The variety of therapies available for horses with minor to catastrophic injuries can make anyone’s head spin: electronic, magnetic, pharmaceutical, procedural/surgical, vibrational, cold, hot, etc., etc., etc. … At least some cold therapy is pretty easy and accessible to most equestrians. Or rather, their horses.
Hydrotherapy from patentlybay on Vimeo.
Guess who dinged his left hind at some point on Sunday? Small nick, localized swelling … I can’t really tell if there’s much heat or not because everything in Texas is hot right now. I have cold-hosed and iced Eli’s left hind. Cold hosing is boring, but icing is easy enough — I just threw an ice boot on and took him out for a graze.
Depending on how the leg looks tonight, I will use Eli’s BoT polos behind and take him for a long walk under saddle. I haven’t checked whether he’s sound, but he does this often enough that my guess is that he is. And now that I’ve said that, watch him be three-legged lame this evening … After walking, I’ll trot him a bit both ways to see if I can feel anything off. If no, great. If yes, I’ll have to make some phone calls.
Ugh horses. But I have to say ice boots have been a huge stress relief since my horse foundered a few weeks ago. He needs to be iced like 24/7, and those boots make it so easy! He won’t stand in a bucket or let me put any type of soaking boot over his foot. But the boots he likes.
I hope Eli is just fine and it’s just a ding.
LikeLike
Ice boots are so much easier than actual ice.
LikeLike
Poor Eli he needed more attention and it is HOT in Texas he says thanks mom for cooling one day down for me 🙂 HA drama drama 🙂 Hope he is better when you are there and not UNsound 🙂
LikeLike
It is super hot! If he doesn’t want to work until September I might be okay with that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mark says Memphis has been over 100 most days. it is 72 here today and i have my windows open. WHAT HAVE I DONE LOL 🙂
LikeLike
But just think of how much snow you won’t have.
LikeLike
In teh winter when I’m in Florida the water never really runs cold. I use ice boots on a regular basis and put them on Biasini’s wet hind legs for 10 minutes after a work session especially if we have been doing a lot of very collected work. Hope Eli will be “tight and cold” soon!
LikeLike
Luckily, the groundwater here does come up pretty cold, you just have to let it run for a little bit to get to it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fingers crossed everything is ok!!
LikeLike
Seems to be so far!
LikeLike