splint and lame any advice? also a little odd

[beaconhorse]

Why is my horse so dam weird??? Twice now he has thrown splints in winter/early spring. No jumping in the last week so not that.

This latest splint is just above the old one which I thought was too close to the knee for comfort, so I am more than a little concerned. He is only slightly lame, around 1-2/10th

I noticed it as soon as I got him in but it is hard and was not even warm (until after I tried riding) I have always been told that splints are soft swelling to start with BUT I WOULD HAVE SEEN IT BEFORE if this was the case

One of the last year degree students said what I had always believed which was by the time it is hard and cold you would have already noticed lameness if there was going to be any

I knew something was wrong as I was riding in the indoor around the jumps in the snaffle and had perfect brakes. Then when I asked for canter he was doing 4 beat canter. The woman I was riding with could not see any lameness but when I got her to ride him I could see it as soon as he went into trot.

Poor baby is now cool clayed and bandaged and on box rest. Will see if I can get hold of any bute from yard today if not will try vet tomorrow. I guess if I can't get any will have to call vet out so he can have some???


Any advice??

 

[Nari]

No advice I'm afraid but I had a similar thing with Jim last summer. He came in from the field with a big splint on a hind leg but no heat or lameness. I actually called the vet as it seemed so odd but she was no use whatsoever, just guessed he'd done it by a violent twist rather than a blow or concussion (my guess was it was all the tarting over the fence with the in season mares, there were some pretty spectacular leaps & spins going on!).

He had a fortnight field "rest" & a few days Danilon (then wouldn't eat it so went without) & never did go lame. It was hard to tell if there was heat in it as it's right by the big blood vessel that runs to the hock but if there was it was very very slight. When I could catch him I cold hosed it but to be honest all treatment was erratic because he was so obsessed with the mares that it was nigh on impossible to get him out of the field or handle safely. I've had no problems wih it since.

 

[spanishhorseygal]

Divo had an unexpected splint a year ago - came in from the field with it one day after apparently tearing around with pals like a loony although was never lame - just a big hard lump. I successfully treated it with 2 weeks off work and a homeopathic treatment for splints by Ainsworths clinic in London. Worked a treat and completely disappeared after about 3 months.

 

[vicm2509]

Baron came in with a splint last summer. No heat just a hard lump which seemed to develop overnight. He was totally sound but I bandaged and cold hosed it and gave him a week box rest just to be on the safe side. Kept him on soft ground with no road work for about a month. His was about an inch long but is now totally flat and un noticeable.

 

[juliebrewer]

How long was it befor the splint was totally flat. and did you ride after the box rest whilst the splint was still there...

 

[Halfstep]

I've just been through this. Splint appeared out of the blue and horse was 1/10 lame if that, but I could feel it. I had the vet who gave a course of 'bute and topical DMSO/cortisone. The horse was off for a month until fully sound, cold hosing and icing three times a day. He's back in work now but I'm still cold hosing and using a cooling gel at night. I'm afraid with splints you just have to wait for them to settle down. If my horse had remained lame I would have had him scanned to see exactly what was going on, but he's sound now so I'm taking it very easy and seeing how it goes.
Good luck with yours - I sympathise.

Ps: my vet advised against box rest, she wanted him walking on it, jut not hooling around, especially as the ground is soft.
x

 

[Baggybreeches]

My mum's horse threw a splint last year, she is 14 and was fully fit, but hadn't done any jumping on hard ground it just appeared

, it was huge and took a long time to settle down.

 

[vicm2509]

A few months, you can sill feel it slightly but it isnt visable. Yes I rode him after, kept him off the roads and didnt jump him for a month just to be on the safe side.

I think everyone has different advice for splits, even varies from vet to vet. I did not get the vet to look at Barons, just took advice from a few people on here and for him its worked well

 

[LauraBaxendale]

True splints are kinda due to twisting of the lower limb - i.e. an injury which may be sustained during execise, or galloping about like a mad thing in the field. They are usually not a problem - slight lameness for a few days, and a hard lump which will usually become nothing worse than a cosmetic problem. There are various anecdotal ways of treating them, but at the end of the day the majority of splints will heal completely with rest. If your horse is in any discomfort a couple of days bute or similar will help. To be honest, doubt that bandaging will do much. Cooling may help if there is any inflammation.

Softness and heat to start with will be due to inflammation and swelling of the surrounding tissues. If it say happened in the field or overnight think it is possible that by the time you saw it this will have gone. The hard lump is the bony reaction.

Rarely splints can impinge on the suspensory ligament, so if lameness continues it is worth getting the horse checked out. Also a bony reaction in the area could possibly be due to a fracture of the splint bone, but think there would be more swelling. Tho if lameness doesn't resolve is a possibility.

I would advise rest your horse for a few days - either box rest if your horse is amenable to it, or turnout (so long as not haring etc). Bute if needed for a couple of days. Then say after a week if horse is sound bring gradually back into work. If lameness doesn't resolve get the horse checked out.