(chronic) Inflamed legs with no lamemess, cause?

[NewToMini's]

I bought a Quarter/Arabian cross about three weeks ago (only 13hh, so not sure if she's technically a pony or a horse). When I was looking at her, I noticed her back legs were swollen, mainly her fetlocks, but up to her hocks. I had just lunged her at all three gaits (both directions), and saw no signs of lameness. I felt her legs, and there was no heat, and it was more of a firm swelling. But she didn't seem bothered by it, so I bought her.

Now her swelling seems to have gone down a bit (but she's starting to get her winter coat, so it might be hidden), but the other day I did feel one of her legs, and she had a small round squishy lump (like an abscess) but there was no heat and it wasn't tender (I will keep my eye on it, but I'm not really worried about it atm) .

Any idea what caused the swelling? Past injury, bad circulation, or something else? And is it likely to affect her soundness for riding? (Mainly walking and trotting with a bit of cantering and small jumps). She seems sound with no signs of lameness when being lunged or running in the field, but I haven't ridden her yet or worked her hard.

 

[chandab]

If she had been stalled for an extended period of time she might have been stocked up. I'm not sure if I can explain it very well. Found a brief article on the SmartPak that explains it in a nutshell: https://www.smartpakequine.com/content/stocking-up-horse

 

[Minimor]

Where is the "squishy lump" located--just above the fetlock, or on the hock, or?

The overall swelling you saw initially could be stocking up--were the pasterns swollen too, or just the fetlocks & up? Or it could possibly be the remains of an old injury.

I had a filly get a hind leg caught up in the field fence in early/mid June. I am guessing she was stuck for an hour or two at most but she must have done some sawing on the fence before I found her. Initially the injury to her leg didn't look too bad but she ended up sloughing off a good lot of the hair on that leg. It swelled up like a small stovepipe. It healed well--initially some of the hair came back in light colored but now that she has her winter coat I do not see any white hair on the leg. The swelling remained for a very long time. It was a very firm swelling, no heat--different than a "stocked up" type of swelling in that it was very firm, and did not pit. The leg is pretty close to normal now--and has been since, I would say, early October. For awhile I wondered if the swelling would ever go away completely.

 

[NewToMini's]

The lump is right above her fetlock, I think.

She was in a stall when I went to look at her, and the girl I bought her from said she was keeping her stalled at night (I came in the evening, though).

She said the horse's legs were swollen when she bought her about 3 months before (she had a vet look at the horse, and he wasn't concerned with the swelling since it wasn't bothering her).

 

[Minimor]

The lump could be a windpuff?

 

[amysue]

Is the lump still squishy? Is there any head on it or does it drain? Could it be an old injury or a bite of some sort? It could also be a splint. If it feels hard in the center and does not move around too much, it could be a dead splint, whick should not effect her much. What does she eat? Could she be getting too much grain? Sometimes excess grain/rich diet causes build up of fluid. Does the swelling go down after exercising her? If so, how soon does it return after receeding? Have you tried applying standing wraps for 12hrs on and 12 off? Perhaps getting a second opinion from the vet wouldn't hurt, better safe than sorry. Since she is new to you and you do not have a long history on her. If I read your post correctly, it sounds like the person you bought her from did not have her too long, do you mind me asking why the seller let her go? Did the seller provide documentation from her vet regarding the swelling? Some horses just do this, and if you find a regimen that works (24/7 turnout, wraps, supplements, exercise, etc) you may be able to get the swelling down enough for it to not effect her soundness, but you may want to check for something more serious, like Lyme disease or something like that. Good luck.

 

[NewToMini's]

I'll have to check her legs tomorrow, it's dark now. I have her on 24/7 turnout and just started her on grain a couple weeks ago (she gets 4 pounds a day, and she's 13hh, guessing around 700 pounds). I haven't really noticed her legs being swollen in a while (I don't know if it's gone, or if her hair is just hiding it), except for that squishy lump (but I will check again tomorrow).

The girl I bought her from had her stalled at night and turned out during the day, but there wasn't much grass in the fields. I think she gave her sweet feed.

I don't exercise her right now, she still doesn't trust me and she's anxious on the lunge line, and she took off running and bucking when I tried to ride her (building a round pen so I can train her).

The girl had her for about 3 months, I think, and I don't know why she sold her. The vet she had check her out is the same vet I use.

 

[paintponylvr]

Any pics of her, her legs or ??

 

[NewToMini's]

I don't think you can tell in these pictures. The one in the old halter is the day after I got her, and you can kind of see the swelling. I noticed her legs don't look swollen at all in most of the newer pictures I have of her (including a couple of pictures from before her winter coat started coming in good) so the swelling may have been from a lack of exercise.