Taking care of my little coloured hunter :)

[icklemadame]

My girl is incredibly wizzy at the best of times, and obviously even more so out hunting, and the only real way to tell when she's tiring is she starts to jump in slow motion - she'll whizz up to it and whizz away from it, but in mid air she slows down and she lands really slowly & carefully... I worry so much when she starts doing this that its because her legs are starting to get sore and achy, despite the fact she has never been lame, and is obviously is still whizzy 'on the ground' - and when I let her out in the field she flies around as well. Anyway... as I'm worrying about her legs, I was wondering what everyone else does, especially after hunting, to take care of their horses legs? I know there are arguments for and against bandaging etc. after hunting due to mud fever (although I've never known her to suffer from this however horrendously muddy/wet she gets) - what do you all suggest?

 

[hannah87]

i bandage usually after something like hunting
i also use magnetic wraps which prevent / reduce swelling really quick and they r brill.

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

I always wash and dry legs after hunting then rub them dry and bandage them up. Then turn out for the day the next day.

With regards to her getting tired - I think every horse that does a full day's hunting gets knackered. You must think about it in that a full day is from 11 - 4 sometimes later and that's a long time to be galloping around and jumping. That's why the richer ones have 2nd horses. Not me I'm afraid though!!

I'm interested to know what others do with their coloured horses after hunting because my new one is coloured and has pink skin. Some say you shouldn't ever wash a horse with pink skin. Is this right?

 

[Drummer]

My boy is very pink, all over. But with his legs after fast and heavy work, they are normaly washed with warm water and lavender wash and dried off, I then clay his legs and put him to bed in his nice straw bed then the next day he is turned out and legs checked again. Depends how feathery he is though at the time but thats for when he is all clipped with nakey legs.

 

[icklemadame]

I always wash Clover and she goes a funny pink and black - I've never heard that I'm not supposed to and its never done her any harm...I'd be interested to hear if anyone else thinks/knows differently

I accept that she's going to get tired, I just worry about her way of showing it and that her legs may be hurting, just want to try and make her as comfy as possible

Any opinions on bandages as opposed to thermatex wraps for example? And what makes/kinds of magnetic bandages do you recommend?

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

I use Bioflow magnetic wraps underneath stable bandages on front legs. They work wonders!! Although a little tricky to figure out first time round.

 

[hannah87]

second the bioflows, brilliant.

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

Another one for the Bioflows, not that we hunt, but they've definitely helped with stiffness and puffy legs when my boy used to be stabled.