HELP - Horse lame, think due to windgalls?!

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MagicMelon

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One of my horses sometimes gets windgalls - normally these flair up in pairs though (ie. both fronts or both backs) due to hard ground etc. However, they've never caused any issues. 2 days ago he's now lame on a hind. The only thing I can find is his windgalls have got really swelled up on that leg (on all other legs they are down). There's no heat or anything otherwise, just this fluid filled swelling on the back of his ankle joint. Can anyone advise why windgalls would cause lameness and if it is due to that, what can be done? I dont want to get the vet out immediately as I'm hoping he'll come right (and all they do is poke about, give bute, tell me to give the horse time off and then charge me £100 for it!). I've left him turned out as this is what he's used to, really dont want to box rest unless absolutely essential (he'll go nuts). Meantime, am just not working him obviously and doing a mixture of magnetic boots and cold hosing. I keep a supply of bute so can give him that if if it would help (but do know not to give it if it means he'll feel better, rush about and then harm himself more). Any ideas please?!?! I'm rather worried as this horse has never been lame or sick at all in all the years I've had him!
 
In all honesty it sounds more like a sprain of some type than a windgall. Without seeing it really don't want to comment on whether you need a vet.
 
Windgalls don't normally cause lameness. The increase in the size of the windgall is probably a symptom, not the cause. I think you need a vet or possibly a quick look for an abscess by a farrier first.
 
Thanks, Perhaps is just a sprain littlelegs (hope so anyway). cptrayes - yeah, could be something else like you say. Definately dont believe its an absess though (one of my veteran ponies is prone to these so I'm very clued up on the signs!). He's not hopping lame, just can see it in trot and he's resting it a lot. I might try to get a photo of it, although dont know if it would come out very clear... and it really just looks like a windgall going up the leg on either side.
 
My horse suffered from this when I was away at Milton Keynes doing the 3 day event after what I think in hindsight was him pecking on landing after one of the steeple chase fences. I thought his legs had just got puffy as obviously he was stabled for the four days and he's always had puffy wingalls on his hinds. He wasn't particuarly lame at first but when I got back home and turned him out it had still not gone down, and was still up the next day, I eventually got the vet out who diagnosed and tendon sheath sprain. By this stage he was lame, about 3/10ths from what I can remember. He was given a steroid injection into the tendon sheath and box rest (can't remember how long for as it was years ago) and a gradual build up to work and he's been fine, touch wood ever since. Think this was in about 2006.

I'd get the vet out. The slight lameness my horse was showing at the time flashed up the warning signs which is why I got the vet out. Like the previous poster said, wingalls don't make a horse lame.

Bailey still has wingalls but they are kept down with magnetic boots worn overnight. If he is worked they dissapear and if he is out they go down. They only come up when on box rest without the magnetic boots or if the weather is hot.
 
Is the windgall soft or firm?

Mine went slightly lame back in November, the only change in the leg was the windgall on that leg was the was really firm. Vet said he'd strained the tendon just above the feltlock, gave him two weeks of bute and told me to rest him. If sound after a rest to start with walking exercise for a few weeks then carry on as normal. He didn't think he needed box rest (he's out 24/7) or bandaging but said Ice Tight would help.

He had three months off and now sound and doing walking exercise.
 
Can't say for certain without pics but it sounds a bit like annular ligament sprain. I would google annular ligament to find out where it is which will give you more of an idea.
Cold hosing sounds good and resting, if that means field rest at least it will keep swelling down. I think ligament sprains are better kept gently moving and you are wise to not cover up the pain with bute so he doesn't hooley around.
Give it plenty of time to heal, and then more time, and when you think it's healed give it more time. In other words, you will undo any healing if you bring him back too soon, better to be ultra safe than sorry.
After all that, if you are in any doubt about what it is, I would ask your vet to investigate it because you have already rested, hosed and monitored it and it is still worrying you.
I just found this on google, depending on how upto date your vet is, and your insurance, you might want to follow this advice. http://www.petergray.org.uk/tendon.html
 
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Can't say for definite but if its the annular ligament the 'windgall' can feel/ look like it has a horizontal line across it at the back of the fetlock. If I suspected it might be annular ligament damage, I would get the vet out.
 
Thanks everyone for giving me your thoughts, really interesting to read. Sounds like he has sprained it. He is still out 24/7 (he'd do more damage if I put him on box rest by leaping about!) and I dont intend to work him at all for the time being until he is 100% sound - quite good timing (well never good for them to go lame but you know what I mean!) as I'm 3 months off my due date (baby) so intended to stop riding soon anyway. But will watch him next few days and get vet out if need be. Glad he's insured for vets fees ;) Hopefully its nothing horrifically serious anyway, you've put my mind at rest a bit.
 
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