weird blemish/leglump - advice much appreciated!

[oxford]

Hi Guys,

Hoping someone can shed light on this as it is very worrying to me. I have a purebred arab mare who last year developed a slight bump which is located just below her knee on the outside of her leg towards the back of the leg just forward of the flexor tendon (so it does not show if you view her side on, if that makes sense, in the way that a bowed tendon would be visible).

I had my vet out to her - she scanned her and said the lump was not part of the tendon (thank God) but seemed to be somehow separate. In fact my vet noticed she could almost grab hold of it and 'move it around a bit'. The mare does not flinch at all when all this is going on, you can push and press it - no problem. As the mare is not lame at all she advised best to leave it alone. Now, one year later I noticed a more or less identical bump is happening on her other foreleg.

A friend had a brainwave and suggested I don't boot her up anymore as the bump could plausibly have been caused by rubbing of the top of the boot when she bends her legs (that's how high it is - the bump sits just above where a boot would go). I have started to bandage her instead but the bump is still there. I must admit I still use tendon boots when hacking so haven't stopped using them altogether.

It does not appear to be in the traditional place for a splint, and my vet seemed sure it wasn't one. I can't help but be worried about this and would be SO grateful if anyone could advise, or tell me if they have had the same on their horse....I really would like to show her and am worried it might affect her chances, but more crucially don't want to risk her in any way if it could be something more sinister.

Help!

 

[alphanumeric]

Not sure this is any help at all but my boy developed a random lump a while back just to the side of his stifle, but on the outside. We went through a whole song and dance with the vet and various tests and eventually decided to leave it alone as it doesn't affect him at all. It seems to be getting smaller very very slowly.

The only thing I can think to suggest with yours would perhaps be magnetic boots, if they went up high enough - see if that makes a difference?

 

[oxford]

Hi,

Thanks so much for your response, and glad to hear the lump on your horse is getting smaller! I think the magnetic boots are a good idea but am not sure whether they would get high enough to do the trick. Vet has been out in the meantime, has looked at scans again - definitely no lesions to be seen and he suggested DMSO (which sounds scarey). Like you, he said not to be too concerned if no lameness is showing up...

Cheers again for responding!

 

[hussar]

My purebred Arab gelding developed a similar-sounding lump a couple of months ago but just above the point of hock. No heat, no lameness even after flexion-testing; the lump is quite moveable and reduces after exercise. Vet says basically if it ain't broke don't fix it - he's not lame, it isn't bothering him - but if he does show signs of lameness then it's time for scans.

Hope your girl remains unaffected.