splint help/ ideas please

[toomanyneds]

Hi There,

just to pick at your brains as splints are not something i am very knowledgable on, i mean i know the causes etc but im kind of in limbo with my latest problem.

My Horse had a splint on his left fore when i bought him, i assume it was back from his racing days as he was raced very hard very young in germany.

Never really thought anything about it as he is an eventer not a show pony so appearence doesnt matter and he has always been sound on it, it is fairly large but has never had any heat, change of size shape etc.

i bought him in from the field to ride on saturday and he appeared fine, untill i asked him to trot in the arena and he was very clearly lame. i pulled him up and upon checking him out noticed that the pain is where the splint is, he masters the 'OMG your cutting my leg off' routine when i apply any pressure to it with my fingers. I cold hosed his leg for 20 mins and gave him the day off, i have since just been walking him and he has been covered in 'like ice' and wrapped each night in the stable since- wraps off and turned out in the day. still very sound and happy in walk.

i went to trot him up in the arena last night and he is still as lame as he was on saturday.

i'm unsure now what is the best method to get him sound again, every person i speak to says something different, some say bute will help, some say turn out and time off......i dont mind doing whatever i would just rather he be sound, i cant think of anything significant that would have caused this soreness other then knocking the splint itself if arsing about in the field.

any ideas welcome to get my boy comfy and working again please

 

[be positive]

As he has not improved over the last few days being treated with cold therapy I would be getting the vet now to find out what is really going on, it could be just bruised but it could be fractured and you would not want to be giving the wrong treatment at this stage.
In my experience most simple bruising, knocks etc will respond within a few days and improve each day, if they do not that is when I get the vet.

 

[Maesfen]

I always like to leave splints alone to settle down in their own time; IME those that 'dabble' with treatment or don't get given enough time seem to re surface later on. Once it's settled I know of good results by using magnetic boots for part of the day but they shouldn't be used unless everything has settled down with no heat.
If lameness continues I'd think about scanning to see if anything else is going on too.

 

[TheCurlyPony]

My ponio threw one and he had a good two,three weeks off. A year later i went barefoot and now it's gone. No concussion I guess.