Hello, thank you for clicking on my forum because I need a lot of help for this. I have recently started riding one of the semi retired jumpers for the breeder I work/ride for. This mare had a leg injury about 2-3 years ago(she was pushed into a fence by a big 19hh Percheron gelding who thought it was fun to be a bully in the pasture because he could afford to be mean) since last year(that was when I know she had last been limping a little bit) her leg had recovered well enough she is no longer limping and just about, not really twice the size the other leg but you can see the difference. That’s from swelling. It’s only about 5 degrees warmer than the other leg so I’ve been running it under cold water as much as I can when I’m there. She lets me touch her leg and do all sorts of stuff with it so I know it’s not hurting her or causing physical problems as far as performance goes. I’ve ridden her on a trail and she stepped in really slippery mud and almost fell but regained balance and the leg didn’t bother her through the whole trail ride after that, she was just careful with that leg in water. I trot her around in the arena and she’s as smooth as she can be for a Friesian cross, given they have very bumpy trots. I lunged her and watched her back legs the most and they were moving identically and smoothly and she seemed to not mind trotting, of course her ears were turned towards me to hear me but her face did not look like she was in pain nor did her movements. I’m going to try to get some rose hip oil or rose hips to get her twice a week if possible to help with the swelling and potentially arthritis in that leg. Should I ask a vet about it and show the vet some pictures or should she be okay if I can get the swelling to go down and hopefully gone for a bit? The breeders wife said she thinks it should be fine because she is fine with being ridden and has even started to enjoy it, to the point where I used to need buckets of grain to catch her but now I can walk in with a halter and lead rope and she doesn’t fight me when putting it on.

How long has it been hot and swollen, without it causing her pain?

You said the injury happened 2-3 years ago. What type of injury was it? Was she seen by the vet? What did the vet advise at the time?

I’d say maybe 2 months. I’m not 100% sure when the limping stopped because we switch the horses between properties. The home farm is for breeding and training and the second one is for weight gain(within reason because some horses lose weight too fast and too much for us to put them back out there without having somebody call the sheriffs department about it for animal cruelty when we’re trying our best to get them back up to par) where the second one also has some hills that help with muscle build up as well. I only know the last time I saw her limping was last year.

I'd still be concerned about working her without knowing what is causing the swelling. I'd cold hose and hand walk which can help bring the swelling down, but if it is returning/coming and going, there's something going on. In my experience, heat indicates there's some sort of an infection. If there was swelling with no heat, I'd be less concerned.

I have a deviant art which might be the closest to sharing pictures. ill work on putting some up of her maybe working because it seems shes enjoying the work a little more every week. Do you mind staying in contact with me so i can send you my deviant once i have them posted which should hopefully be monday evening.

Abstract Dunes said:
You said the injury happened 2-3 years ago. What type of injury was it? Was she seen by the vet? What did the vet advise at the time?

If there is still swelling (or intermittent swelling), there's something going on. I would strongly advise consulting a vet before working this mare anymore, especially with swelling so long after the injury occurred. Cold hosing and hand-walking might help with the swelling but without knowing what is causing the swelling, I would not be riding her.

THIS ^

No, that mare has since given birth to a beautiful chestnut tobiano barock pinto warmblood filly who still has yet to learn to not run on wet grass, poor babe. This mare is 12-13 years old and I donÂ’t think sheÂ’s ever been bred even though sheÂ’s currently in a pasture with a stallion(not being bred I assure you, sheÂ’s too concerned keeping the stallion away from the herd than to get pregnant herself plus he waits for the mares to come to him, heÂ’s actually a really respectful stallion for being 4-5 years old). SheÂ’s also blind in one eye but turns well on that side, I think itÂ’s more because she knows her surroundings. I took her on a trail about 3 weeks ago and all she wanted to do was run, once again proving that even though her leg is swollen itÂ’s not causing her any pain currently, however, the wanting to run could have to do with her being competitive and having Grace, one of the Friesian mares in front of her. But as of currently IÂ’m going to possibly put some shipping boots on her back legs and put some ice packs inside to help with the swelling the next time IÂ’m there which should be Monday, at least just until I can buy rose hip oil which helps with swelling and inflammation and arthritis, which they suspect she might have arthritis in that leg which could possibly be causing the swelling so either way the rose hip oil should help with something.

I would definitely not be riding her without seeing Xrays etc.

No, she has 0 interest in stallions. When she was in heat on a trail and the breeder was riding a stallion(way behind us) when he would whinny she would try to be in front of Grace, and I noticed this each time he whinnied. The first time when she wanted to race, we were in a field next to the woods(I think she has previous XC experience) and Grace was next to us. She really, honestly, has no interest in stallions even when in heat.