A Look At Stocking Up: What It Is, And What You Can Do

The weathers been bad lately, so you decide to leave your horse in his stall a bit more than normal to protect him from the elements

. You arrive at the barn one morning to find that both of your horses back legs are puffy and appear swollen. Theres no heat or tenderness, and when you check on him out in the pasture later in the day, the problem has disappeared. But you discover the same issue again the next morning. Whats going on?

Chances are your horse is stocking up. The fairly common, and typically harmless, condition is usually a result of a horse spending increased time in its stall. Some horses are more prone to stocking up than others and can display symptoms, typically most prominently in the hind legs, after a single night inside. Sudden changes in turnout schedules, such as the reduced turnout time which often accompanies the onset of harsh winter weather, may bring about periods of stocking up.

Stocking up occurs when excess fluid pools in your horses lower legs. To determine if stocking up is affecting your horse, turn him out or exercise him; the leg swelling caused by stocking up will dissipate with exercise as your horses circulation increases and the fluid is pushed up and out of the legs.

Its important to realize that not all leg swelling signifies stocking up. If only one leg is swollen, or if your horse is lame, then you need to examine your horse for another cause. Swelling in one leg is an indication that theres a scratch or injury present, and youll need to get to the bottom of the issue to provide proper treatment. According to Kentucky Equine Researchs article on stocking up, a horse that has significant swelling in all four legs may have some type of systemic illness. This could be a sign of heart trouble, liver or kidney disease, or a bacterial or viral infection. Call the vet to get a proper diagnosis and treatment plan for your horse.

So what can you do about stocking up? The easiest and best solution is to find a way to increase your horses time out of his stall. Movement is the solution to preventing stocking up, so provide your horse with a way to be mobile. Increase his turnout time, add in extra riding time, take your horse for a hand walk all of these methods would help to combat stocking up.

Be sure that your horse isnt stocking up as a result of intense workouts. A sudden change from being worked to being put back into a stall immediately afterward can cause stocking up. If this is the case, add in a longer and more gradual cool-down time, and if possible, turn your horse out into a small pasture or pen after riding, rather than putting him directly back into his stall.

Applying standing wraps when you know your horse is going to have to be stalled for longer than usual, such as just before a show, may also reduce how much he stocks up, but be sure that you apply bandages correctly to avoid injuring your horses tendons. Standing wraps arent an ideal long-term solution, as the fact that your horse is stocking up indicates that his body needs more time to move around; focus on providing him with more time outside of his stall to ensure his health and wellbeing.

by: Paige Cerulli

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