>Do any of you use liniments (Bigeoil, Absorbine) after a ride?
I don't on a regular basis - IMO, they offer some superficial relief - I
sometimes think they make *us* feel better more than anything else :->. But
I don't think it does any harm to use them regularly (how's that for
fence-sitting?) either. I do occassionally use whatever I have on hand and
do some massaging if I'm concerned with muscle soreness or filling (kind of
the way I use the ice boots). I firmly believe tho that regular (full-time
if you can) turn-out is the best medicine for basic soreness, filling,
etc...
Liniments, poultices, wraps etc...will prevent filling from happening (so
we, the owners, don't have to look at it) but they don't do anything to the
root cause or reason of why the horse is filling. In other words, if your
horse is filling, I think it *does* indicate a slight weakness or some
stress to that area so I would alter the horse's conditioning accordingly
until it decreased it but some stocking up is not generally a reason for
great alarm.
Stocking up with *no related lameness in the limb(s)* the day after a ride
(if the horse is confined) or after trailering is usually pretty harmless -
esp. if that is normal for your horse. Also, as the horse gets stronger and
more accustomed to the workload, stocking up tends to diminish if not go
away altogether.
<Caveat> I am not advocating ignoring *any* new swellings or fillings on
your horse -we each should know what is normal for our horse.
>How about poultice?
Same deal - they do probably make the horse feel a little better after a
hard ride but IMO there is no real value to doing it regularly. Just be
sure you read directions for poultices and *follow* them!!! Longer is
**not** better. Some are made of very caustic materials and will literally
burn the legs if not applied/washed off as intended. Some are meant to be
wrapped with Saran-wrap or whatever - some aren't. Others are very mild and
could probably be left on forever - just be sure you know what you are
buying and how it is intended to be used and then use it that way.
IMO, if your horse _must _be wrapped, poulticed, massaged, etc...on a
regular basis (like for normal weekly rides) to prevent swelling and
soreness then the conditioning program is probably too much for the horse
at that point.
>If you respond, please also let me know what distance you ride.
50's so far - slowly being talked into trying a 100 this fall :->>
I'm very interested to hear from the vets on-line as to the real value of
topical liniminents and poultices...
Tina and the crew
hickst@nichols.com
Huntsville, AL