windgalls

[genandtom]

Hi does anyone have experience of windgalls causing annular ligament disease, my 17yr old cob has just been diagnosed with it, he is on bute twice a day, walking for 20 - 40 mins daily (I can ride him in walk) he can live out, but no excitement, no breaking out of walk for 2 wks, then the vet will check him again. His windgalls are huge, but always have been and its never caused lameness b4

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

I think you've got it the wrong way round hun. Wind galls are synovial (joint) fluid leaking out of a damaged joint into the surrounding tissues. So when you see windgalls, they are a sign of damage in or around the joint area. If they are small and maybe even disappear on exercise, they usually cause no problem but as an owner, it pays to know they are there and consider WHY they are there and keep a sharp eye on whether they get bigger or the horse appears lame. In your ned's case, the annular ligament disease may have caused the windgalls rather than the other way round. Fingers crossed he makes a reasonable recovery x

 

[grouchymare]

Hi, my mare is currently 14wks post surgery for annular ligament constriction. Had large windgalls for over a year, vets checked a couple of times and said they were ok until she went lame on that leg when they diagnosed annular ligament constriction. Further scans on arrival for surgery showed tear in the DDFT, hence very lame horse! Op to cut the annular ligament is quite straightforward keyhole surgery, other options seem to include injecting steroids to reduce the inflammation.
Lots of horses have windgalls with no problems, as prev post I would worry if they don't reduce with exercise or if more enlarged on one leg than the other. With my mare the swelling spread to below the fetlock indicating the constriction of the ligament. Hope your horse is soon mended.

 

[Chestnutmare]

I had never had what your horse has, although he did have big windgalls that didnt ever cause him lamness in the time i had him, I respected the fact they were there and in the winter months I used to bandage him up to help with swelling from being in over night and once i took them off I would give them a nice massage.

I hope you manage to control these best of luck hun
xx

 

[Llwyncwn]

I've never heard of annular ligament desease, but when windgalls constrict the ligament its normally due to an underlying trauma to one of the tendons. Annular ligament desmotomy is an operation to 'cut' the ligament and although this sounds drastic, is a simple procedure which many of us on the forum have experience of. The annular ligament acts like a hair scrunchie and its job is to keep the tendons in place. After the operation there will be around 3 months box rest followed by walking in hand, then a 12 week fitness programme. Hope this helps