heat in legs: how to know?

[Georgie1234]

How much heat does there have to be before it means something?
And does it matter where the heat is located on the leg i.e are some areas of the leg naturally warmer than others?

I have ALWAYS felt that I cannot tell if my horse has heat in a leg unless it is really hot. But hear again and again to check to heat and swelleing, etc before and after work.

Today however, my horse's legs were cold when I brought her in, but after a few minutes her lower near leg tendon area (back of cannon), was warm while the other leg was cool. Area about 3" above fetlock and about 5" up leg.

Picked up leg and squeezed and pinched tendon, could not be sure there was a reaction more than in the other legs - may have been.

I rode her lightly - perhaps I ought not to have? Does anyone have any guidelines for detecting injury to legs?? When not lame of course. :=)

 

[monkeymad]

If the legs were all cold when you brought your horse in I wouldn't worry, so long as there wasn,t any swelling etc to the leg. God knows what horses do out the field when we're not looking, maybe yours had had a hoon around just before you got him in. I can remember doing a late check on my horse and one of her hocks was really warm, I didn't sleep all night thinking it was a sign of some awful injury brewing. Next morning it was cold!! I am a natural worrier (I ice my horses legs twice a day for up to 5 days after an event!) and I try not to over analyse every little bit of heat. If it were me and it was still hot tomorrow I would ice it for a few days and see if it clears up any heat, but hopefully tomorrow it will be normal and you can just put it down to one of those things that horses do just to make you worry!