The Race Is Over, Now What?
The race is over, our horse finished 4th (hey, its in the $$$), and our athlete is walked quickly back to the shedrow to immediately hit the washrack for cooling down, since we'd like as many gut bacteria as possible to live through this experience.
Post-bath we take one turn around the shedrow and then right back to the wash rack for the first 5 min of hosing the cannons. We've done a cursory injury check and all is tight with normal post race cannon bone heat, and luckily we seem to be without coughing. We'll repeat the walk/hose sequence 3 or 4 times, then loligag between walking/hosing/grazing for another 10-15 min till the horse has settled down, and danger of tying up passed. (this is a matter of judgment). The minute tying up danger passes horse goes straight into the ice tub for 20 min up above the knees. We keep him still with a bit of grass hay. Note that we avoid the highly questionable practice of putting a possibly injured horse on the walker.
Cannon bone heat post ice tub is a big test. If per chance the unusual occurs and you get zero heat after exit from the ice then you've got extraordinarily fit cannon bones. Chances are you'll feel heat radiating out from the cannons immediately post icing. Probably then a good idea to ice again 12 hours later. If heat is gone in 12 hours this is very good. But, take note, by 12 hours post race the "radiating type heat" should have passed. If radiating heat is present 12 hours post race we should become concerned and plan for a longer than usual rest period.
Lets assume we have normal instead of radiating heat 12 hours post race. By 24 hours post race we still have slight but much reduced heat. I consider this normal. If I still have heat 36 hours post race again become concerned and will plan for a longer than normal rest period. (I plan to learn how to use my new super duper hand held Tom Ivers infra-red thermography device for additional diagnostics).
Our horse's cannons are cold at 36 hours. We've probably dodged the bullet and are ready to plan the next training event. How do we calculate this?
Post-bath we take one turn around the shedrow and then right back to the wash rack for the first 5 min of hosing the cannons. We've done a cursory injury check and all is tight with normal post race cannon bone heat, and luckily we seem to be without coughing. We'll repeat the walk/hose sequence 3 or 4 times, then loligag between walking/hosing/grazing for another 10-15 min till the horse has settled down, and danger of tying up passed. (this is a matter of judgment). The minute tying up danger passes horse goes straight into the ice tub for 20 min up above the knees. We keep him still with a bit of grass hay. Note that we avoid the highly questionable practice of putting a possibly injured horse on the walker.
Cannon bone heat post ice tub is a big test. If per chance the unusual occurs and you get zero heat after exit from the ice then you've got extraordinarily fit cannon bones. Chances are you'll feel heat radiating out from the cannons immediately post icing. Probably then a good idea to ice again 12 hours later. If heat is gone in 12 hours this is very good. But, take note, by 12 hours post race the "radiating type heat" should have passed. If radiating heat is present 12 hours post race we should become concerned and plan for a longer than usual rest period.
Lets assume we have normal instead of radiating heat 12 hours post race. By 24 hours post race we still have slight but much reduced heat. I consider this normal. If I still have heat 36 hours post race again become concerned and will plan for a longer than normal rest period. (I plan to learn how to use my new super duper hand held Tom Ivers infra-red thermography device for additional diagnostics).
Our horse's cannons are cold at 36 hours. We've probably dodged the bullet and are ready to plan the next training event. How do we calculate this?
posted by rather rapid at
9:37 PM
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4 Comments:
I have an unraced 2 yo filly showed some ankle swelling after a workout where she briefly bolted. The swelling remained but much reduced but the trainer did not want to chance it so rested her up. Swelling continued to go down but did not disappear so we decided to send her to the farm to rest. She is not lame and shows no discomfort on it.
At the farm they blistered her and the ankle was tight and she runs around but when she returns to the stalls and is in there her ankle swells again but then goes away. It is random as far as they say. SHe does not favor it and is on her toes and energetic so they don't know what the hell is going on. This has been about 2 mos. now.
Any ideas? All legal and medical disclaimers are so noted.
hi winston!
interesting that the swelling goes away. that is good! what you fear is swelling that permanently hardens.
give me a little more info. is the swelling in the fetlock itself, which I'd find highly unsual or in the tendeon/suspensory area just above the fetlock. are you still getting any heat in the area of concern, does any heat stay, or does it come and go?
X-rays taken 2 mos ago were negative. They did some thermal imaging of her at the time and there was considerable heat in the area.
It appears to be behind the fetlock, top side of the joint. Maybe the fetlock capsule, maybe the tendon. She is in MD and I am in Il so hard for me to know. I have asked more questions and will get answers soon regarding heat accompanying the swelling. I would imagine that there would be at least some heat.
Winston, the culprit from the recent swelling might be as simple as a stalled,inactive horse being let out and going nuts, which might cause temporary wind puffs or swelling, old injury or no. Presume you ruled out sesamoid involvement and condylar fracture. That leaves tendon/suspensory which could be ultrasounded. But, really, if she's tight now personally I'd go into light exercise and see how it progresses. as a side note, i'd think the original injury was quite serious for them to just quit, so also could be that things are still lingering. suspensory particulary would concern me. Let us know how she does!
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