I think of every step since it is constantly getting irritated. If you've ever had this particular issue, I cannot recommend these enough. I only wish these were around a decade ago! And it was a great excuse to go to SmartPak and maybe pick up another show shirt on clearance... I may be trying these to help break in a stubborn pair of non-riding boots.

[Bolero]

Agree! Life changer. I don't put my tall boots on without them. They last a LONG time too.

[ParadoxFarm]

What are they? I have had this problem on and off, and so has my DH. We've been know to school with polo wraps on in the past, haha.

[BostonHJ]

Here is a link: http://www.smartpakequine.com/equifi...x?cm_vc=Search . They are kind of like a compression bandage lined with a gel material. You can wear them like in the photo over the ankle - I pull mine up to cover the whole calf area. The gel is not particularly thick but apparently slowly emits mineral oil to keep things gliding along (I did not notice the oil on my skin and it doesn't feel oily to the touch).

Downside: they are sold as an individual unit (not a pair)

Upside: I got the tall, and for my purposes, they could easily be cut in half and used as two. Oh, and they work!

[morsekg]

Here is a link: http://www.smartpakequine.com/equifi...x?cm_vc=Search . They are kind of like a compression bandage lined with a gel material. You can wear them like in the photo over the ankle - I pull mine up to cover the whole calf area. The gel is not particularly thick but apparently slowly emits mineral oil to keep things gliding along (I did not notice the oil on my skin and it doesn't feel oily to the touch).

Downside: they are sold as an individual unit (not a pair)

Upside: I got the tall, and for my purposes, they could easily be cut in half and used as two. Oh, and they work!

If you buy the short version they come as a pair!

[RiderWriter]

Speaking as one who has permanent scars from leather rubs, I literally feel your pain. I acquired mine many, many years ago and I sure wish someone had invented the gel bands back then! I'm glad they're working for you, OP. Another suggestion is narrower leathers (what I'm using now) and/or the stirrups that have the rotating top where you attach the leather, so it lays flat against the horse instead of wrapping around your leg. Those are pricey but one of these days I plan to get some!

[Nuggets]

I use them to keep my achilles tendon from being rubbed raw by the zippers on my tall boots - someday I'll have nice custom boots that don't result in oozing wounds at the end of a show, but until then, the gel bands work great!