Windgalls?

[MagicMelon]

My horse has developed slightly swollen bits on either side of the top of her fetlocks but only in the front legs. They are small and only I have noticed them but today they've swollen a little more after I did some XC yesterday (yes, on quite hard ground unfortunately). To touch they are spongy, fluidy feeling.

Are these windgalls? Although Ive had horses for the past 12 years Ive never had a horse with this so am not quite sure if this is what they are! I can only think the swellings are caused by the hard ground which we've unusually had for about 3 weeks now (little rain to soften it).

If they are windgalls - what can I do about them? The horse doesnt seem lame or bothered by it. Ive begun putting leg ICE gel on them but is there anything else I can do? I cant stop riding on the hard ground as I have no choice (no school to ride in or anything....) and I have a big competition coming up!!

Any info great. Thanks!

 

[spaniel]

Are you absolutely sure they are at the sides rather than towards the rear of the joint.

If they are at the sides on the front legs I would be mildly concerned that there was some actual wear and tear damage to the joints as articular ones are caused by trauma to the joint pouch and tendinous ones to the joint/ tendon sheath.

Sounds like its a lack of fitness or the hard ground which has brought these up and if it were on the hinds I wouldnt be too concerned. However as its the fronts and they are to the side of the joint I would be inclined to have my vet take a look before any further exercise especially as you are aiming to compete.

 

[MagicMelon]

Well they are slightly nearer the back than right in the middle on the side if you know what I mean! Bascially near the bottom of the tendons. He is pretty fit (fit enough for low level eventing and BSJA etc. which he's been doing all year) although I have increased his work load a tad for this event. I do think the hard ground has something to do with it but unfortunately I really have nowhere soft to ride on.

Yeah I think Ill give the vet a call today and just explain it to him first and see what he says. Then if he wants to come out (we have a great horse vet who is always concerned!) then he could check.

I think they're only on the front as my horse has a higher than usual action in front than most, hence the concussion would be more in front.

 

[spaniel]

Lets hope its nothing to worry about and that a nice bit of rain will soften the ground a little!

 

[michaelak]

if they do turn out to be windgalls try putting arnica cream on the joints and garlic supplement in feed

 

[samsonmoley]

windgalls can be found in front or behind the fetlock or just above it in horses which have been worked hard, they are most common behind the fetlock. they are caused by general wear and tear in older horses or in young horses which have been worked to hard for there age or done to much work on hard ground. thew bursal sack has streached and enlarged and cannot be repaired. pressure bandages with padding put over the windgalls can make you think they have done some good because when you take the bandage off it can seem as if there is now no filling. in practice though as soon as you use the horse they will come up again. occasionally the very large tightly bulging windgall will cause unsoundness but the small ones found on very many animals of middle age are of no consequence, they are counted as a fault in the show ring and can detract from the value of a horse but rarely cause problems.

to help your horse cut down the hard work on the hard ground and work him maybe for less time. or spray the ground say in the field with water or set up sprinklers for a few hours over night, you have to spray sandschools to in summer because it puts extra pressure on the horses legs to walk on dry sand just as it does humans where as wet sand is more firmer so it would only be the same thing as people with schools have to do. as i said you cant repair them because the damage is already done but you can stop it from getting anyworse and you can sooth them as you are doing by hoseing after work and putting cream on could help as well. try adding celery to the feed as this will help inflammation as well.

hope that helps
Zoe

 

[amage]

a handfull of epsom salts in his feed and cold hosing or walking/standing in a river will help. you could also bandage over ice gel at night and do bout 20 mins walk before you start working and see if that removes some of the fluid. bandages rather than boots for exercising can help too on the hard ground.

 

[MagicMelon]

Thanks, will try all those things. Why do these things happen right at the worse times??? This horse has never had ANYTHING wrong with it ever until now!

 

[_Thomas1]

If its just simple windgalls then they are not detrimental at all to your horses way of going. They are just an accumulation of fluid in the tendon sheath which provides lubrication for the tendon.

If you rub them with your finger and thumb then they often disperse and if you then pressure bandage they can stay down - this is what folks do that show older hunters etc that have developed windgalls.

Unless you show though I wouldn't bother. Likewise reducing the amount of hard high impact work you do now is not likely to make any difference at all to windgalls. Though not doing it in the first place might mean your horse doesn't get them in the first place. Then again I'd rather have an older fit healthy active happy horse with windgalls than a great fat unfit field ornament that went round a field or arena on perfect days

If there is any sign of lameness however then it could be an indication of more serious tendon problems in which case cold hose and rest for a few weeks.

 

[TrecPeter]

My horse gets them just above & behind his hind fetlocks after he's worked a lot.
We've tried giving him a homeopathic dose of "Apis mellifica" and it seems to work quite well to clear the swellings.
My wife's idea - I was a bit sceptic at first, but it did work!

 

[taran]

My 13 hand pony has got windgals on both front legs the size of conkers. Hes 7 and hasnt had a hard days work in his life. He is stabled and turned out 2 hours a day because we have too much grass and we dont need lammi. So why had he got these horrid looking lumps Id like to do mountain and moorland classes with him but ive nio chance with things on his poor little legs.