Swollen areas on all for of my horse's legs?

Question

My horse has swollen areas on all of his legs (on the fetlocks and ankles) and they havent gone away even when i coldhosed them and waited a few days... are they bugbites? is it normal for horses to get these? also, should i call the vet? he had a checkup about a week ago and nothing the vet didnt mention the little puffs. help?

Answer 1

It is interesting that all four legs are affected.  The swellings could be wingalls.  How old is the horse?  These are particularly common in young horses (but not exclusively so) and commonly flare up when the animal has been working on hard ground.  This is quite common in the summer when the ground is dry and parched.  The area around the fetlock feels squidgy but the horses is rarely lame with it.  If it is this then there is little you can do about them.  They are generally caused by the horses leg conformation, and natural wear and tear on hard ground. Many of my horses have had these and it has not affected them in any way.  It is also something that a vet will be familiar with as being very common, which may be why they were not commented upon when the horse had its check up.

If they are wingalls they will go down once the horse is rested or the ground becomes soft again.

Hopefully they are nothing for you to worry about but if you are still concerned why not give your vet a call and ask for reassurance?

Answer 2

did you mention it to the vet, they probably didnt even notice without you asking about them, it might pay for another vet visit,

also how old is the horse? he could have artheritis

if its summer have you been working him heaps on the hard  ground? this can also cause his legs to puff up

hope he gets better soon for you

Answer 3

Is he kept in a small area? small stall etc? And is he big? My cousins TB used to be kept in quite a small stall and every day that area would be slightly swolen, it was just an excess build up of fluid, If he was ridden every day it was generally fine but if he missed a day, it was swolen. The only way we fixed it was to get him out and excersize him, he wasnt lame or anything, and after about 10 to 15 mins of  warming up, it was down to normal! hope this helps.

Answer 4

I agree with Liz C - but I usually call them "windpuffs".  Are there only 1 or 2 on each leg? Are they about an inch or so long? No heat? No lameness?

Theres not a lot you could do about them, and they won't hurt your horse. If they were there when the vet looked at him, and the vet had no comment, I would not be too worried. However, it would have been a good idea to ask the vet when he was there!

You could try poulticing his legs, it probably won't make any difference, but it might make you feel better : )

Answer 5

He properly just knocked it on some think HAVE U BEEN JUMPING HIM? just wait another week. just keep cold hosing it down every day for that week and if it hasn't gone down call the vet!!

HOPE I HELPED! *_*

Answer 6

I'd call the vet just to be sure.  Is your horse out on pasture?  Sometimes ingesting toxic weeds or plants can cause swelling like that as a first symptom.  If the horse is stalled, it could just be stocking up.  If it's hot, they can stock up when they haven't been before.  It's probably nothing to worry about, but if you can't explain it then the vet should at least talk with you on the phone about it.

EDIT: I don't think it's any of what I said above...maybe it's some kind of contact dermatitis???