Windpuff question for younger horse?

Windpuffs are a distention of the tendon sheaths of the lower digital flexor tendons. In and of themselves, they are not considered to be an injury, but they do indicate the presence of enough stress to lead to inflammation and excessive production of synovial fluid, which is produced to reduce friction. Studies have shown that shoeing/hoof angles are of extreme importance in preventing the kinds of stresses that are related to this, so that is one place to begin investigating. Uneven and overly hard surfaces can also contribute. Her long pasterns also make her more prone to injuries.

Probably the most important thing you can do to help her is to keep her hooves correctly balanced with enough heel support for her tendons and ligaments. Bandages and boots actually don't do that much to support these tissues, so conditioning for strength and resilience is important. During conditioning exercises, leg bandages and boots can actually be counterproductive and prevent strengthening from occurring. So I would begin a conditioning program to develop strength in the tendons and ligaments, and use the boots or wraps for protection from concussive trauma during performance. I'll post an article on exercise physiology that may help you with conditioning.

http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=12094

Many horses can develop some swelling in the area of the tendons and suspensory ligament after a particularly long or hard work, or when first being put in work. This isn’t necessarily a reason to panic, but it does require your attention.

Stall rest for a day, followed by light walking only, and aggressive cold-water hosing and ice wraps should take care of minor strains related to heavy work within one to three days. If the problem persists, an ultrasound of the tendons, the suspensory and the annular ligament area is indicated.

Swelling that involves the jont itself is potentially more serious and warrants a visit from your veterinarian for X-rays.

If the joint looks clean, synovitis is the most likely cause. A course of aggressive anti-inflammatory therapy with icing is indicated. At your veterinarian’s discretion, a short course of anti-inflammatory drugs may also be called for. Use of injectable or oral hyaluronic acid can also be used to quiet the inflammation.

Your veterinarian will make specific exercise recommendations after evaluating your horse’s individual case, but in general a short period of stall rest followed by low level exercise for two to four weeks is usually recommended. Resume more demanding work slowly and keep an eye out for return of the joint swelling.

Hope that helps.

First off, your horse should be ridden in a support boot at ALL times. "Professional's Choice SMB II" is the best boot I have ever used.

Wind puffs do not cause a horse pain, they are caused by too much stress to the leg. I have seen horses jump and barrel race their entire lives with wind puffs with no ill effects.

If you want, you can wrap the legs in polo wraps for about a week. The wind puffs either disappear or decrease in size. They are a recurring condition even if they go away for a while, which is why I recommed a very GOOD brand of protective boots that you should be using for your horse's entire life.

Wind puffs normally show up when the work is tough and the ground is hard. How hard is your arena? You may want to have more sand brought into your arena and have it disked regularly to keep it softer and not so hard which will reduce the concussion.