I'd appreciate some advice on something that happenned tonight. We've had some really attrocious weather here recently, including a storm with 100k winds and torrential rain in the last 24hrs. All of which has made the paddocks very muddy as you can imagine - heavy clay mud.
We usually hose off the worst of the mud on the way into the barn. Tonight I noticed that my TB's front legs around the pasterns and up to the fetlocks were very warm and seemed a little swollen - they felt a little puffy. There were no cuts or injuries and he was not lame or bothered at all although he was tender to touch. We went for a short ride during which he was fine, no tenderness no unwillingness to stride out etc
When we returned to the barn I checked him again and his legs seemed to have returned almost to normal, no heat, little swelling and everything appeared ok although he was still tender to touch.
Can anyone give me any clues about what might be going on? Could he have slightly sprained tendons from slogging through the mud? why would exercise help? Strangely, I got the impression that it was like the puffy ankles we get when we're stuck on a plane, which is why I exercised him - but that doesn't really make sense..... ideas please
Is this mud fever? There are no scabs etc and I have applied comfrey oil around the fetlocks (its a good anti inflammatory) and used zinc and castor oil ointment on his pasterns as a barrier cream
We usually hose off the worst of the mud on the way into the barn. Tonight I noticed that my TB's front legs around the pasterns and up to the fetlocks were very warm and seemed a little swollen - they felt a little puffy. There were no cuts or injuries and he was not lame or bothered at all although he was tender to touch. We went for a short ride during which he was fine, no tenderness no unwillingness to stride out etc
When we returned to the barn I checked him again and his legs seemed to have returned almost to normal, no heat, little swelling and everything appeared ok although he was still tender to touch.
Can anyone give me any clues about what might be going on? Could he have slightly sprained tendons from slogging through the mud? why would exercise help? Strangely, I got the impression that it was like the puffy ankles we get when we're stuck on a plane, which is why I exercised him - but that doesn't really make sense..... ideas please
Is this mud fever? There are no scabs etc and I have applied comfrey oil around the fetlocks (its a good anti inflammatory) and used zinc and castor oil ointment on his pasterns as a barrier cream
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