Did this help?

Question

I went on a 4 day vacation, my horse was ridden like once or twice.

So I hopped on him today and where my barn is located its really buggy, like severe . I was only able to ride about maybe 30 if that. towards the middle of my ride he felt a little off (lame). I kept going but just easier on him thinking maybe he will work out of it. well he didn't so I got off untacked him and checked his pulse. He did have a slight pulse, but not TOO noticeable. I didn't have the time to soak his foot in hot water, and I wasn't sure if he even had an abses( I don't know how to spell ahha). My trainer wasn't there,so I didn't soak.

Instead I cold hosed his lower leg around the fetlock area , for about 10 minutes. Did this help, I just don't want it to get worse, I'm going down to the barn tomorrow to check on him.

DID THIS HELP OR NO?!

Answer 1

Cold hosing him was the right thing to do...it may not have been needed, but it didn't hurt.  Soaking his hoof in hot water would have been the wrong thing to do.  Only if you know there is an abscess to drain would that be done.  So, good job and if he continues to limp he should be seen by the vet.

Answer 2

It didn't hurt anything.  If the horse is still lame tomorrow be sure and get him checked out

Answer 3

Well there is no way to say if it helped or not. It likely didn't hurt him. It would have helped him the most if the leg was hot or swollen. If not, it likely didn't do much of anything. Are you sure the soreness is in the leg? What about the chest or shoulder? It could be that he simply has a muscle spasm in the shoulder- all horses (and people!) are prone to them sometimes. This would be one of the few instances where cold water would not be helpful. It would cause him to tighten and clench the muscles more, making the spasm worse. He should be just fine until tomorrow. Just have your trainer evaluate him tomorrow to get a second opinion. Horses do stupid stuff to themselves all the time. He may have gotten kicked in the pasture or pulled something, or maybe he has a bad case of thrush or scratches, or a stone bruise in the foot, gravel, and abscess, you name it. But, without seeing the horse, odds are the cold water didn't do much for him unless there was heat and/or swelling.

Answer 4

It can't hurt! I mean, I dunno if it helped, but it certainly wasn't bad. I'd do the same if I was in your situation.

Answer 5

Cold hosing works to reduce swelling and damage to the tissues. When you go to see him again, check the entire leg for heat or a swelling and if you find something, then cold hose it for about 20 mins (any shorter and its not worth doing!) keep this up several times a day for the first three days or so, and tell your trainer, barn manager or the vet to see if they have any advice. If you cant find anything, and he continues to be lame after a couple of days of rest, call your vet for advice.

It could just be that he was playing too hard with his buddies in the paddock or stepped on a stone and got a little bruise, but if it persists you'll want to consut a vet. Just to be sure.

hope this helps! :)

Answer 6

i did not hur

Answer 7

Did you check his feet to make sure there wasn't something in them?  You should find out where he hurts (hoof or leg)  Then I would soak it in epsom salts but if this horse continues to be lame, I would definitely call a vet to check him.

Answer 8

Usually a hoof abscess is so painful you almost think they've broken a bone.

If it was only one foot, it's unlikely to be founder.

Cold hosing is a good thing to do in most circumstances, and I probably would have done the same, but I'd have done the whole leg and maybe the other one too.  

It may be a stone bruise, or a twisted ankle, or stiffness from less riding than usual, or...  If it's better tomorrow, don't worry about it.  If it's an abscess, it'll be much worse (natural progression, nothing to do with riding or coldhosing) until it erupts.  

Good luck with him!  It probably felt good to him.

Answer 9

well how was he walking back to his stall? could you see a difference if he was limping worse or better or stayed the same...?

my friends bony just hurt his backleg so i watched them soak it in hot water for a bit, but i think its best to atleast wash the area that hurts them.

Answer 10

Don't worry at all about cold hosing a leg, ever.  Even in the dead of winter, cold hosing a leg will not hurt your horse.  So at the very least, you might not have helped the situation, but don't worry, you did not hurt the situation by cold hosing.  If your horse has long fetlocks, especially if they are white, make shure they are COMPLETELY DRY before you put him away, especially in a stall with shavings.  (The purpose if this is to prevent scratches, a quickly developing  and often debilatating skin condition of the fetlock.)  

I think that perhaps the fact that he felt off after 30 minutes might indicate that although the person rode him during your vacation, your friend might not have ridden him the same or as hard as you would.  So in essentially, he has been out of work for four days.  Maybe you rode him like he was still as fit as you are used to him being?

I'm actually glad you did not soak his foot without figuing out where the problem is.  You did not mention the heat in his leg.  Inn order to check for heat, use the palms of BOTH hands at the same time and run them down both legs at the same time.  Start with the very front of the leg and start at the breast.  Look away if you can concentrate on what you feel in your palm better.  (Your palm is the most senditive part of your hand, not your fingertips when you are comparing a horse's legs)  What you are looking for is a difference from one leg to another as far as heat goes.  Then take your palm all the way from the top of the inside of the legs and down to the fetlock, slowly.  You will not know what you are looking for but you will feel a difference and will know to examine there more closely.

If you had someone on the ground I'm sure you would have mentioned it. If yoiu had someone to help you determine exactly where the problem is.  If you had been riding hm for 30 minutes and tried to ride through it after he went off, riding a few more trot strides is unlikely to do any more damage.  Asking him to canter to either direction is likely to be a very good way to determine exactly where the problem is.  At the trot, his head will go up on the opposite side of the injury in order to keep the weight off of it.  He will be reluctant to take the lead of the leg of the injury.  Most injuries are up in the front legs and most of those are below the knee, most of them being below the fetlock.  So your instinct to look in the hoof was a good one, but an abcess would show up prior to 30 minutes.  When you go tomorrow if you can get someone to observe while you run him out (or the other way around) lookn for the same thing.  Make sure that whoever runs him out should not impede his head or his forward motion.  

I rarely find taking a horse's pulse to be of much value for my evaluations.  

I'm sure by the time you read this you will know more about the problem.  But be assured that you did not harm your horse in any way by cold hosing.

Answer 11

It did not hurt. Any kind of water(Hydro-therapy) will help. He may have a sore muscle....if you have any Absorbine just rub that on his leg. Check him tomarrow and you could lounge him first in order to see if he is "giving" to that leg or foot still. Good Luck!!!