Windgalls - when to worry

Windgalls can look alarming, but what do horse owners need to know about them and when are they of concern?

THERE are two types of windgalls, which are a soft swelling located to the rear of and slightly above the fetlock joint on a horse’s leg. This swelling is either an enlargement of the fetlock joint capsule (an articular windgall, see box, overleaf) or more commonly a swelling of the protective digital flexor tendon sheath (a non-articular, or tendinous windgall).

Windgalls are often dismissed as a side effect of an active life. Many apparently normal horses in full work have slight windgalls due to digital flexor tendon sheath swelling, particularly in the hindlimbs. The degree of swelling may vary according to the environmental temperature, being less obvious in cold weather and greater in hot weather.

The swelling may also be influenced by exercise. Work often results in some reduction in size, whereas stable rest may result in accumulation of fluid and greater swelling. However, repeated work on hard ground can lead to an increase in the size of the windgall.

Usually these swellings are similar in size between pairs of limbs, and symmetrical swellings are normally no cause for concern, provided they are cool to touch and not painful – and most importantly, readily compressible, with the fluid being movable between different outpouchings of the tendon sheath. For example, if the top part of the tendon sheath is compressed by finger pressure, then increased bulging will be seen on the back of the pastern.