Is it just me? Paranoid about legs...

T

Tinkle

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Hello all

Is it just me that gets a bit paranoid about the slightest sign of trouble with horses' legs? And am I dealing with my horse's latest scrape correctly?

My five year old decided to leg it round the field like a nut case on friday night because I'd moved my other mare into a different field (I went back for him but he refused to be caught). Anyhow, when I eventually caught him and brought him in his left fore was slightly filled. He has very fine clean legs so such things are probably easier to see. There was a swelling in the hollow between his cannon bone and his tendon on the inside and outside of his leg at the bottom of the cannon bone. I hosed it down and it reduced. He wasn't even slightly lame so popped him back out to see how he went. Saturday there was still some heat in the fetlock compared to his other and still a bit of fluid on the outside of his leg. Yesterday his leg didn't feel any warmer than the other but the swelling was still there. Haven't seen him yet today.

It isn't a huge swelling, just slightly thicker than the other leg and a bit squidgy. I'm not hugely concerned but would rather not work him whilst it's still there. Am i being paranoid? Or indeed should I be more worried? He isn't at all lame to watch although I haven't trotted him up on the yard to really test.

Any views...sorry that ended up longer than I'd planned.

Many thanks,
x
 
I know what you mean, have something go wrong and you cant help looking for something else.

It sounds like he may have tweaked a tendon. My horse had heat and a bit of swelling in the fetlock area, but he was on 3 legs at the same time. Turned out he had split the DDFT and surrounding tissues.

Sounds like your horse as over done things, but has not sustained an injury as such.

The real test would be to see how he trots up. If he is lame, call the vet dont take any chances.
 
i'm totally paranoid, and it pays off. treat it as if it is worst-case-scenario, that way he won't do any more damage, and if it does turn out to just be a bit of a bruise where he kicked it with the other leg, great!
 
Ok good it's not just me. When my older mare had her problems (last summer she went unlevel every couple of months - eventually diagnosed as arthritis) I became completely paranoid about her. I just tend to go for the 'better safe than sorry' option.

Last night the swelling seemed slightly reduced but I thought I could feel some slight heat in that fetlock compared to the other. I've just worried myself silly by looking up ligament injuries on Google - Liphook Vet Hospital says damage to either branch of the suspensory ligament shows with a swelling in the hollow where his is puffy and rarely causes lameness. It says prognosis is poor.

His old owner is coming tonight to do my other mare's teeth so will ask him what he reckons. He plays polocrosse so imagine they've seen a fair few of such injuries.

Thanks all for your help.

x
 
My 5yo has had exactly this happen several times this year - normally after hairing about on his rutted former paddock. He's had his suspensories scanned (as like you, I panicked) but his tendons and ligaments were in perfect condition according to vet. Now if his legs come up again, I cold hose or ice bandage, give him a bute and stable bandage overnight. Swelling normally all gone by the next morning. He doesn't normally go unsound on it, sometimes a bit pottery.

If I were you I'd get the vet - may at least be able to put your mind at rest.
 
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