Horse lame on splint for ages - anyone had similar experience?

C

CharlesMax

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 March 2010
Messages
192
Visit site
I was wondering if anyone has had their horse lame from a splint for ages. My horse developed a splint on the outside over a month ago and was slightly lame from it. Because the splint was just below the knee and MASSIVE, i decided to get the vet over.

Because he is a big horse, the vet suggested 2 weeks box rest with anti-inflamitory gel and bute, followed by 2 weeks, working on sand only. We trotted him up after 2 weeks and he was sound and resumed light work, on sand, as instructed.

6 weeks has now passed and I have noticed that he is slightly lame again - the same as he was at the beginning of the splint saga!

I have done nothing on hard ground and he is very laid back when turned out and the ground has been soft since he has been turned out.

Question is: has anyone has a similar problem with splints taking this long to settle? Did you resume work or leave them to rest until the splint formed properly?

Would appreciate some opinions/advice

Clueless
 
Horse on our yard sustained what looked like a brushing injury(so bit different 2yours,in that cut&lump was on inside of foreleg) in the field. Seemed splint had developed. Vet came out as cut wasn't healing. Vet saw twice more,over 6wk period,as horse went v slightly&intermittently lame. Owner thought something'just not right' but vet insisted nothing 2worry about. Owner eventually got 2nd opinion,x-ray done immediately &revealed fracured splint bone. Not suggesting this is what has happened to yours but just saying,sometimes a vet can get it a bit wrong&if u feel something not right(you know your own horse) perhaps take a different course of action. 1st vet made owner feel she was fussing&silly&advised to ride as normal(said would reduce swelling)-2nd vet bit disgusted it'd been allowed to get worse without further investigation. Trust your instinct&hope horse gets better soon:) x
 
From experience rest is the best treatment for splints - I usually turn out for three months. If he is lame then the splint is active and you don't want it to grow and affect the knee action.

Some people swear by applying vinegar to the splint with a toothbrush.
 
I would turn him away for 6-10 weeks and get some DMSO to paint on the splint.

If he still isn't showing improvement in a month or so, I would be tempted to get an x-ray to confirm it isn't actually an impact injury (chipped splint bone etc).
 
the only experience I have with splints

my lad he was never lame with either of his splints

My friends TB has a splint where you describe, he was on and off lame for 2 months then friend got the vet and his also turned out to be a fractured splint bone in 3 or 4 places.
He seems sound now 4 months later.
 
I'm be having it xrayed to make sure it isn't fractured or chipped. I've had that experience, and ended up having it surgically removed but horse made 100% recovery. Vet said it was quite common and it is a good idea to have them checked out if they are causing that much trouble. V big splints can also rub on the suspensory ligament and cause lameness that way - the only way to fix that is to have them surgically removed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top