Okay, so today I want to talk about something I’ve been dealing with lately – bucked shins in horses. It’s a real pain, both for the horse and the owner, trust me.
How it all started
I noticed my mare, Bella, was a little off. She wasn’t her usual perky self during our training sessions. She started to show a bit of resistance when I asked her to trot, and sometimes, she’d even throw in a little hop. I could feel something wasn’t right.
Digging Deeper
I started feeling down her legs, checking for any heat or swelling. Sure enough, right there on the front of her cannon bones, it felt a bit warm and puffy. I’ve dealt with some minor injuries before, but that are a bit warm or puffy and i don’t like it.
Figuring things
- Rest is Key: First things first, I stopped all training. No more trotting, no more cantering, just complete rest.
- Cold Therapy:I started hosing Bella’s legs with cold water for like 20 minutes, a few times a day.
- Supportive Bandages:I also wrapped her legs with standing bandages, just to give her some extra support and keep the swelling down.
The Results
So, after keeping up with this routine for a few weeks, I started to see some good improvement. The heat and swelling in Bella’s legs went down, and she seemed a lot more comfortable. I slowly started to add in hand walking for a couple days, just to get her moving a bit.
It’s been a long road, but Bella is finally back to her old self. And so what you need to know. I’m super relieved, and I’ve definitely learned a thing or two about bucked shins. Remember the repetitive stress on the bone. And, that is what i did.
