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Discussion on Can Taking of Shoes Cause Stocking Up?
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Member:
aannk
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Posted on Monday, Jul 21, 2008 - 2:32 pm:
My trainer and I have a constant battle going on about the hind shoes on my gelding Harper. I finally got them off two months ago, and he has been totally sound on them.
However, the last two weeks, he was at Culpeper with my trainer (Paul), and Paul told me Harper's lower back legs swelled up horribly, but he wasn't lame on them. He attributed it to the fact that the footing at Culpeper is deeper than at our place, and that since Harper doesn't have hind shoes, his feet slipped around, causing the inflammation.
Is this at all possible? I told him it had to be because he was in a stall for two weeks straight, but he told me Harper got out more than he does at home (lunging three times a day, walking around the grounds, schooled twice a day, he only gets turned out for 4 hours at our barn). Apparently, he was totally sound even with the swelling.
So, any ideas on this one? As of now, we are going to wait and see what happens at the next show, this Sunday, to see if it happens again.
Alicia
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Member:
mrose
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Posted on Monday, Jul 21, 2008 - 3:24 pm:
I would think his feet would slip around less barefoot than with shoes, unless he had cogs or some other special shoes.
Where was the swelling? All over his lower legs from the hock down? Or just around the fetlocks? Was the swelling hard or soft and puffy feeling? How long was his ride to Culpeper? Were his legs wrapped for the ride? Did he go from trailer to stall and not get exercised until the next day? Standing can certainly make legs swell, expecially if the horse is used to turn out/exercise. I find older horses that are used to hard work seem to have their legs swell when they just stand in the stall and don't get out to move around. But, there are other things that can cause swelling,too. However, I'd suspect "slipping around" would cause a muscle or tendon strain with possible swelling and not even puffiness of the legs.
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Member:
aannk
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Posted on Monday, Jul 21, 2008 - 4:13 pm:
I wasn't there, so this is from what Paul said. He said it was his ankles only and the whole time he was at Culpeper, two weeks. It was soft. It was not just after the ride.
He isn't old, he just turned 5.
Alicia
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Member:
canter
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Posted on Monday, Jul 21, 2008 - 4:23 pm:
Hi Alicia,
My mare wears shoes and most of the horses at our barn do not. I ride dressage, the other's run barrels - at a lot faster pace than I ever go with my mare, that's for sure! I have not noticed that the barrel horses slip in the same footing that I ride in and have not heard any complaints that they slip, so the shoes vs no shoes explanation of the swelling doesn't make sense to me.
Stocking up from being stalled a lot makes more sense and also...just to throw it out there... recently my mare experienced an inflamatory reaction around her fetlocks from fly bites - it resembled stocking up...no lameness at all. It's possible, depending upon your bug situation, that your horse is experiencing something similar. Here, we've had the worst fly/mosquito season I can recall in 12 years.
...Just a thought, for what its worth.
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Member:
aannk
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Posted on Monday, Jul 21, 2008 - 4:36 pm:
Fran,
That might be the answer (bugs), but until it happens again, I won't really know. I just hope the next time he goes in different footing, he doesn't swell up again. That will prove it to Paul.
Harper just moved into a new barn, with a lot more turnout, so if it was because of being stalled, he should get better soon 
Alicia
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Member:
rtrotter
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Posted on Monday, Jul 21, 2008 - 4:44 pm:
Alicia,
There can be several reasons why your horse's legs filled up.
It could be an allergic reaction to something that was put on his legs, or to the bedding in his stall.
It could be a reaction to a change in his work schedule and no turnout.
It could be his legs need to adjust to the new schedule and your trainer did not gradually build him up to the work he wanted him to do.
He could have an irritation in his heels from the dirt he is being ridden in.
It could even be that your horse was put into an unfamiliar footing environment that he was not used to ( barefoot horses need time to adjust to a new environment and the change may have been too much for him to deal with).
His legs stocking up may have meant that his ankles were not prepared for what work he was asked to do.
IMO I do not think the shoes or lack thereof have any thing to do with the stocking up issue and I think this is a case of overwork in an unfamiliar environment( if everything else is ruled out).
I am always wary of inflammation anywhere on a horse and I would have a vet look to make sure it is not something more serious.
Good Luck
Rachelle
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, Jul 22, 2008 - 7:27 am:
His feet slipped around? I too think it unlikely the trainer's explanation holds any water. Possible causes are laid out above and in the article associated with this discussion area.
DrO
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Member:
maggienm
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Posted on Tuesday, Jul 22, 2008 - 4:06 pm:
It seems far more likely he stocked up from deeper than normal footing, this is something we hear about, rather than from taking shoes off.
If the footing is deep why is he slipping around?
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Member:
aannk
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Posted on Wednesday, Jul 23, 2008 - 11:36 am:
I assume the footing was deep and loose. Also, remember, he wasn't lame at all. I assume that if there was some soft tissue damage, he should have been lame?
Alicia
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Member:
aannk
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Posted on Saturday, Aug 16, 2008 - 10:00 pm:
OK, I have more info on this. Since I last posted, Harper stepped on a nail as has been on stall rest for about a month. In that time, he had NO swelling in any of his legs. So, I don't think the swelling was from stocking up.
He was checked out with no lameness and the vet said he probably stocked up after that was suggested to me by the list.
So, no injury, not stocking up, what now?
Alicia
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Wednesday, Aug 27, 2008 - 7:26 am:
Alicia.
I have looked at this post everyday for the past 10 days and still don't quite get it but in short, "No injury and no stocking up" sounds like "no problem".
DrO
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Member:
maggienm
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Posted on Wednesday, Aug 27, 2008 - 10:01 am:
My personal experience.
When my mare was younger I misjudged how much to work her in an arena with loose, deep footing.
She stocked up several times. Since then if I work her more than her condition warrants she stocks up.
As I understand it, stocking up stretched the tissues and somewhat predisposes the horse to further s.u.
In my case it certainly has.
I usually put polo wraps on her when I ride, this does seem to help.
She does not stock up if not ridden, I sometimes keep her in a stall overnight then she is turned out again, she doesn't s.u. overnight.
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Member:
aannk
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Posted on Wednesday, Aug 27, 2008 - 10:48 am:
Lori,
He has been in a stall for over a month and his legs are clean. So, I don't think the particular incident in question caused any permanent damage. However, I think the cause may have been the deep footing, but I also don't think shoes or not would have made a difference.
I am not sure what to do about the footing issue, as I have no control over footing at shows. How can I get his legs used to deep footing if I don't have access to it?
Alicia
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Member:
maggienm
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Posted on Wednesday, Aug 27, 2008 - 10:24 pm:
In my case as my mares overall condition improved the stocking up decreased.
So, even tho you may not be able to actually ride in deep footing you can improve his condition.
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