Hard Painless lump on leg

[Fluffypiglet]

Hi

The vet will be coming out on Friday and I will get him to have a look but just wondering if anyone has any ideas what this might be.

Horse is a slight hooligan in the field and plays rough with his gelding pals. He came in Monday night, legs were fine, maybe slight thickening in hindsight but nothing that I could say for definite. I check him over every night just in case due to his playing and to remove mud as I always boot him for work. I lunged him lightly and he wasn't lame. I have been able to doubly confirm this as my husband took video footage on his phone so I have watched it back and there was absolutely nothing to see.

Horse put out in field by yard as usual on Tuesday morning. I went to ride him last night, checked his legs as I always do and remove mud and he has a large hard lump on the inside of his off-fore. It's about 1inch x 1.5inch and sort of square-ish shape. It's slightly hot but doesn't hurt him even slightly and it's very very hard. I put his tack away, he looked slightly peeved at being left in his stable and asked the yard owner (very experienced people) to have a look. He's been trotted up this morning - isn't lame, still slightly hot, unreactive lump.

What on earth could this be? He's going to be box rested (and grumpy!) and cold hosed for the next couple of days and the vet will have a look when he's at the yard on Friday.

Mince pie or Stollen and a glass of prosecco for reading!

 

[Meowy Catkin]

On the inside of the cannon/splint bone or the inside of the forearm?

If the former, could it be a splint?

 

[Fluffypiglet]

Sorry, yes cannon bone. My first thought is a splint (my first pony had one so I have some knowledge of how they look/feel) but wasn't sure it could appear so quickly? Slightly annoyed as he's only 6 and had (!) lovely clean legs. How do they get caused? Could it be due to rough play in the field?

 

[Meowy Catkin]

My young gelding developed one suddenly and as he wasn't lame I left it alone. I didn't box rest him because he's calmer outside (lives out 24/7 and was unbacked) and the splint had completely vanished a few months later.

The splint bone is very thin at the end, so it can only takes a small knock to damage it, the ligament that connects it to the cannon bone or the surrounding tissues. IIRC, the ligament ossifies as the horse ages, which might explain why active/new splints are often seen in adolescent horses. As long as it's not near the knee, the damage shouldn't cause issues once it's healed (the fact that your horse is sound is good). I wouldn't ride or work a horse with an active splint.

Do talk to your Vet as they will have advice and obviously will check that it is a splint and not something else.

 

[PorkChop]

My first thought was a splint too. They can certainly come up quickly, sometimes caused by a knock, sometimes for no reason at all.

 

[Fluffypiglet]

Thank you all, your help/ advice is much appreciated. I will still ask the vet to look to ensure no issues. He is such a hooligan but I like him to enjoy himself, just rather an expensive playtime as he wrecks his rugs too.