Broken/Fractured splint bone advise please

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Welly

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Hi, my mare came out of her stable very lame this morning on her near fore, we called the vet and he thinks she has broken/fractured her splint bone quite low down, god knows how in her stable!. We can’t have her X-rayed until Monday so has been advised to box rest until then.

As we won’t know for sure of the problem until Monday I feel that I should do something just in case it is something else. Do you think it would be a good idea to do any or all of the following cold hosing, use magnetic boots and to put a stable bandage on?

This news has be devastating to me, I hate January I lost my lovely Cleveland Bay last January and another horse the January before that. Please not again!
 
Having just gone through the same but the vet did not xray so we have messed around for 6 weeks before the horse eventually had to have an op to remove the fragment, keep him on box rest with a really good support bandage to keep to leg stable.
 
Thanks for the reply, Due to my track record I have asked to have X rays ASAP. Can I ask was your horse lame and have they given you any idea how long before you are back riding again.
 
Mine fractured a front splint last april, i was riding again by september. Not turned out till november. Shes 100% fine, but was a long haul. I should add that it was a clean midline fracture and so not operated on. :)
 
A friend of mine went through this with her elderly and very 'special' TB gelding. He broke it into 3 distinct pieces, normally they would operate but due to his aneamia and low white blood cell count (pre-existing and natural apparently, they never found a cause) they could not. I'm not going to lie, it was a long process but he came sound again.

The vets said that if they had been able to operate his initial recovery time would likely have been up to 6 weeks then bringing back into work, as it was it took a good deal longer BUT he came sound and she ended up riding him again almost to the level he was before, his leg didn't hold him back only his age. She had 4 more lovely years with him sound as a bell before he passed away through unrelated issues.

Broken bone is always scary but even a horse with all sorts of other problems, complications, age and temperament (he loooved box rest) against him came right after a splint bone injury so don't give up. :)
 
My girl was 20 when she was kicked and broke hers. I was told it was strict boxrest and then controlled exercise. Turning out would be disastrous as they're likely to hooley about and re fracture.
 
One I knew had strict box rest and full leg proper vet applied bandange from the start, but may depend where the break is.
 
Welly said:
Thanks for the reply, Due to my track record I have asked to have X rays ASAP. Can I ask was your horse lame and have they given you any idea how long before you are back riding again.
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My horse had a lot going on having got his leg trapped so was non weight bearing when first treated by the vet, he was put into a very heavy support bandage but unfortunately the vet was so intent on other damage that may have happened she did not xray, despite being asked repeatedly, he sadly ended up with a displaced fracture, it may or may not have already been displaced but having become almost sound and walking inhand each day 3 weeks after the accident his leg blew up and he went downhill. Xrays were eventually done and he had an op to remove the fragment which seems to have a good prognosis but the horse suffered weeks of pain while waiting.

He should be back to ridden exercise 10 weeks after surgery, if 6 weeks had not been wasted that would be in 1 month from now not 10 weeks:(

Just to add apart from the fibrosis, see my thread, he had no other damage, it will be the fibrosis that causes issues with his work, not the fracture.
 
We're at the end of the recovery time now. It sounds awful but its not the worst injury ever.

Mine was lame for 48hrs but had a huge leg so was treated as lymphangitis for a month before x-rayed when a lump appeared in splint area. By then she was sound though.

It was hind leg, lower third, fractured in several places so needed surgery. Leg was pressure bandaged and box rest with inhand grazing until the op. We had op complications due to penicillin allergy, but recovery went well. Several bandage changes, 4 weeks complete box rest with bandage (didn't leave stable), then another 2 weeks box rest without banage but walking inhand, then 4 weeks small paddock turnout before return to work.

Return to work was over 8 weeks (20 mins walking for a week, increasing by 5 mins daily until 1hr. After 4 weeks walking added 5 mins trot and increased gradually), but due to the weather and me working full time we're not quite back to complete fitness, I'm just doing quiet hacking and small amounts of schooling until Spring due to poor surfaces.

Timescale:
2012
13 May injury
11 June xray
29 June op (delay was due to first op being abandoned due to allergy)
17 Aug started 4 weeks turnout
20 Sept started ridden work
17 Nov completed vets programme and started to do our own thing, but due to weather have been limited.
 
Personally I would do as vet says

my mare fractured her splint bone in 19 pieces from a kick. Came back sound and apart from a slightly filled leg went on as normal afterwards.

she had 6 months off ( due to other horses kicking the same spot after) but initially she had 2 months off. The I decided to keep her in till we moved here which was another few months. Riding ell as above was a while.
 
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