Swelling

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aspen1991

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Hi guys my new horse (I've had him 3 weeks) has windgalls on his back legs which I know are common he also has equal fluid on the back of each pastern... Now they have no heat, no heavy pulse, he is not sensitive with them and is not lame or short... They are squishy and you can poke them in. I am getting his shoes done this week. I can't work out what they are.. Can windgalls extend to here? Maybe it's his confirmation? They cause no issues so maybe just not worry and keep an eye on them? He is worked about 5/6 times a week schooling and hacking and jumped once a week he is 8 yo kwpn.

Thank you :)
 
Windgalls come in two flavours, articular and non.

Non articular are synovial distentions of the tendon sheath that runs around the back of the fetlock. Excess synovial fluid is produced as a response to injury or over use and manifests itself by swelling at either end of the sheath. Although more usually at the top, so just above the sesamoid bones swelling can also occur at the lower end of the sheath which would be at the back by the long pastern bone.
 
Thank you Ronalda, so windgalls call extend into the back of the pasterns? They do not cause him any issues and you can prod and poke them and he doesn't flinch. It does not really go down after work.. he goes out every day for around 6 hours.
 
Its a soft swelling that you can push around with your thumb and will then return to its position once you remove pressure?

For articular windgalls, keep turning him out, reduce or stop working him, cold hose twice a day. Should disappear after five days but may return; there is no cure as such.

If it is a fault with the tendon sheath but Deep and Superficial Tendons are OK (no bow lesion or adhesions) and the Annular Ligament (which surrounds the sheath) is not damaged and itself swollen, then it should still fix itself.

The surplus synovial fluid will only come from either he fetlock joint or the tendon sheath.
 
Yes it goes back to its normal position. The only thing is it is equal on all 4 pasterns (on the back). He has windgalls on both back legs just above the fetlock but no swelling in the fetlock itself. No heat or anything! hmmmm
 
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