swollen cannon bone

Question
There is a horse at my old barn that i visit every one in a while and one of the horses there has a swollen cannon bone and he has been like that for years but it has gotten really bad and really big, he is super skinny and i was just wondering if you had any idea what it was cause him working with the barn to see if i can volunteer help.
since he is not my horse i don't know his age or breed but he is a gelding and he lives in upstate new york.

Answer
Hi Andrea!  Hopefully you were not affected by the hurricane too badly.  About this horse, poor guy sounds like he could use some loving doesn't it?  When you refer to the swollen cannon bone, I'm guessing that you are referring to the soft tissue behind the bone where the tendons run down the back of the leg.  This area can swell but the bone itself does not swell.  If you could possible snap a photo and attach it to your question, it would help a great deal.  Since it's been enlarged for such a long time, I'm guessing it's an old injury that has developed scar tissue which you really won't be able to change or help.  If you are noticing new inflammation however, the best thing you could do is hose it for 10 - 15 minutes at least once a day and encourage the barn management to call a veterinarian.  Problem is, I'm not sure who would pay the bill since his owners are not in the picture from sound of your question.  He sounds like he has  been awfully neglected Andrea ... you may even consider contacting your local humane society to let them know.