Care of legs after hard work/competition - questions for the eventers

[mrdarcy]

I've just been reading this article from the main site:
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/horsecare/1370/118505.html
It was interesting in that the vet expects to see a certain about of stiffness/soreness after a hard x-country round.

It's all a matter of degree but how much filling/stiffness would you normally expect to see the evening or day after some strenuous work? What's normal and what is indicative of an actual injury/something more serious going on? How much stiffness would stop you from competing your horse on the third day?

Secondly what methods do people prefer to use on their horses' legs post competition - clay, bandaging, ice bandages, nothing at all?

 

[nadinek82]

Hiya, after strenuous work i put "like ice" (clay) on. If travelling home i wrap a plastic bag around it before putting on travel boots. When home i wash the like ice off and continue hosing for about 10 mins. I probably go a bit to extremes but i get paranoid about my horses legs

 

[Bossanova]

Get as much water on thm as possible at the event then I use a cooling gel whist walking. I then hose legs again at home and bandage overnight. If time I like to turnout for an hour when we get home.

Ice tight and similar clay things have been proven to be totally useless

 

[MagicMelon]

Well I dont do many 3DE's, in fact the only ones Ive done are the RC Champs 3 times, otherwise I do 1 day Intro's and Novices. But TBH for the level I do, I dont expect any stiffness the next day and none of mine have ever seemed so.

After XC I wash off the legs with lots of cool water. Then use Neo-Ice bandages for 20 mins. Then put on leg ice and wrap in brown paper to go home in. When home I wash it off, which takes about 10 mins. Mine generally live out 24/7 so they go back out as soon as they get home which I think must help with stiffness. If its been a particularily hard day then Ill put Bioflow boots on them tp turnout.

 

[Sunny_Star]

I've never had a problem with stiffness, but I'm sure at the higher levels of eventing it's more common.
I use these polypad things that you put ice packs in, them wrap them round the legs.
I see people putting on that clay stuff, but it looks so messy that I don't really see the point, when you can get much cleaner alternatives.

 

[KatB]

Mine gets washed off with as much water as possible at the event and also check for any bumps/bruises. Horse then gets the Aerborne Cool boots put on for aslong as they stay cold hilst walking around. When he gets home, he gets either cold gel or clay applied to his legs overnight. Where possible he will get turned out when he comes home for an hour or so, and will always get turned out the following day. That is the same for hunting/eventing etc. Always trot up and check legs the next morning just to make sure havent missed any bumps/scratches

 

[archoak]

Agree with Bossanova about ice tight, clay etc and can cause severe allergic reactions as well. We use aerborn cool boots which you soak for about 40 mins in cold water and they stay cold for ages. Jack's instructor uses them on her Advanced horse and swears by them

Jack also always rides out the next day, just a walk up the lane to stretch him and make sure everything is as it should be. Ditto turnout when we get home if it's not too late and always out the next day.

 

[H-J]

I use the horse wash to cold hose his legs and check for lumps/bumps, I then use cooling gel up to and on the knee, I then walk for a while, check legs again then use ice tight with wet numbers/paper then bandage and travel home.

He then gets the ice tight washed off when home and cold hosed and check again. Try and pop them out for an hour or so when its light but always go out the next day

 

[lucretia]

general stiffness is generally caused by the lactic acid not cleared from the system or not clearing quite fast enough while actually competing tht is why it is important to walk the horse after. i find several short sessions better than one long one. if you have an equisage this is also helpful. some people prefer the magnetic rugs for same reasons.
as for the legs it depends on the ground condition and the horses legs in general. the clay products do have their uses i.e. good for taking the sting out of legs on harder ground and also for packing feet suseptable to bruising but i dont use all the time. same with ice, it has its uses but these people who ice the legs for hours after start to defeat the object in the end because the cirulation gets adversely affected. when i need to ice, i do it for two hours immediately after, 20 minutes on 20 off. if the horse has a specificic injury this might change slightly.
often on sunday morning at a thre day the horse might need to be ridden to realy get rid of any stiffness before the vet inspection but not always. sometimes its helpful to ice again in the morning but if its really lame you should know when to call it a day and atart planning your next attempt!!

 

[archoak]

We also use lavendar wash in the water to wash off before the boots, it smells nice and its great for soothing any cuts/scratches

 

[H-J]

Oh yes forgot that, we have an antibacterial wash in the water as well

 

[Skhosu]

my boy came out 100% sound the day after xc at our first three day, shame his back had come up in a reaction so even if we hadn't retired (at second to last fence) he wouldn't have been rideable.
He has yet to be stiff etc. after a ODE, occasionally gets a tiny bit of swelling in his back legs the day after if stood in, anything else is abnormal for him.
Sisters mare only does intro/pre-novice, hasn't been stiff/swollen yet.
I walk them off, put ice cool blue gel on them and that's it. Clay made his legs swell and I can't banadage well enough.
I event in summer off 24/7 turnout and this is best for him.

 

[AandK]

never done a 3DE but i only but clay/bandages on Andy's legs after XC if the ground is on the hard side (won't run if very hard).
he is washed with lots of water XC and then walked off straight after washing and then about 20 mins later.. i put whitch hazel and arnica gel on his legs and try to turn out for at least an hour when we get home (unless its very late!). Never had a problem with stiffness the next day.. After running on reasonably hard ground once he appeared a bit 'jarred' all over the next day (lesson learned), had a physio session and a couple of extra days off and he was fine.. i only do PN at the mo.

 

[ajf]

Agree with AandK, the arnica and witch hazel gel is great. Only apply after what I feel has been hard ground or he seems to have had to work hard. I do intermediate with him and don't always put anything on him.
The day after any comp the horses (all of them) are walked down to the river we have and stood in it for 10mins in the deep bit (up to their bellies and they can eat grass of the banks) this seems great for there legs and we've never had any probs with stiffness soreness after a comp.
Have heard prof say never do anything to their legs after one days as if there is a prob u want to see it as soon as possible. But for 3 days do as much as possible to them so you can compete on the last day!!!!

 

[archoak]

Love the idea of walking to the river, wish we could do that

 

[ajf]

Its great, but hate doin it when its cold as they all play and u get soaked!!!!

 

[Pep12]

neve had any probs but we're not at a high level. legs get washed with the same wtaer as the rest of him gets washed. Has a cooling no rinse shampoo and then ice gel on his legs. Turn out as soon as home, this helps more than anything!!

 

[sw123]

When you compete at Thirlestane theres a perfectly sited river you can wonder along!!

 

[daisycrazy]

Ice Blue gel - easy to apply and not messy, cooling gel which I think also has arnica and witchhazel. I also use that Carr & Day & Martin event grease with arnica and witchhazel in it. I take the travel boots/rugs off in the lorry once I'm home and let them straight out into the field (only ever have one horse competing at a time) where they stay out as long as they like and come in for their tea when they come to the garden gate and ask to be let in...

 

[kerilli]

i never used clay or ice tight any more, it can hide things that need attention pronto. i know someone who lost a good horse because an infection set in from a tiny nick they hadn't found, and covered with ice-tight.

boots off immediately, ice/cooling boots or cold water, then i leave the legs bare for a while, lots of walking in hand and grazing, then cooling gel under looseish stable bandages for the ride home, ideally turn out or lead around for 15 mins when get home, check legs very carefully that night and the next morning, walk out only the next day, turnout if very sensible. i wouldn't expect any stiffness tbh unless it's an older horse and/or the ground was very hard... in which case i'm unlikely to have run anyway!
at 3-days: loads of ice/cold water to cool down as much as pos, then more or less as above without the gel. again, i want to see what's happening in the legs. walk out in hand at night and the next morning, relaxing hack out for 40 mins before trot-up, mostly at walk with a little trot and gentle cruising canter to loosen up if necessary.

 

[ChestnutMonty]

I wash his legs with cold water straight after the xc, then travel home and then use staysound clay, but I never put it on at events as I dont want to mask any problems

 

[shadowboy]

I only compete at an a riding club/amature level but when my horses have had a heavy day competing I will firstly cold hose for 5-10 min then apply a form of clay that does not require bandaging over the top- and wash off following morning. In summer they will be turned out on return, in winter stabled. I dont expect any swelling in the summer as being turned out seems to keep fluids moving. Sometimes in winter they can be a little stiff/puffy.

 

[TableDancer]

Interesting debate! I use the Aerborn cool boots like many other people but I freeze them (which they say never do), copying Matt Ryan who does the same thing: they stay cold for ages - you have to put them in water to make them soft enough to use as they go rock hard when frozen - but really good for proper cold treatment. Other than that we have always used real ice at 3 days, put in tubigrip bandages and replaced regularly, 20 mins on 20 mins off... Can't beat ice.