Horse with swollen hind leg

Question
HI,
I was wondering if you could help me to figure out what might be wrong with my horse. She has a very large swollen hind leg.It started about a month and a half ago when her leg got very swollen so that she could hardly walk on it and that was for about two days. It didn't seem like she was in pain, it was just so big she could straighten it while walking. I came out the next morning and she had a big scab on the side of her leg like something had popped and there was a lot of white stuff draining out of it. After that shes never been lame on it but the leg has never gone back to its normal size. I was thinking it could be lymphangitis but shes only just turning 8.Is it possible she could have sprained her leg or torn a muscle somewhere and that would be causeing the swelling? If you have any ideas to what it could be please please let me kno, and how i could treat it would be a bonus! I'm only 15 and I've spent so much time training her and showing her and she is my best jumper mare so I don't know what I'll do if i can't show her this season!!:( Thanks for your time.
Maxene

Answer
Maxene:

the most appropriate move for you to make is to get a veterinarian to come and evaluate your horse. If there was "white stuff" draining that sure sounds like pus to me. Im not sure why you may have the impression that a horse of 8 years of age cant get lymphangitis, because any horse can. I think you need to get a vet involved alot more than over the internet> I cant evaluate this horse and tell you what to do without being able to examine it. that needs to happen. It probably will require an ultrasound exam too and maybe xrays to look at the bone underneath. Let me know what you find out. Im here to help in any way I can, but its not practical for anyone to expect me to diagnose and treat horses without ever being able to examine them. Good luck to you. Contact me again if you need me.