Hock injury; advice please

[chels]

Hi there, I'm new, and am from New Zealand.
I have a large crossbred gelding, who last week kicked out behind through a fence (we think, as it happened overnight and the cuts and scrapes look like they came from wire). Now that most of the swelling has gone down, He is still swollen over the back of one hock. The vet came again today and believes that he must have hit his hock on the strainer post in the fence, and said that he has a capped hock. He is not lame, but short behind. He is locked up for two weeks and is out of full work for 4 - 6 weeks.
I have no experience of injuries like this, but was told they are common i stabled horses (which is why I joined this forum, because we don't stable so much over here). I understand that he may have permanent swelling, although my vet thought this was unlikely. It is not massively swollen.
What are people's experiences of these injuries? Anything I can do to help him? I am putting on anti-inflammatory cream and he is on anti-inflammatory meds from the vet. He is boxed/yarded for the next fortnight.
I event him, and my vet says he will make a full recovery, does anyone event a horse with a capped hock?
Sorry for my novel, thanks in advance.
Chels

 

[RolyPolyPony]

My horse is an ex eventer and suffered a hock injury. He made a full recovery and was back out eventing very successfully until he was 21. His hock is still very very slightly swollen but causes him no problems. His striding is just a little uneven now.

 

[CBFan]

There are lots of horses with capped hocks... for most of them it is a purely cosmetic blemish and only affects them if they are shown...

 

[chels]

Thank you for your replies. He is not shown, so I don't mind what it looks like as long as he is sound.
Now that most of the swelling has subsided, further examination has found he has damaged the large ligament that runs over the back of the hock. We have had to pull his shoes off, as there was no way he could stand with it flexed for the farrier to get new ones on. He seems happier now he is out of the box and in a little paddock where he can move a little more, so we are hopeful that reaction was more from stiffness than acute pain. He is now able to be walked out.