Tiny scratch = swollen leg

[Orangehorse]

Do other horses get a swollen leg with a tiny scratch? This is the second time this has happened.

Went on a pleasure ride, quite gentle and two days later had a swelling up the leg. On investigation found a tiny, tiny scratch. The first time I worried it might be a tendon as on the front leg and quite hot, so called the vet who gave me some antibiotic cream.

This time was a hind leg and on investigation found a tiny scratch on a heel - so tiny I almost put the poultice on the wrong leg! It is going the right way now, thank goodness - but really I've never had a horse like this before, I can't imagine taking him hunting when he would be sure to get cuts and scratches every time.

 

[Marnie]

From your name, is your horse chestnut? I had a chestnut horse which had what we used to call 'orange horse syndrome' - in other works, the tiniest little mark, nick scratch etc would lead to hugh swelling and usually required antibiotics! I can't offer any advice really, just sympathy!

 

[georgiegirl2]

lol quite wierd coincidence this! i assist surgeons during operations and its well known that ginger people tend to bleed like stink compared to others!!

on another note, i think swelling just depends on your horse. my young tb swells tothe size of a tree at the slightest hint of injury whereas my thicker set chestnut doesnt at all!

 

[henryhorn]

Although some horses can be more susceptible to swelling than others don't discount how he got the scratch; one of ours forded an apparently clean river with a tiny cut on a hack, only to get a massive infection which we later found may have come from the river, the place is known to locals as having septic tanks drain into it higher up..
We work hard on getting anything swollen or hot cooler, and use a honey and cod liver oil tulle on anything that looks suspicious. nine times out of ten when the poutice is removed two days later the cut is virtually back to normal and cool again.
Some time spent hosing often stops the cuts developing into anything worse, as does turning the horse out, walking round helps a lot.

 

[Orangehorse]

Yes, he is chestnut - and I am pleased to say that all seems just about OK now.

The first time, with the scratch on the front leg, just underneath the fetlock joint so not easy to find, we had been on a pleasure ride in an area notorious for mud fever, etc.

The vet said that if the hunt goes over one particular field he will get about a dozen calls to horses with swollen legs, so there is obviously something in the soil, and yes we did ford a stream. Needless to say, my sister's appolossa horse was perfectly OK.

 

[tanyatag1]

i had the exact same problem, i found my mares leg all swollen and no one could figure out what it was. luckily we found a little scratch therefore we bandaged her up and it went down!