windgall?

[lucysnapshot]

Hiya my mare damaged her tendon sheath (hind leg pastern) in may this year and after box rest and drugs she has been living out for about 2months and wil be rested until february. When I first put her out 24/7 the vet said she would be fine but if the leg swells up she would have to come back inside. She has been fine living out, but last week she developed a swelling at the back of her fetlock which looks like a windgall. Its squidgy to touch, not hot and she isnt lame on it. Do you think it could be a windgall or is it something else

 

[angiebaby]

Yes probably is, this has happened to my pony who went lame in May also! Has left him with windgalls. He is out 24/7 at the moment until Feb/March then the vet will re-assess.
The windgalls seem to disapear when the weather is cooler!
Although mine is still very stightly lame

 

[hotellie]

i thought that windgalls didnt cause lameness???

 

[WishfulThinker]

My boy has windgalls on all his legs and they dont cause him lameness. They flair up if he is hot or has feathers so I keep them clipped off so the legs are cool. With the weather now you would hardly know they are there unless you have a good feel

 

[Shilasdair]

I have heard that there are two different types of windgall - tendinous and articular...
I believe the articular ones are general filling of the joint capsule so go all the way round the fetlock joint, making them look puffy.
The tendinous ones, I think, are related to the tendon sheath which has fluid lining it, becoming distended too...so it may be related to the tendon injury...
Windgalls don't have to cause lameness, but as your mare has a history of tendon problems, I'd get her checked out by the vet again.
S

 

[angiebaby]

No, my pony isn't lame because of the windgalls, he has ( the vet thinks) a torn DDFT, windgalls are a result of this, only on the inside of his fetlock joint, and like Beaus' horse they get worse in warm weather and dissapear when its cool.

 

[star]

your classic windgall is due to fluid in the tendon sheath so if horse already has a tendon sheath injury and then you get a windgall it's worth getting the vet to check. if the tendon sheath remains filled, the annular ligament can constrict across it and causes all sorts of issues (what my horse has gone and done) so definitely get vet to have a look if you're worried.