Big or 'popped' knee - feels like a wobbly kneecap, help please!

[Spot_the_Risk]

My 18 year old cob went down on the road over five years ago, breaking both knees. They healed well, and since that time he has had no trouble, and just a scar on each about the size of a 5p piece. Do to my own knee problems, we are once a week happy hackers, but have upped the work a bit recently due to our being booked to go to Stockland Lovell at the beginning of June. He was hacked for an hour on Monday, and half an hour on Thursday - all our hacking is steep and at least half is off road. He lives out all year round.

Whilst grooming today, I've found a moveable lump on the front of the left knee, I would say slightly below and to the inside of central. It's hard, and I can move it from side to side. He doesn't flinch at all, it is hot though. It doesn't appear to be a kick from another horse. I trotted him up on the road (on my own, so diagnosis not easy) and he seemed sound but moving short. I then lunged him (on grass on our sloping field) and he was definitely lame on the left rein.

I've now trawled books and the net, and come up with carpitis, arthritus, and popped knee, which is a bursitis. I'd welcome anyone else's view before I call the vet tomorrow!

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Sounds like a windgall. Windgalls are joint fluid leaking from the nearby joint that has been/is being damaged in some way. They don't themselves cause lameness but are the visible sign that the joint is under stress. It's the stressed joint that could eventually cause lameness. It sounds as though the damage your lad did to himself 5 years ago has weakened the joint in some way, so that additional demands placed upon the joint have caused the fluid to leak out. It's very similar to bursitis. You might find that if you continue with harder work, the other knee will show signs of stress too. You don't say if you introduced the additional work gradually. It's possible that a slow and careful increase in demand on the knees would help the horse but again, you may find that his knees are only ever able to cope with a small amount of work.

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

Thanks so much for your reply, work hasn't increased in speed, just length of time, but yes, I did wonder if it had something to do with the old injury. Have to see what the vet says, keeping my fingers crossed.