Bit of fluid in the legs?

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bensonthewonderhorse

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Hi can anyone help? My gelding has had a slight bit of thickening/ fluid around his felocks for the last two mornings, there is no real heat to speak of and it seems worse in his back legs but some also on the fronts. He is turned out for atleast 7 hours and his routine hasn't changed in the last 6 weeks. He does tend to walk up and down the fence line when he wants to come in but nothing strenous, they are fine when he comes in.

Any thoughts?
 
bensonthewonderhorse said:
Hi can anyone help? My gelding has had a slight bit of thickening/ fluid around his felocks for the last two mornings, there is no real heat to speak of and it seems worse in his back legs but some also on the fronts. He is turned out for atleast 7 hours and his routine hasn't changed in the last 6 weeks. He does tend to walk up and down the fence line when he wants to come in but nothing strenous, they are fine when he comes in.

Any thoughts?
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Windgalls are soft swellings often seen just above the fetlock on the forelegs and hind legs of older or hardworking horses.

Windgalls in horses can be seen in many horses in full work - especially in the hindegs.

The amount of swelling in a windgall can vary according to the weather - often being more filled in hot temperatures.

Although windgalls on a horse's legs can be an unsightly blemish they do not usually cause lameness - and unless they do are not classed as an unsoundness. Horses commonly have small articular windgalls in all four fetlocks. If there is no pain on flexing the joint and no lameness, there is usually nothing to worry about.

Tendinous windgalls are a swelling of the tendon sheath seen between the suspensory ligament and the flexor tendons. Most horses have tendinous windgalls on the hind fetlocks. Treatment is of little value as they tend to refill with synovial fluid if they are drained.

So unless the horse is lame I'd ignore. But in answer to your question about how they have come about - sorry but I haven't a clue!!
 
Sounds like just mild filled legs due to being in for the nights now, often caused by feeding new hay( ie: this years) try soaking it that will often help, it's not usually anything to worry about and usually goes back down when they have been out in the field for a few hours or worked/exercised.
 
Thanks for your replies, I don't think it's windgalls as I have seen these before and they tend to be a bit more definate but the problems seems to have gone away now so thats good, might be the hay, ours is very lush at the moment so I will try soaking it, my boy doesn't need anymore weight!!!
 
You could try bandaging too, my boy's legs fill up when he's in, have done since he was a youngster (now 15), bandaging makes a big difference, and once he's out he walks it off and they go down :) xx
 
My boys legs fill when he stabled over night. They go down when he out during the day. This only happened since he has had issues with swellings when he had git issues this year.

They do stay down if you put bandages on them but I just leave him and make sure he gets out during the day. He still not in at night so its only the odd night he in he gets the swellings. They swell also when he in during the day if he in any longer than 2 hrs :-/ Think its caused from ther lack of movement that they do while standing in :D
 
Not worth ignoring them, just in case. The 'bit of fluid in the legs' my mare had was a sign of strain and changes to the ligaments/tendons, but not because she is old, or has an injury, or needs her legs bandaging... I delved further and she has just, at 6yrs old, been diagnosed with a rare osseous cyst-like bone lesion in the tibia/hock that will possibly not be operable at all or will have very limited chances.

I always think that horses legs swell for a reason and it is best to find the reason.

It just sometimes isn't nice when you've found it...
 
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