windgalls?! hind leg swelling.

[Morgan123]

Hello, I think my mare might hv a windgall but not sure!what does this sound like?? Abt a week ago she came in with a swelling on the outside of her hind leg, just above the fetlock, tho with about a fingers width between the fetlock and swelling. It was a bit warm but not that warm, and absolutely no lameness. As she seemed fine I left her to it out in the field (she would rather do 15 dressage tests in a row than stay in a stable for more than half an hour!), thinking the snow would cool it anyway. The swelling has now dropped to just above the fetlock and still some heat, no swelling. What I don't get is that she's about 25, has never worked all that hard, and has the easiest life ever atm, she's been out for a walk hack about once in the last month. I thought windgalls were usually related to hard work? Could be wrong tho...

If it is a windgall, I don't know much about them except for what I just googled and very general stuff. Is there anything I can do, or that my vet can do??

Thanks, sorry for the long post!

Xx

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Windgalls are where a bit of the joint fluid has leaked out into the surrounding tissue. That's when you see them as a spongy lump. The windgall itself won't cause lameness but windgalls are an indication that there's something going on in the joint. It would be THAT that would eventually cause lameness. As she's 25, it's almost certainly a bit of arthritis/joint stiffness linked purely to the passage of time and the normal wear and tear on the joints. Just keep an eye on it and regularly check when you're riding for stiffness or teeny bit of lameness. You could start her on a joint supplement but the ones that actually do some good are expensive. My horse Sunny is 23 and is on Cosequin.

 

[Morgan123]

Thanks that's a really helpful answer! Thank u! X

 

[Birker2020]

My horse suffers from them and like BOF says they are harmless little fluid filled lumps round the fetlocks, in particular the hind fetlocks, usually due to overwork or working on a hard concussive surface. If the wingalls are accompanied by lameness or heat call the vet as there is a chance it could be a bigger more serious problem like a sprained tendon sheath for example.

On the whole they cause no problems, they are natures way of trying to protect structures underneath from further damage, and are a good indicator to cut back on hard work for a while, or to go steady on hard ground. My horse actually developed both splints and wingalls from galloping around in a field full of new friends at a livery yard where they turnout was on a steep hill, although he had a degree of wingalls before I bought him, probably due to over work as a youngster. Magnotherapy boots such as Bioflow are very good for wingalls and will reduce swelling if left on overnight in the stable.

 

[cptrayes]

Just for anyone with a young horse with windgalls, sometimes the answer is to get them fit, not to cut back on the work. My six year old came to me unbroken with one on a back leg and the more work he was fit to do, the smaller it got and it is now gone, even the day after he has hunted.

Completely agree with what the others are saying about this 25 year old though. You could try human's glucosamine, 360 tablets for £6.50 from healthydirect.co.uk. Mine eat them like pony cubes. Horse dose is 5 a day.