Swelling in legs after workout.

[mckulley1]

I have a 12 year old TB mare. She only ran 6 times as a youngster before retiring to stud. She was left to grow up in a field and then three years ago or so she was sold from the field to a knowledgable Dressage rider who put an enormous amount of time and training into her. I purchased her in August.

She has no lameness or feet issues. I purchased her for Fox Hunting and Trail riding. But in the last month I've noticed that she stocks up after going out on Trails...I haven't made it into the Hunt field for various reasons, none of them hers.

It doesn't matter if she's left out all night or in her stall, though obviously it's worse in a stall. I wrapped her legs last night and she had less swelling this morning but it was still there. Guaranteed the swelling will be gone by this evening. And she is never lame, she cantered out to pasture this morning with out blinking an eye. She wears SMB boots on all four legs for protection, and bell boots. She's not very sure footed as far as rocks are concerned, though she's very careful on slick ground.

I guess I contribute it to many years of just working on the flat and not really learning to work around different terrain.

She's warmed up and cooled down appropriately.

Any suggestions???? Sort of at a loss here. Thinking maybe a clay poultice during rides? Bute? Not sure....

 

[PorkChop]

Is there heat in the legs as well as the swelling - and how much swelling? Do her legs loose definition or is it more puffiness?

I must admit it would worry me, as usually legs get tighter when worked. I'm not a lover of SMB tbh, have you tried using no boots or just brushing boots?

 

[mckulley1]

No heat, just swelling. It can range anywhere from just a puffiness to a full stocking up. I started using the SMB boot because of the swelling, thinking that it would improve it.

I first noticed it after a hard ride, cooled her down, hosed, and applied liniment. Thought I was being nice...next morning she was stocked up huge. So the next ride I just hosed, no liniment..thinking it was some sort of reaction the liniment. But the stocking up still came. Tried DMSO to get the swelling down, not much improvement there. Tried leaving her out the night after a ride, which won't be possible for much longer, still stocked up but not as bad. Now last night I stalled her in the SMB boots, still some swelling, not as bad as it has been, but still there.