Filling in ankle

[krp]

Can someone explain this. Should the horse be rested or can they still race?

[Laurierace]

Filling is not really a medical term, it is more of a description. It can mean that the whole ankle is swollen or more likely the swelling is more towards the inside and outside over the ligaments. It can have many causes and the treatment would be different based upon what is causing it. Some horses get a little filling after a work or race and that is completely normal for them. Some horses have filling anytime they are left unbandaged. Some horses never have filling so when all of a sudden there is filling you need to investigate further, possibly with xrays but at the very least a vet exam.
Sorry that wasn't much help, but you really do need more info to answer that question for that particular horse.

[FancyHorse]

The "filling" you are seeing is called Sanovial fluid. That means that the joint is working extra hard and the body is sending the Sanovial fluid to that joint to help coat and protect it. It depends on how much fluid you are seeing and the amount of lameness, if any to judge if the horse can continue or not. If it is just alittle bit of fill, I wouldn't worry too much about it yet, although I would defently start working with the leg with leg paint or other medications to keep it under control and provide more confort for the horse. If the fill gets too bad, you might want to invest in an x-ray to see what is going on in that joint and go from there, you might even need to cortizone it if it gets too bad or if the horse starts showing signs of lamness. Keep an eye on it and try and do medications and paints now!

[WarHorse]

Can someone explain this. Should the horse be rested or can they still race?

Synovial fluid is in the bursa of the joint capsule, and shouldn't be visible outside of it.

When the lower legs fill, that is generally lymphatic fluid retention; if as you say krp it is the ankle, check for heat. If there is heat, you probably should have your vet check it out. If there is no heat, maybe light exercise will help.

[zinn21]

krp, if your horse is filling at the ankle, he/she is telling you the workload is too much to handle at this point.

Walk and jog until the filling subsides. If that doesn't work turn him/her out.

[Tucumcari]

Synovial fluid is what lubricates joints. If there is a problem like a chip or wear and tear (arthrititc changes), etc, then the joint will produce more of the fluid, thus "fill." If this is a new thing for a particular horse you might want a vet to have a peek. Or if it flexes sore and or with heat again have a vet take a look.