Filling legs when in overnight - to bandage or not?

[Cowpony]

My mare is now 18 and is starting to get filled legs when in overnight. She doesn't get it every time, but it's happening more often than it used to. I'm being advised to bandage her legs, but I've had a quick Google and it seems it's generally not considered to be an issue needing lots of intervention. The swelling goes down very quickly once she's led out of her stable and moving around. So is bandaging necessary? I'm on a yard where it's done routinely for older horses, but I've always been wary of over-heating her tendons. I don't want to ignore it if there's a real medical reason for bandaging! Any views/experiences gratefully received.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I wouldn't bother if they go down with exercise it's only a fluid build up.

 

[Griffin]

I look after an elderly TB who gets filled legs if he is in overnight, as long as they go down with exercise, I wouldn't be too worried. It might be worth mentioning to your vet when they're next out, just for peace of mind.

You could feed marigold and cleavers because they can be really helpful but I wouldn't bandage.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Feedmark No Fill is a good shout for filled legs.

Dandelion leaves, Clivers, Marigold flowers, Ginkgo, Nettle, Hawthorn leaf & flowers.

I now make up my own version of it from the base ingredients, which works out a lot cheaper. I've got all mine on it as part of adding more herbs for a healthy gut biome.

 

[Sir barnaby]

I use PE stable support boots they certainly stopped filled legs and don’t need to be on as tight as bandages so no overheating, although Barney is only in if weather bad in winter I try to keep him out all the time so don’t have the problem of filled legs

 

[meleeka]

I use magnetic stable chaps overnight on my old girls hinds.

 

[Cowpony]

Feedmark No Fill is a good shout for filled legs.

Dandelion leaves, Clivers, Marigold flowers, Ginkgo, Nettle, Hawthorn leaf & flowers.

I now make up my own version of it from the base ingredients, which works out a lot cheaper. I've got all mine on it as part of adding more herbs for a healthy gut biome.

Ooh, now that seems a better solution than bandaging! She's out most of the time anyway, but I wonder if her legs are being affected by what she's eaten the day before she stays in, given that it doesn't happen every time. There's definitely dandelion, nettles and hawthorn in the fields, and I wouldnt recognise Clivers if it sat up and bit me, so it might be there too. I'll give it a go. Thanks.

 

[FourWhiteSocks]

Feedmark No Fill is a good shout for filled legs.

Dandelion leaves, Clivers, Marigold flowers, Ginkgo, Nettle, Hawthorn leaf & flowers.

I now make up my own version of it from the base ingredients, which works out a lot cheaper. I've got all mine on it as part of adding more herbs for a healthy gut biome.

Thank you for posting this. I would love to see a thread sharing knowledge of safe natural remedies for common ailments in horses. I enjoy hand grazing to see what they naturally pick out of a hedgerow and found that milk thistle is sought out by two of the horses, but the third won't touch it. One adores dandelions and the others wrinkle their noses at them.