When would you start riding her again? opinions please....

[Vicki1986]

my mare has had a cracked heel.... she has been in for a week and is started to go out again tomorrow. she is on antibiotics for another 5 days (her leg became very swollen)

the cut has now scabbed over and the swelling gone down considerably (see before and now pics)
i have been walking her in hand for short walks ... when would you start riding again?

swelling b4 and after....

before

after - its not totally back to normal but nearly there...

the cut before

not got a decent shot of it now. its all scabbed now though x

 

[Kelly1982]

I would wait til the antibiotics have ran out and then i would just take her for a short hack and build it up from there.

 

[jayvee]

looks abit too soon still for riding. Finish antibiotics and then see. Do you hose her legs down daily? (like before crack appeared?) As this so easily brings on the condition. Best to never or only occasionally hose legs down. I see her legs are clipped too, that can either help or hinder the condition.

 

[Vicki1986]

no i dont hose - perhaps once every 2 weeks max if very messy but otherwise no feel too mean!
i clip her legs off every other clip roughly...so yes not sure this helped the situation.
i wasnt planning to ride her this week except maybe a short wander on the roads on sunday but we'll see (she finishes biotics on saturday)

 

[Theresa_F]

Personally I would leave it a little longer - these wounds can open up again very easily in this area and be a bugger to get rid of - and I speak from experience - Cairo used to get them until we grew back his feather.

 

[ThomasTank]

I would poss take her out for a short road hack over the w/e, maybe 15 minutes as you are walking her in hand anyway. IMO I would not clip her legs in winter coz her feathers are her natural drainage system, nor would I wash them, just brush the dry mud off. Each horse is different but it works for mine.