Blistering- any experience?

maxie

maxie

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Hi all,
My 11yo hunter has gone lame for the second time this year, with heat around a splint on his left foreleg and I’ve been told my two people to consider blistering him.
Some history: I bought him as a 4yo with ‘two small settled splints’ (according to vet at time of purchase), one on each foreleg.
The splints subsequently got bigger but did not cause any lameness at any stage.
Both splints are reasonably large (can be seen if you stand in front of him), but forward of the tendons and mid-way down cannon bone.
Towards the end of this year, the horse went slightly lame (felt off out hunting, put in the odd nod that day but when trotted up at home, there was no obvious nodding). Next day, heat and swelling on that foreleg so he was rested, brought to river for a few days to stand in cold water and given bute. After a fortnight, back to work and finished the rest of the season no problem.
I’m doing BHS exams in June so was using the horse for lunging practise 3-4 times a week for the last while. All grand until I noticed he was ‘not quite right’ on the lunge. Trotted up and no lameness evident on straight lines but just not 100pc on circle.
Some heat and some swelling on the same foreleg again, around the area of the splint.
This horse is a tough one- never put in a lame step in last 7 years.
Two people have suggested blistering him as a way to fix the problem but I don’t know anything about it.
Could anyone explain what blistering is, whether you’ve had any success with it and if you think it could be a remedy in this case?
Thanks a mill for reading & any help you can give me!
 
Personally I wouldn't. All it does is give the horse time to recover whilst you, as the owner, wait for the blisters to heal. Far better just to give the horse a proper rest and let the splints settle for once and for all. As with any heat, cold hosing or icing will always be beneficial.

I've had a horse blistered and I will never do it again. I was very impressionable and my father in law took charge of the situation. It is a totally out of date practice and a fairly pointless one as far as I can see.
 
Ah I didn't explain what it is!!!

Basically the "blister" is a formula made up of compounds that are likely to irritate the skin and cause it to blister. It is rubbed into the clipped leg good and proper and then left to come up in blisters. It does hurt the horse as it would you if someone did that to you. My horse went nuts when it started to work although this was done by my father in law instead of a vet so might be different if a vet does it (saying that I'm not sure if it is even legal practice for vets to do it anymore). Horse needs a cradle on to stop it licking or biting the legs. It is supposed to (in the same way that firing works) bring a better blood supply to the leg as the superficial wounds start to heal therefore healing everything else wrong in the leg.

There is no proof that this does actually work which is why it is an outdated practice in this country. I think its just downright cruel.
 
Thanks Carolineb,
Sorry to hear about your horse, blistering really didn't help you or him obviously.
When the first person (also a FIL) suggested it to me, I initially dismissed it as an old-fashioned wive's tale but the second person is a very knowledgeable, highly trained person who has produced horses to international level so I was more inclined to take notice of her advice.
The horse is going to have the summer off anyway so that might help.

Thanks again,
Maxie
 
Please don't blister your horse, it's an archaic and painful practise. Would you use chemicals to burn your skin to heal some underlying issue? I know I wouldn't.

How about trying some good old massage to increase blood supply (a couple of times a day)?
 
Try it on yourself, then decide if you feel it would be humane to blister your horse. And the same goes for firing.

My weedy-legged TB got two huge splints, almost overnight. They have all but completely disappeared with rest and careful attention to sensible work, all by themselves.
 
Actually a working blister such as bone radiol could prove very successful in this circumstance and would not actually blister the skin. Not all blisters are a harsh treatment. Another old remedy that I have seen very successful purely to relieve pain from sore shins and splints is bandaging the legs in cabbage leaves! I have found this successful on my own human shin splints as well as horses!
 
amage said:
Actually a working blister such as bone radiol could prove very successful in this circumstance and would not actually blister the skin. Not all blisters are a harsh treatment. Another old remedy that I have seen very successful purely to relieve pain from sore shins and splints is bandaging the legs in cabbage leaves! I have found this successful on my own human shin splints as well as horses!
Click to expand...

Ha ha I reckon he'd have eaten the cabbage leaves before they could start to work. If it looks edible, this horse will eat it....
 
go to your vet and get a proper work up rather than trying to judge by online forum.
What exactly do you think blistering will do I'm interested to know, what is your perception fo why it would be any good?
 
amage said:
Actually a working blister such as bone radiol could prove very successful in this circumstance and would not actually blister the skin. Not all blisters are a harsh treatment. Another old remedy that I have seen very successful purely to relieve pain from sore shins and splints is bandaging the legs in cabbage leaves! I have found this successful on my own human shin splints as well as horses!
Click to expand...

It is widely accepted that it's the massage process involved during application of liniment and mild embrocation which has the effect - see Hedgewitch13's suggestion.

The 'blister' in its archaic form or preparation was usually harsh and added more pain and misery to an already painful and misery-causing area.

Any vet will recommend rest in the days when the splint is 'active' and can be aggravated or prevented from calming down by continued work, anti-inflammatories in feed and hosing/massage. If you research why and how they form, blistering is surely contra-indicated!
 
I blistered my mare when I was living in Argentina on the advice of a vet. This was as a result of splints that due to their position were interfering with her ligaments. The blister is basically an irritant designed to increase circulation to a particular area in order to aid healing. As I understand it there are various kinds of blister with varying degrees of strength. Splintex, for instance, is a mild blister.
I applied to the splints on 2 consecutive days and cold hosed for a while... I forget how many days. There was some swelling and a little discomfort when I touched the area, but PF was no lamer than she ever had been and was able to live out normally. She ate normally, flirted with Antifaz, etc, etc. I posted photos and reports at the time on HHO, I have no idea if the posts still exist though.
PF came sound and has been sound since, so I assume it worked
 
I think there is a huge difference in blister applications such as Splintex to the Red Blister that my father in law used. Red blister is banned and has been for quite a long time. This is the only experience I have of blistering so have given you my opinion on that!!
 
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