Can I ride with the tape on?
You can ride, blanket, wash, wrap, and treat your horse as you normally would with the kinesiology tape on. If the tape was applied to the saddle or bridle area, you can place your regular tack on top of the tape. I use extra sticky, waterproof tape - so you can hose or wash your horse as needed while the tape is still on.
Showing and kinesiology tape
USEF and FEI regulations allow kinesiology tape in the stabling area only. Tape must be removed before riding at a horse show and before entering FEI stabling.
How to remove the tape
If you need to remove the tape for a horse show, vet appointment, etc., roll the tape off in the same direction as the hair. Here is a great video showing tape removal from a horse. It should come off easily if rolled instead of pulled. Do not pull the tape against the hair - it will act like a wax strip and is more difficult to remove this way. If the tape is still very sticky and difficult to remove, rubbing coconut or baby oil into the tape can help dissolve the adhesive.
How long will the tape last?
This will really depend on where it was applied - mobile areas like the shoulders and neck usually fall off faster than lower motion areas such as the SI joints or poll.
Where the horse’s coat is in the shedding cycle, and how clean they were when the tape was applied also play a role. If you would like your horse taped in a specific area, washing with dish soap, rinsing well, and allowing to dry completely preps the hair well for long lasting kinesiology tape applications.
If the edges of the tape start to lift, you can extend the life of the tape by using a pair of sharp scissors to trim the loose ends. This will prevent it from catching on other objects and pulling off further.
Tape applications may last just a few hours, or up to several weeks. The tape can typically be left until it falls off, unless otherwise instructed by your practitioner, or if you need to remove it for a horse show or vet appointment.
Rarely, a horse may seem irritated by a kinesiology tape application. If this is the case, please remove the tape and contact your practitioner for further guidance.
