Older horse whos legs get puffy overnight

[HuT]

I have an older showjumper who is never lame but overnight he gets very puffy around his fetlock joints.

Looking for advice.

Is it best to bandage his legs?

Is there anything else i can do to help stop this happening?

 

[hattie2525]

The best thing to do it to leave him out as close to 24/7 as possible so the legs don't have a chance to fill. As this isn't always possible bandages or stable boots will help stop the fluid from gathering and keep the legs warm to alleviate stiffness. I prefer stable boots as they are a lot easier and quicker to put on and also reduce the risk of bandages being put on on too tight etc. I know Premier Equine to a lovely set that can double up as travel boots and you can buy magnetic inserts for them which have shown to help leg filling too.

High levels of starch in feeds can also cause filling of the legs so you may want to assess what you are feeding before looking into anything else.