Long term consequences of filled legs?

[ohmissbrittany]

I've got a draftX mare who has done this for years, legs tend to fill when kept in long winter nights. It always goes down when turned out or ridden, so I never really worried about it. But does this cause any kind of real long term damage?

I know sometimes we treat/faff with stuff that's just unsightly (ie stained tail or dirty socks doesn't really bother the horse or anyone but a showing judge) but not necessarily bad for them and I try to avoid that.

 

[Birker2020]

I don't think it matters. So long as they go down when they move about, its only like how our legs might swell with long periods of inactivity.

Its when they don't go down with movement, or one leg is filled and the opposite isn't that I'd worry.