Puffy hind legs...?

Pro has puffiness on the hock and pastern/fetlock area. Mostly on his right hind...whick is odd because his injured one is his left hind. But they are both like this.

My riding instructor had no idea what it could be. He is not sore and they are not warm.

Any ideas?

Wind puffs?



Merck Veterinary Manual
Wind Puffs Are Swelling in Your Horse's Ankle | MyHorse.com
The Horse | Windpuffs in Horses
SmartPak Equine - Health & Nutrition for Horses - Common Equine Problems - Windpuffs

^^Thanks!

I don't quite understand.

Are they little bump type things, or are they the whole general fetlock joint area?

Some pictures on google look like it (the ones where the whole area looks puffy - not just the little bumps). Pro's feel squishy and look kinda puffy. But how would the hock area fit into it?

They can be little bumps or they can affect almost the whole fetlock area. They can appear in the hocks as well (those are called 'boggy' or 'spongy' hocks).

The wind puffs themselves are usually harmless, but they indicate excessive joint strain so care should be taken to prevent future problems such as arthritis, tendinitis, etc.

Oh, ok....

So what can I, and should I do?

Can I still ride him?

Yes, you can! I would just get some hind SMB boots for him, and if you've been working him extra hard lately try to take things a little more slowly.

I just went through this exact same thing with my mare and that's what my vet told me to do : )

Yay! I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't ride him.

Why the boots? What will they do?

Sorry for all my questions:)

I would also suggest cold hosing both of the legs.

I don't mind! The boots absorb impact and take stress off of the joints : )

I had an older, probably mid to upper teens retired barrel racer that had that same problem too. I just took it easy on him and hosed his legs down after every ride, except for in the winter of coarse and also rubbed a linement gel on them to, can't quite remember the name of the stuff, but it worked wonders for him.