Swollen hind legs

[forelegs]

Hi all,

My TB's hind legs have swollen up a lot and feel hot. He is usually out for 5-6 hours a day in this weather and had a day without any turn out which is what I originally thought had caused his legs to fill. However he has been walked in hand, cold hosed and turned out today and his legs have not gone down at all, which seems storage to me.
Any suggestions as to what this might be and what to do would be much appreciated! My current plan is to walk him out under saddle tomorrow morning (he is completely sound) and cold hose to see if this reduces the swelling. If this has no impact I'll be on the phone to the vet!

 

[Honey08]

Could it be mud rash? There doesn't always have to be mud. Are his legs that have swollen up white? The white legs react first with my two. That is the first sign my two horse get when mud rash is on the way.. If it is, cold hosing will make it worse.

 

[moosea]

Was he worked the day he was not turned out?

 

[forelegs]

Thank you for your replies. His legs are dark bay but the recent wet weather has cut the ground up a bit so could be a reaction to the muddier conditions? He was not worked that day so just stood in all day (feel horribly guilty!)

 

[ldlp111]

My mares back leg was swollen on monday from fetlock up, we had done a ht on sunday so assume she'd knocked herself. She wasn't lame but area was very tender and hot to touch
So have been cold hosing til last night, which has brought the swelling down but had a good inspection last night as she was being slightly more oblidging in keeping leg still and i'm pretty sure there is some scabs right at base of hair not very big or obvious ones, skin also looks very red . So have hibiscrubed and then applied some mudguard, I was hoping to do ht on sunday but not sure whether to.
I'm not sure if skin was starting to get some mud fever before sunday and then her xc boots made skin really sore. Although i'm guessing it's mud fever at mo, although she had some below fetlock which had almost cleared. Feel

 

[AmyMay]

It would be the vet for me.

 

[Overgrown Pony]

Has he had a change in feed?

 

[twiggy2]

It would be the vet for me.

me too, hot and swollen could be many things but could be serious

 

[Dizzydancer]

Well my tb has been in overnight for about 18hours prob as had farrier early afternoon so ended up in longer than normal. His legs swell anyway when not used to being in, but today one back leg was hot- all swelling gone but still hot just on one but on front of cannon bone rather than tendons etc. Completely sound - we actually think he has kicked himself as had shoes on for first time the afternoon before it happened and is extremely good at self harming.
I too would prob get vet out tho as being swollen is a bit concerning especially that it hasn't gone down. It may well just be mud rash tho i personally would prob turn out and not hose and see whether that helps being in will only make more swollen

 

[legaldancer]

Has he had more protein than normal? This can make their hind legs swell sometimes. My elderly TB had this last year when he was on good grass. It's usually their hind limbs that swell because they are further away from the heart.

Vet advised me to give Epsom salts in his feed and this brought the swelling down after a day or two, but I also put him in a well grazed paddock for a few days. He was never lame.

 

[forelegs]

Thanks all for your thoughts. Will see how they are first thing tomorrow morning and look carefully for scabs or any change in the skin (wasn't something I had thought of before). He has had no change in feed and been on the same hard feed and haulage for around a month, with no problems. Thanks for confirming my gut reaction that a call to the vet would be the best idea, can't be too careful.