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[RC] wrapping legs - Jonni

One of the many things that NATRC helped to teach me when I started distance
riding some 20 years ago, was awareness of what is going on in the horses
legs after a days ride. Because you are not allowed to wrap after a days
(NATRC) ride, or use anything but cold water, or ice (no ice boots, but you
can hand hold ice, or have horse stand in buckets with ice water) you learn
to really look at the legs, feel the legs, and be aware of heat, filling,
swelling or sore areas. If the horse has any of these things, the vet can
take off points. So in turn, we learned to keep and eye on them, walk the
horse after a days ride, put cold water on them etc. One of the easiest ways
to figure out if you have heat in a leg, is to put cold water on the legs,
wait a few min., then feel the legs. Compare one leg to another. The heat
will be easy to feel against the areas that do not have heat, and are still
cool to the touch from the cold water.

I have a horse who has done some very hard miles before we got him. He is an
older, seasoned horse, but will get lots of fill in his legs after a ride.
This is not going to change with him. He is one I will often do more than
just "cold water". I've used Mineral Ice on him, and have wrapped. But with
the "new" horse, I have not been wrapping, and have been watching the legs
for all the signs mentioned, that would indicate to me they were stressed.
So far, so good.

If you do not know how to check for heat and fill in the legs, don't be
afraid to ask an experienced rider, or a vet to show you. It is nice to know
if you are having any reoccurring problems, or individual issues that might
have flared up.


Jonni



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