“There is no topic material.”Stocking up” is an expression used by horse owners to describe the accumulation of fluid (blood and lymph) within the tissues of a limb. It is very common to affect both the left and right limbs, with the hindlimbs affected more than the forelimbs. The most common features of stocking up are symmetry, little to no increase in skin temperature, no evidence of pain (by touch or while walking) and the ability to leave a finger impression when pressing in on the swelling (“pitting edema”).

It is important to differentiate “stocking up” from a minor circulatory inefficiency due to age or lack of exercise from a more problematic injury or infection to the limbs requiring medical attention. With these conditions, there is usually asymmetry (only one limb affected or one side of one limb), heat in the area, and it is painful to pressure or even touch.

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