swelling in legs after cross country

[wattsf]

Would like to know some advice on my 16hh 12yrold tbXwbXish. She was previously a novice eventing mare, and now does 90cm with me, her hind legs tend to fill after going cross country or hard work, this is not just overnight, as winter she was fine. She had this problem last year, and now has it again this season. She is cooled off throughly after xc and ice tight and stable bandages are applied, then hosed when she gets home, but her fetlocks (hind) still tend to get puffy and a bit warm for days after, and never seem to fully go back to normal. What other cooling methods or after care can I do to help prevent her discomfort after hard work? Thank you

 

[be positive]

I have been using the Mark Todd ice gel on the legs of a p2p horse after hard work, I wash or hose then apply no need to bandage, I am impressed with how cool his legs have been, even after racing a couple of applications and there is no heat and they are nice and tight.
I also use the Premier Equine cool boots on him while walking off after the race, I bought them for an event horse and am pleased with how they take the heat out fairly quickly after xc, I think that claying and bandages can retain the heat so he is not bandaged, except for the journey home. The eventer was usually turned out for the night after an event, which helps stop any filling.
http://www.olddairysaddlery.co.uk/mark_todd_icy_leg_gel_spray~p~1373621818.html

 

[Darremi]

Have you tried her without the ice tight and bandages?

There is a school of thought that these linaments with bandages after XC simply trap the heat and may exacerbate the problem.

Worth a shot?

 

[NZJenny]

Is she allowed freedom of movement afterwards or is she standing or stabled? Filled legs was always a problem when I was endurance riding - the horses would do big rides, then go into yards over night and you would be battling filled legs, but if we had space and could turn them out over night, it would not be an issue.

All of this became null and void for me when I switched to BF, but that isn't a solution for everyone. My gelding always filled in his hind legs (my old mare in the fronts), but when I ditched the shoes - the poultices, bandages and ice boots also became redundant.

 

[STRIKER]

i would give the horse a bute the night after the x country, this is what we do for racehorses that run over 2m that night they get a bute, it just makes them more comfortable the next day, bearing in mind the amount of work they have done