Re: Bandaging horses legsswelling

[Lauren Horn <fourhorn@fea.net>]

I don't have years and years of experience with different horses but I
feel it is benifical to wrap the legs. In Nancy Lovings excellent book,
Go The Distance, she recommends wraping the legs to give support and
prevent swelling/puffiness and I know when I injured my wrist putting a
wrist wrap really helped with the pain and support. My wrist just felt
better when I had the wrap on, so I guess I can translate that to a
horse (kinda).

After our horses first LD, I now have questions about legs and
puffiness. Both horses have puffiness at the hocks that wasn't there
before, bit they don't seem stiff or hurting. Is this normal? I don't
know much about hocks or what "action" would stress them. Downhill? My
mare has some puffiness in her front legs while my geldings legs are
clean - no puffiness at all. I don't think I ever went farther then 15
miles on my mare and the ride was 28 miler, so I do expect her legs to
be a little puffy. Do proven endurance horses get swelling and puffiness
in their legs?

Lauren