What causes a horse to stock up?
A: Most commonly, this type of swelling, called “stocking up,” occurs when fluid pools in the tissues of your horse’s lower legs (called edema) during periods of inactivity. When your horse is exercised, the fluid is mobilized into his circulation and his legs return to normal.
How do I make my horse’s swelling go down?
During the first 48 hours cold therapy and pressure bandaging are recommended to control the inflammation, together with strict stable rest. Apply an ice pack under an adhesive bandage for 20 minutes three or four times a day for the first 48 hours.
How do I stop my horse’s legs from filling?
When a horse has developed filled legs due to inactivity, walking him out and placing stable bandages on the legs can help reduce the swelling. Magnetic boots can help some horses, as they are believed to help improve circulation.
Why do horses legs swell up?
Since the legs are in the lower part of the body of the horse, as a result of gravity, fluid can build up due to the leaking of fluid from blood vessels and tissues. This is known as edema, and can occur from issues such as a cut or scratch, or more serious issues such as cellulitis or lymphangitis.
How do you treat stocked up horses?
Treating stocking up is easy—you simply need to get your horse moving. Ride him, walk him by hand or turn him out with a pasture mate. With activity, swelling will usually diminish within the hour.
What is a standing wrap for a horse?
The primary purpose behind a standing wrap is to give the tendons and ligaments in the horse’s leg more support while preventing excess fluid buildup (also known as stocking up). This is critical for the horse after strenuous work, during trailering, or when they are on stall rest.
Should a lame horse be stabled?
keep them stabled – sometimes the reason your horse is lame is unclear. If this is the case, then keeping them stabled until they can be looked at by your vet will keep them from causing more damage to themselves.
Can grass make horses legs to swell?
Most owners will, at some time, find that their horse develops filling in one or more of their limbs, unrelated to exercise or other trauma. Usually, the hind limbs are affected and the swelling can be very mild to quite severe.
Can a horse stock up in one leg?
Most horses stock up in their hind legs, but all four legs can be affected. If your horse has only one swollen leg, some other issue is most likely at play (possibly a tendon or ligament injury, or an infection).
What should I do if my horse is stocking up?
The plain and simple cure for stocking up is more, regular exercise. This does not mean harder or longer rides when you do ride but more opportunities for the horse to get exercise during the day, every day. Many horses do not do well in stalls full time.
Why is it important for horses to stock up?
The key to this entire system is moving. And, as many of us know, movement is limited when a horse is stabled for part of the day. Stocking up is most common in older horses, horses that are in stalls for long stretches of the day, and horse on stall rest. But, some other things can contribute to fat horse legs.
Is there any way to prevent stocking up?
Many horsemen like to use standing wraps to prevent stocking up, but bandaging can actually exacerbate the problem. It prevents air and sun from reaching the skin and concentrates sweat, opening the pores to dirt and bacteria and increasing the risk of infection. And bandaging also can create pressure rubs, which compromise circulation.
How can I get my horse to stop swelling?
Once turned out for exercise, the swelling usually disappears. The plain and simple cure for stocking up is more, regular exercise. This does not mean harder or longer rides when you do ride but more opportunities for the horse to get exercise during the day, every day. Many horses do not do well in stalls full time.
