Applying cold therapy to a hock

Brr -- cold therapy?
Watch how-to video clips that will make cold therapy less of a pain

Horses are notorious for sustaining injuries that need cold therapy in hard to treat areas.

Swelling is an important clinical sign and you should consult your vet about the site of the swelling to discuss the best management for your horse, as he may require a veterinary examination and further specific treatment.

Here, veterinarian Jo Dudney of the Liphook Equine Hospital, shares her tried and tested cold therapy techniques -- and they were so clever, we thought you'd like to see them in action!

Applying cold therapy to a hock

Equipment:
Nappy soaked with water, placed in a plastic bag and put in the freezer until cold
Bandage
Horse standing tied


Step-by-step:

1. Tie or cross-tie your horse in a secure area.

2. Make sure you have everything you need within reach and that the hock is clean.

3. Apply the nappy to the hock with the absorbent surface next to the skin -- the shape of the nappy will naturally conform to the shape of the joint.

4. Wrap bandage in a figure-of-eight pattern over the hock, placing the joint in the centre of the pattern.

5. Do not leave bandage or nappy on the limb for longer than 20 minutes.

What is cold therapy?
Cold therapy is a treatment to help reduce soft tissue inflammation, which is the body's natural reaction to injury.

How does it work?
Cold therapy cools the affected area which causes the local blood vessels to constrict, therefore reducing the blood flow to the area -- which helps reduce the swelling, reduces the body's 'over-reaction' to an injury, and therefore also relieves the pain.

When cold therapy can help:
Tendon, muscle and ligament injuries.
First aid to reduce pain, heat and swelling - often while you wait for your vet to arrive.
Swollen joints.
Reducing swelling around wounds and, therefore, aiding their healing.
Reducing generalized swelling in lymphangitis and cellulitis.
Pain relief in mild cases of concussion and jarring.


As with any type of treatment, always seek professional advice before starting so that an accurate diagnosis can be made. Never apply ice directly onto the skin as it can cause ice burns, and don't apply cold therapy for longer than 20 minutes.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• horse
• horses
• veterinarian
• first
• aid
• pony
• ponies
• ponys
• riding
• equine
• care
• horse&rider
• horseandrideruk

[delkolver2]

yeah,I tried it for my older horse,hes on msm now(which does wonders for him!!).you can make rice bags (do fun horse fabric of horses if you wanted to :).put them in the microwave for a few seconds wrap them on they stay pretty warm,I would put them in something to keep them from cooling off.that the cheapest way to do it

[pakatochip]

Can you do the same thing for warm therapy? I have a horse that is arthritic and needs to have warm joints when before we start to warm up when we ride.