If the Suit Fits

What do chimney sweeps think about on the job? Not what you’d think apparently, at least one in New South Wales thinks about creating compression suits for horses. After you stop laughing I’ll tell you the rest of the story. People have been taking advantage of the benefits of compression garments since they first became available in the medical field more than sixty years ago. Now, compression clothing can be found at any sporting goods store. But still, for horses? Reportedly, horses that have experienced injuries or stressful air travel vibration wear the suits to help their muscles recover. The Australian company making the high tech bodysuits for horses tout that the horses love having the suits on. Other than the “horse whisperer”, who can argue with them on that point. Seeing a horse in a hot pink, chartreuse, or electric blue compression suit is definitely a vision that will stay with you. I have witnessed first hand the difficulty of getting in and out of compression gear or wet suits, which can be very similar, and one question keeps haunting me. How many people does it take to get a 1,000 to 1,500 pound race horse into their compression suit?