# Swelling in hind legs



## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

Does the horse have sratches?


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

Barring any physical injury, is she kept in a small space, or do you have a lot of dry dirt or sand? This happened to my mare this spring when she was at a boarding place. She never lamed up, but she sure seemed to "loose" energy, or at least was very reluctant to go faster then a walk when I lunged her to check her gait. Which was shocking because she's an Arab and is always happy to prance and show off.

Both back legs were noticeably swollen, but without heat. One was more swollen then the other. She was kept in a small paddock that was solid mud, dirt and sand. The barn owner said that the fine particles of sand and dirt were irritating her legs and causing swelling. I'm not sure how accurate that was, because cold hosing did nothing for her.

We came home shortly after that because we didn't like the conditions, and once she went back into her big pasture and had a few good gallops, her legs were 110% better. Which makes me believe it was a combination of limited movement and irritants causing her to stock up.

Not sure if that helps at all, but may give you a direction to look.


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## 3neighs (Jul 15, 2008)

Dang, now one of her front ones is affected. Hosing didn't seem to do anything. The hind ones have heat, the front one does not, but it's not as bad as the hinds. They feel fluid filled and she pulls away when I apply pressure to the swollen areas. I've never seen anything like this before and although she doesn't limp or noticably favor any one leg, her movement is definitely affected. Ugh, I'm not going to sleep well tonight.

FehrGround, no scratches.

Macabre, the two horses are on about 3 acres of pasture (two equally divided pastures) normally, but since Wednesday they've been confined to one side as we're having work done in the other pasture. I don't know if an acre and a half is considered a small space. Very little dirt and no mud. Now, I did look in my equine veterinary manual and found a condition simply called "fluid filled legs" brought on by lack of exercise. It's only been a week since I've ridden her and there have been longer periods of time so I just don't know. :? 

Thanks for the replies!


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## Nutty Saddler (May 26, 2009)

Fluid filled legs affect the hind legs first , TB's are really prone to this

Two causes - one is caused by a problem with the lymphatic system ( responsible for fluid drainage ) the other is caused by a breakdown in the synovial membrane

TB's often get a breakdown in the synovial membrane which causes the legs ( starting low down ) to fill with leaking synovial fluid ( hence filled leg )

If you massage the lower legs and walk the horse out for about 20mins it should start to go away - it's not normally a problem ( a couple of mine had this condidion ( OTTB's ))

If the swellings don't reduce with work then the lymphatic system may be affected
If you start to get swellings in other places (e.g under the elbow ) where there are lymph glands then you need to consult a vet. Diet has a lot to play in this and an overfeed of protein can be a cause.


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## RedRoan (Mar 2, 2009)

Maybe the horse is just stocking up? My appaloosa does that especially when he stands around all days... his hind legs seem to swell worse then the front ones some days also.


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## Horsegma (Dec 1, 2008)

I just had this happen to my 20+ tb/qtr mix mare.

We went on vacation and had to leave the horses confined to an acre and they stood around all day instead of getting their regular exercise.

It was hot and humid also.

When I came home I was shocked at her condition and immediately cold hosed them all down paying extra attention to her back swollen legs and started hand walking her for 10 minutes then increased to 20 minutes. 

She is once again fine with her normal exercise.


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## 3neighs (Jul 15, 2008)

> It was hot and humid also.


Can the weather have something to do with it? I remember Wed. and Thurs. were very hot and humid and both horses weren't moving very much. Now today it's very breezy and in the 70's and Stella is moving around much more than she has been. The swelling seems to have improved slightly. I will take everyone's advice and walk her some. I was unsure about doing that as she seemed uncomfortable.

Nutty Saddler, could the fact that she's exclusively on pasture have anything to do with it? We've had an extra rainy spring so their pastures have been growing faster than they can eat them down. In fact, my husband had to mow them last night. 

Thanks so much everyone for your help. I'm feeling better about it.


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## Nutty Saddler (May 26, 2009)

If the swellings are going down as your horse moves then I would point to filled legs because of synovial fluid, the weather could be a factor in that your horse is standing still a lot when it's really hot.

If you have lots of grass growth to the extent that you have to mow it I would keep a sharp eye out for laminitis.


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## onetoomany (Dec 10, 2008)

Not to ring the alarm bell but make sure she hasn't gotten into any plants and is having a reaction from it. All horses have different tolerance levels, so she may be more sensitive to something than your other horses. Also ticks are bad this year and if she starts spiking a fever or anything else take her to the vet as ehrlichia is a possiblity, it would worry me as she was presenting as lethargic as well.


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## 3neighs (Jul 15, 2008)

Well the massaging/hosing/walking has helped and there's no sign of swelling anymore, but there's still something that's off about her. She doesn't have her usual arab alertness and spark in her eye. I took Luna out to work her for awhile and Stella did trot around and call for her like she usually does, but there's just something different. I'll be having the vet out asap. 
With the grass I'm always aware of colic and founder and try to monitor their intake as best as I can. Onetoomany, thanks for the heads up on other possibilities. 
Thanks again to everyone for the input!


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