Leg Issues in Foals, Improve Your Foals Health With ELM

Back at the knee, a conformational fault of the front limb where the cannon bone angles backwards causing the knee (carpus) to be angled too far to the rear . This puts stress on the front of the knee and could contribute to the development of  fractures of the small carpal bones and/or carpal arthritis.     Over at the knee,  results in a "flexed" or "bent" knee ; this is caused by the tightening of the joint capsule and tendons in the back portion  (caudal) of the knee (carpus).  Mild cases may resolve themselves as the foal grows. Severe cases will require limited areas of mobility and treatment. 

"Windswept" is an abnormality in which limbs are slanted in one direction in one limb (valgus) and in the opposite direction (varus)  in the other , causing it to appear as if the wind has swept their  feet from under them.

Toe in - Toe out

The cause is typically found in the axial alignment of the limb above the foot, not in the foot itself. This can involve the coffin bone, short pastern, long pastern, or cannon bone being rotated and can vary in degrees of severity. 

The earlier corrective measures are taken, the greater the probability of either correcting the issue or at the very least minimizing it.