Hi Roxy, realise that it's some time since you posted and the situation may have changed by now.

It does sound as though your horse has had cellulitis and /or lymphangitis - this one often develops as a result of cellulitis esp. in horses, and the swelling is lymphedema, which results when the damage caused by the infection/inflammation to the lymphatic vessels is sufficient to prevent the system working efficiently in the affected region. The system is responsible for removing fluid and protein molecules from the tissues, when this doesn't happen swelling develops, initially soft, but gradually becoming firmer as the protein molecules change and become fibrotic. the most pressing issue becomes the risk of recurrent infection, lymphedema damages the skin, making the entry of bacteria etc easier, and also affects tissue immunity.

In English speaking countries equine lymphedema is poorly recognised and therefore doesn't receive adequate treatment, i.e. 'combined decongestive therapy'. This is the treatment of choice for people with lymphedema and has been adapted for horses. I would suggest you look at the website Equine mld - Home which carries information about treatment, and a lymphangitis case history.

Meanwhile, you need to protect this horse - as far as it's possible with any! - from getting cuts, insect bites etc on these legs, to avoid inflammation or infection and make sure he gets antibiotics the moment you suspect this. Keep the skin soft and healthy by using a bland non greasy moisturiser as required, and if possible don't stable him as motion is important to the equine lymphatic system. Cold hosing may slow down the transport of fluid from the blood stream to the tissues, but it also slows down the lymphatic system and we now know that this is totally responsible for removing fluid. However, if you are in a hot climate, cold hosing may help heat swelling. There's probably no point in bandaging unless there's another reason for this, research has shown that stable bandages/wraps can stop the flow of lymph in the leg, they are quite different to the compression bandaging used for CDT.