Puffy hind fetlock, windgall?

My oldie was like this one spring, turned out to be ruptured tendon. Booked the scan in then thought why am I doing this? What difference will it make? There was no way in hell she could do box rest or even leave the yard she was born on and had lived on for 27 years.

Spoke with vet and we decided to bute just enough to be comfortable but aware of it so she didn't belt around and leave her in the field. Came sound by the end of the summer and happily coped with the winter mud.

Hope this is all resolvable.
 
For a happier story... My 22yo has had one 'thick' fetlock since she was 6. It will go up a bit/occasionally a lot if she stands in. Sometimes it is very hard to spot. Not been lame on it once in that time, and has had an active career.
 
I've got one with a annular ligament injury - pre dates me. Tends to flare up in winter which I suspect is mud. Vets wanted to do surgery but she's got wonky legs so ligament probably thickened to deal with those.

If she's sore it's field rest. I may Bute if she's in overnight but out in the field I've learnt she needs to feel it or she's bouncy. Happy hacker in straight lines and not a fan of hills.

I have to confess to being a bad horse mum - neither my happy hacker nor my retiree get the vets for puffy or warm legs any longer unless they are properly lame.
 
Mine had something like that and it turned out to be a blackthorn puncture and quite serious. Took a lot of antibiotics to clear it up, and box rest, but it did come good. I am guessing there is not a lot of blackthorn in Colorado, so hopefully not that.
 
My late gelding had a couple of windgalls. One was compensatory in a front leg following on from him fracturing the opposite elbow a few months prior, vet said it wasn’t anything to worry about (no lameness). The other he was lame on, scan revealed injury to a sesamoidian ligament, that was when I retired him. Vet was v pragmatic and I didn’t want him box rested (he was 22 at the time) so he stayed out 24/7 as usual and over about 6-10 months he became 100% sound, it would flare up occasionally during that time. Fetlock remained puffy but he was sound until he was PTS last Aug aged 26 due to a tumour on his head.
 
Thanks everyone. Waiting for vet to call me back. I need to know for my own sanity, if it was windgall like in location/looks like I previously thought I wouldn't scan but now I've clipped it and now the swelling seems to have localized, I'm obviously more concerned as it's very much not windgall territory. I wish I'd clipped it sooner/kept a better eye on it but I went away and buried my head in the sand.

If it's a slight tear or something I would box rest for a little bit perhaps if it would help the initial healing, but only because his set up is a stable with attached run so he'd still be free to move around quite a bit and still be "outside", rather than confined to four walls. But no more than a few weeks.
 
Scan it or you’ll drive yourself potty!! Hopefully it’s just a knock/twist and he’s just thinking it’s been too long since you’ve had a vet bill. And don’t beat yourself up, I’m not even convinced I’d of noticed it under the fluff especially if he’s sound and not much heat
 
Ahrena said:
Scan it or you’ll drive yourself potty!! Hopefully it’s just a knock/twist and he’s just thinking it’s been too long since you’ve had a vet bill. And don’t beat yourself up, I’m not even convinced I’d of noticed it under the fluff especially if he’s sound and not much heat
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It’s a lot better than it was for sure. If he still had the fluff on I probably wouldn’t still be able to feel it post hose.

I spent $2,000 dollars on him in an hour a couple of weeks ago. HOW is that not enough? 🤣

And don’t even get me started on what a little s*** he’s being to cold hose. He hates the wash bay, spends the entire time waving his leg around or rummaging through the bin near the hose (which I allow, because it distracts him enough to stand still). Then he does a big poo, right in the corner where I’ve wedged his arse to cold hose, so I’m forced to cold hose basically on the poo and it’s a spray type tap so I inevitably get poo spray all over my face because there’s no where to tie so I’m crouched down holding the rope in one hand and hose in another. But I dare not move to pick it up because by that point he’s finally standing still and I just have X number of minutes left.

Good thing I love his stupid fluffy face.


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Could you ice pack it I just use the ice packs I bought for my back, they are exactly the right size to cover the tendon area at the back of the leg and I just use the belt it came with as it wraps around the leg then does up with velcro, I just put a fleece bandage over it but it would stay but without I would think.
 
Pinkvboots said:
Could you ice pack it I just use the ice packs I bought for my back, they are exactly the right size to cover the tendon area at the back of the leg and I just use the belt it came with as it wraps around the leg then does up with velcro, I just put a fleece bandage over it but it would stay but without I would think.
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Oh no. Tried that. He kicks and kicks until the wrap comes off and swells the leg more.

It’s the reason he never really wore hind XC boots.

He’s a dream isn’t he 🤣
 
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