Why would my horses knee be swollen.?

Question

I noticed this morning my horses knee is swollen and warm to the touch and hes having some trouble walking.

Answer 1

Hmm...he may have twisted it, who knows...horses are accident prone!! I would say call the vet, and then if they dont dis-agree, cold hose the joint for 15-20 minutes every hour or so until  the vet arrives....

Good Luck...Joint injuries can be really nasty... :S  

Answer 2

maybe I can help.  I am an ole horseshoer.  Most things that happen

to a horses knee are related to strain generated by the hoof.  Heres

something to remember, a horse hoof follows the weight.  This means

that if the hoof has too much weight on the outside the outside comes

around trying to get to the front first.  And at higher speeds becomes

much more pronouned even twisting the horses knee.  Have a farrier

look at your horses hoofs to make sure they are balanced and traveling

in a straight forward motion.  This happens alot to horses that are not

in shape and need attention by a farrier.  walking behind your horse if

his feet are flanking outward as he walks that is probably your problem.

Answer 3

cold hose it a lot...if you have any friends or family members that have bute give your horse a gram and call the vet to see what he/she says about your situation

Answer 4

Probably just banged it on something.  You can cold hose it for 15 minutes every couple of hours and  (here's a trick I learned from a racehorse trainer) to make the cold last a little longer after hosing, put some rubbing alcohol on the knee (as long as there are no open sores or cuts).  The alcohol has a prolonged cooling effect and will help keep the swelling down.

Answer 5

Okay. Your horse is lame. No, not dumb, but lame as in phisically disabled in the foot or leg.

What you need to do, is in 24 hours, if it doesnt get better, call a vetranarian. But until then, every hour or so, run out and with cold water, hose his leg where the swelling is occuring. You also need to get the blood flowing. So, while you put the cold water on the horses leg, kind of masage it. And put pressure on it in circular motion. Dont wrap it up, cause its only going to make it worse. if you see and cuts around the knee that are open, clean it out with water, then put peroxide on it. and some disinfectant ointment.

If you need furthur help, email me.

Answer 6

Maybe Hes Been Biten Or He Might Of Banged It

If It Gets Any Worse Get The Vet To Comee Outt

Good Luck

Answer 7

i would probably ere on the side of caution and at least call your vet and at least ask them what should be done or how long to wait before hauling the horse to them. better to act too soon than too late when it comes to soundness issues.

Answer 8

It sounds like he bumped it good, or could have been kicked, or twisted it.  Cold hose it and get the vet out.  Knee injuries are serious and you could have a fracture, even though he is still bearing some weight on it.  The warmth you feel is from inflammation.  I would tell you to wrap it, but if you are not trained in wrapping, it's best to just wait for the vet.  The less he moves around, the better.  But if keeping him in is going to stress him out, then just keep him in a smaller area with plenty of hay to keep him busy.  

One of mine presented with exactly what you are describing and had fractured a carpal...so please get it looked at today.

ADD...do not give bute.  The vet will advise you on any medical treatment required. Do not put pressure on it in a circular motion as another poster has advised, or anything else other than cold hosing. gently, periodically as you await your vet.

Answer 9

it might be wind sprints which is like arthritis. my sisters horse has it in his ankles. they get swollen but it doesn't bother him too much unless were working him out too hard.

Answer 10

Depending on how old he is - It could be his epificeal plates. Those swell up commonly on young horses - ranging from age of newly born, to three years of age. This happens when a young horse is still growing, and is gaining too much body-mass. Weight, muscle, growth, etc. The best remedy for this, is to lay off the sweet feed for a while.

If he is older than that, then it could be a number of things. From hair-line fractures in the knee bones, to a strained tendon, sprained ligament, just a bruise, to a number of other problems. I recommend cold-hosing the horse's knee for 15 minutes three times today, and if it isn't better by tomorrow morning, call out a vet to take a look at it. Good luck :)