Worried...

[Germolene]

I was an idiot yesterday and as a spur of the moment kinda thing I decided to free school my mare over a jump...so she didn't have any boots on! Anyway she hit the front of her cannon bone on her hind leg on the pole, she wasn't lame or anything but then later on I noticed it was swollen! I could've cried and I am really worried now, she's not lame on it but it's just like bowed out her cannon bone....I have cold hosed it and put some cooling gel on it but it's still swollen. There was quite a bit of heat yesterday but today it wasn't as bad. I am paranoid to hell that something's happened to her extensor tendon which runs down the front of the cannon bone. Has anybody experienced anything like this and what do you think I should do? Keep her in and keep hosing it etc or because she's not lame will she be ok to go out in her little paddock? I wish I could turn back time, what was I thinking!?! I always have boots on her. :-(

 

[Honey08]

It just sounds like a bruise. Keep doing what you're doing and turn her out. I'm sure she'll be fine.

 

[Germolene]

I really hope so. I'm kicking myself, I'm always so careful. At least she's not lame on it but saying that I haven't trotted her up or anything, just watched her walking around. It was quite a solid hard pole that she knocked it on too. Urrrgghhhh :-(

 

[Spring Feather]

I free-jump my horses without boots, even my youngsters. Never had a problem with it but if they hit the jumps then it wouldn't surprise me if they bruised themselves and in that event I'd just cold hose for a couple of days and expect any swelling/soreness to go down.

 

[Elvis]

No amount of guilt/regret can change the past and no amount of anxiety can change the future, so try to stop worrying, as hard as it is. It sounds like she's just bruised, as other have said, keep cold hosing it and turn her out.

 

[Germolene]

Ok thank you guys, hope it's gone down some by the morning. I don't want to rush to get the vet and it cost me £150 again, like when I got them out last time and turned out that she had slept on her leg funny!! She was literally hopping though and I panicked ! Lol.

 

[Fides]

Youngsters will knock poles and many used open fronted boots to teach them to be careful . It will go down in a few days and she'll be sounds as a pound - and probably have a bit more respect for the poles...

 

[Circe]

Youngsters will knock poles and many used open fronted boots to teach them to be careful . It will go down in a few days and she'll be sounds as a pound - and probably have a bit more respect for the poles...

This really, I might be mean, but if my boy knocks coloured poles ( I don't boot up for showjumps ), then I just hope it makes him get his legs out the way next time. ( Obviously I'm not over facing him, but when he was younger he would try ploughing through instead of going over ).
Cold hose and turn her out as normal, I'm sure she'll be fine
Kx

 

[Germolene]

I was half expecting to get a little bit of a abuse but I wasn't worried about that, just wanted advice and for someone to tell me that it's happened to their horse and they were fine In the end. So I feel much better now knowing that some don't put boots on....although I deffo will next time. Lol. And yes the next time she went over the jump, because I continued not knowing her leg was going to swell and she wasn't lame she actually jumped properly and picked her back feet up lol. My friend laughed and said, see she'll pick em up now!

I'm still going to be an overprotective mummy though ha ha. Our main aim in showing so I don't want any lumps and bumps on those leggies!! Ha ha

Thanks all

 

[smellsofhorse]

I'd keep hosing and adding cooling gel, bandage too, but turn her out if she's calm in a small paddock.

She's not lame, so try not to worry, she will tell you if it hurts and more is going on.
So continue to monitor carefully.

 

[olivia x]

There is some interesting research that points out some of the possible harms in using boots

http://www.horse-canada.com/archives/the-problem-with-boots/