Passing vetting with bad windgalls

[thatsmygirl]

My mate has viewed a mare she really likes but has only just come back into work after taking advantage off her old owners. The owner wants £3500 for this mare but the first thing that struck me about her was the size off the windgalls on the back legs. Huge. And at the side off each back pastern you have large lumps, feels like side bone or ring bone to me. Apart from that she's a lovely mare but begging my mate to vet her. I don't feel she's worth the money and not sure she would pass a vetting with her back legs. Surely the huge windgalls would make the flexion test hard for her. They aren't soft windgalls they are rock solid

 

[china]

they might no be windgalls then if they are hard. windgalls are usually soft fluid lumps that can be managed and dont usually cause lameness.

 

[wellsat]

I was all prepared to read this post and think "Windgalls aren't a big deal" but what you've described doesn't sound right, especially for that price.

My feeling would be that there are other nice horses out there that don't have problems, this horse sounds like heartache waiting to happen.

 

[fireflymac]

Definitely have her vetted. That's too much money to be taking chances with.
That said, I've had horses with windgalls (have one now) that never caused a problem. Windgalls alone wouldn't put me off. Sounds like there may be more to it, though with this horse, so agree that your friend should have it vetted.

 

[mtj]

I don't remember where, but I'm sure I've read about "tendenous" windgalls on hind leg.

It said that they should be seen as an early warning sign of tendon damage and not regarded the same as typical windgalls.

Sorry to be so vague. I think I know an older gelding with these, and if so it is distinct from usual windgalls.

 

[Kenzo]

Depends on the type of windgalls and what is actually causing them.

Having said that, from what you have described, they don't sound like windgalls.

Even if they were windgall, I personally wouldn't be paying that much for a horse with windgalls, also it depends on what your friend is wanting to do with the horse, windgalls don't have to be a problem providing you don't make them into one.

But again, for the value of the horse, any sort of ossification going on down there would be a no no for me, a vet will pass a horse fit for the clients purpose, so it depends on what your friend is wanting to do with the horse.

 

[lochpearl]

Windgalls are very common in horses that have basically done some work in their lifetime and proper windgalls should not be a problem and they should as others have said be squishy as they are essentially fluid pockets. What you are describing does not sound like windgalls so I would definitely urge for a 5 stage vetting.

I would definitely not let normal wingalls put me off a horse, I recently bought an 8 year old with slight wind galls, he passed a 5 stage vetting for intermediate eventing, the vet said that for the age and the job that the horse had been doing - hunting, eventing and RC that it was perfectly natural to have them, and I spent a heck of a lot more than what the mare is being offered at. But then saying that he had no signs of any ring/side bone. Why spend £3500 on a horse and not a few hundred on a vetting? or is she just in love with this particular horse?

 

[Charlie007]

I went to see a pony years ago that had huge windgalls on both hinds. Mum said to the dealer that we would have him if he passed the vet. We mentioned the vetting to someone and they said don;t bother as this dealer had a load of vets certificates that he just signed himself!! So we rang him, cancelled 'the vetting' and asked if he could drop off pony. Checkmate went on to win every championship I ever entered, sj and xc, was the safest and kindest pony ever. He was pts at 26ish due to artritis, not at all windgall related. Whilst it is not ideal I would not rule the horse out but for that money I would definately have it vetted. Chekky cost £400, not £3500, but was worth the world to me x