Worried about fluid filled hind fetlocks :(

charleysummer

charleysummer

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 February 2010
Messages
1,084
Location
UK Midlands
Visit site
Any help much appreciated, my 9 year old mare has started 'forgetting' her back legs whilst being ridden - i ride her in the sandschool most of the time, not a lot but every so often she seemed to drag a hind hoof. i looked at the leg today and the fetlock aread and just above is very squishy and filled with fluid - i assume, it causes no pain whatsoever and she moves fine- seems to trot up sound (but i am rubbish at picking up lameness). seems to just be affected her flexibility of the joint.

looked it up quickly and sounds like windgalls but they shouldnt cause a problem- these are !

help much appreciated :(
 
I think you should get the vet out. My mare 'just' had a puffy fetlock, the vet came for something else and noticed the puffy leg and it turned out she had a thorn in her tendon and it was infected. 6 months later she was OK, but it could have been bye bye if the vet had not picked it up. Not suggesting yours has the same, but any sudden swelling should be investigated, especially if you say your horse is also unlevel/lame. Good luck.
 
she does come in every day with new wounds somehow- no idea how! the field is pretty safe as far as i can tell, googled it and it looks the same as the windgall pictures shown, im just very worried about the dragging of the feet
 
be positive said:
The dragging of the foot may be causing the windgalls, not because of them.
If you see what I mean.
Click to expand...

thats a good point, it did cross my mind earlier but there is no heat at all in the leg/fetlock or any signs of pain- really confused, as it happens i am on work experience at a large equine vets so i will ask the vets tomorrow if they have any ideas and probably take her in, but any more ideas are appreciated as i am worrying !
 
Petalpoos said:
Is it affecting both feet equally?
Click to expand...

the windgalls are the same on foot back legs, i did take a picture earlier i will try and upload it; i havent noticed the dragging of both legs as Id been assuming it was just a silly mess up until today when i was riding- suddenly connected the two ( id noticed the swelling earlier today but thought it could just be the heat or something) and jumped off straight away. i hose her down fully after all work and walk her off well- she is worked for about 45mins- an hour 5/6 days a week in flatwork with a very small jump occaisionally (almost finished rehab from tendon injury before so she should almost be in full work)
 
The problem could be coming from higher up,possibly hock.
You say she is doing 45mins a day in a sand school, I would think that is a fair amount for a horse coming back from injury.
Sand can ride very deep and this can cause the horse to struggle behind.
Do you hack at all?
 
be positive said:
The problem could be coming from higher up,possibly hock.
You say she is doing 45mins a day in a sand school, I would think that is a fair amount for a horse coming back from injury.
Sand can ride very deep and this can cause the horse to struggle behind.
Do you hack at all?
Click to expand...

well i say 45 mins i do spend a lot of the time walking- although i do trot and canter now with a tiny jump every so often. She is 10 months in to recovery. i dont really hack much- every so often i ride around the land but again only in walk.

The hind leg dragging has only appeared since working in the sand school now i think about it so maybe it is too strenuous; i have tried to build her up slowly from 10 minutes to 45-60 over a few months. should i rest her do you think for a little while?
 
My mare was very similar to yours last year - slight dragging of the toe and fetlock filling up - it turned out she had a large bone chip in there which had to be removed. Although she did only fill up in one fetlock. It has since been discovered that she has spavin in the hock on the same leg as well....
 
I would certainly be inclined to do more walking out round the fields/lanes it will be much better for her legs and general fitness.Some hill work would also be good.Ours often hack for their warm up or cool down to keep them from spending too long in the school.
 
charleysummer said:
ok i'll do more walkig for a while,

oh no bone spavin sounds awful :( i really hope not- i think if she has bone spavin then shes running out of lives !
Click to expand...

It's not the end of the world, and after all the other things my horse has had in the last 12 months, it's the least of my worries! A lot of horses get treatment and go on to carry on competing happily. It depends on which joint it is in in the hock, but honestly, when I was told, I had the same impression as you, but now nearly two/three months down the line after my horse was diagnosed, she is sound and you would never know. Remedial shoeing with lateral extensions and rolled toes can also help the breakover.
 
Yes I agree with the bone spavin suggestion. My horse has just been diagnosed and he had puffy fetlocks and would drag his toes sometimes. He was not at all lame until the vet did a flexion test and then showed very slight lameness in both hocks. The only way to know for sure is xrays. As Hollyhocks says, it is not the end of the world and the condition can be managed so that your horse has a useful ridden life, and if the bones finally fuse then the horse will be permanently 'cured'. Let us know.
 
Thanks for all the replies, she is going in the vets september the first to have her tendon rescanned and any other lameness issues diagnosed. The swellings have gone down a little and she has stopped dragging her toes, i did a flexion test myself and couldnt see anything from the fetlocks and hocks but i have an untrained eye and can't pick up lameness very well anyway

I shall keep you informed :)

fingers crossed its nothing bad.
 
My sisters pony had windgalls for a while, turns out they were hiding a lesion of the deep digital flexor tendon in both legs. So its good you are taking her to the vets to get it checked. Fingers crossed it will be easily sorted.
 
KatPT said:
My sisters pony had windgalls for a while, turns out they were hiding a lesion of the deep digital flexor tendon in both legs. So its good you are taking her to the vets to get it checked. Fingers crossed it will be easily sorted.
Click to expand...

Shes already got one of them ! if she gets ddft in 3/4 legs, then she is deffo retiring I think !

The windgalls have gone down a little and she isnt dragging her toes so much, ive only seen her do it once in 4 days, but now a little windgall has appeared on her ddft leg fetlock :/ she doesnt look like shes in pain at all but just doing lighter work until thursday- it really seems never ending!

Can see this being a holiday at horsey hospital again :/
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top