April 2005

Wind Puffs Are More Than Air

The location of the puffy spot in your horse’s ankle makes a difference in how you treat it.

Horses can injure themselves on turnout.

The term “wind puffs” is commonly used to describe any puffiness in the area of the horse’s ankle. The two structures that can fill with fluid in this area are the fetlock joint capsule and the flexor tendon sheath. It’s important to learn to distinguish between the two and determine the exact cause before you can decide what to do about it.

Filling in the joint capsule will appear as a discrete, rounded “puff,” about the diameter of a quarter, located just behind the cannon bone and under the end of the splint bone. The more fluid that’s present, the tighter it will feel and more under pressure it will be.…