At 13:51:46 on 17.05.10, Seren wrote:
Hello, I've just started horse hunting and have seen a lovely mare. She is 16hh blue and white, 7 year old, irish draft cross (possibly wb -her breeding is not known). She has windgalls on both hind fetlocks and a small splint on the inside of each front leg. She has had these since her owner brought her as an unbroken 4 year old (she had just had a foal weaned) and has never had any lameness. She also appeared to have a small grapesize soft swelling on the front of her right knee. The windgalls and splints do not show up too much. Do you think any of these may indicate future soundness problems? Are the windgalls likely to get worse/bigger as she ages? Any advice/experiences of horses with windgalls/splints would be greatly appreciated to help me with the decision as to whether she is the horse for me. I plan to get a vetting done when I decide on a horse. Thank you

At 14:15:00 on 19.05.10, kibby wrote:
My good jumper mare has two splints and a puffy windgall looking back hock.. She got the splints in the bloody off season striking her front legs to get rid of flies. and the windgall just came up from jumping a lot and sometime not on the best ground.. We have never had any signs of pain or lameness come up on her. saying all this i wouldn't buy a horse with those issues without a vet-check.. So yea they can be nothing but be on the safe side if you like her..

At 22:20:50 on 19.05.10, Seren wrote:
Thanks Kibby, those pesky flies! I'm thinking of going back for another look, its great to hear that your mare doesn't have any soundness issues. Thanks for your help

At 08:25:01 on 20.05.10, kibby wrote:
No worries it would be a shame if she was actually sound but get the vet to go over her with a fine tooth comb..

At 09:51:46 on 20.05.10, farasi wrote:
My young horse came to me with massive windgalls, and I have no problem with them. The old horse has them too for most of his life and I have not had problems. I think that most things can be worked with without any major issues, the important part is building the horse up to do the work you want to do with it carefully, and making sure it is fit enough and strong enough for the job you want it to do. I don't tend to bother too much about what scars or lumps are on the legs, as my old horse has a very interesting set of front legs with all sorts of lumps and bumps and a conformation issue, and I have never had any problems that has stopped him doing everything I have asked of him, or made him lame. It is however an area that if you are not confident in you need reasurrance as there is nothing worse than being paranoid about your horses legs. I don't tend to boot or bandage either unless I need to for a specific reason. Most do like to boot and I don't have an issue with this, I just choose not to.

At 08:31:45 on 21.05.10, kibby wrote:
my old polocrosse boy had windgalls he was fine his ehole life he did get a bit sore in the back legs in old age but were are pretty sure that was arthritis..

At 10:21:44 on 27.05.10, kibby wrote:
did you end up looking at the mare again?

At 23:18:21 on 27.05.10, Seren wrote:
Thanks for all of the advice but actually it worked out that I didn't go back, something else has come up that i'm hoping to get on trial if he passes the vetting. He doesn't have any splints or windgalls (yet!!) but its been great to hear that your boys have never been affected by them, so i know not to worry about them much now! Keeping fingers crossed all works out, tis exciting times :) Thanks for all of your help

At 20:34:02 on 01.06.10, ToriSilverson wrote:
we had a horse with splints on the front of his fetlocks on the hind...he would go lame if he knocked a pole on the back legs...