Splint treatments on show horse DESPERATE for advice!!

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hanna87

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Has anyone successfully got rid of a splint? We have had Tom since november and he came with quite a large but flat splint halfway between his knee and fetlock. This doesnt affect him in anyway but as we are showing again now really want to try and get it down. He must have shown with it before and he was 5th at HOYS in the LW hunters so couldnt have made a difference but really want it gone! Have goose greased it all winter and it nearly went but now has come back up and is more golf ball like!! Any advice greatly recieved.
 
NEW magnetic boots helped a liveries show horse's splint go down
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What does your vet recommend?

I'm no expert on showing hunters but if its a class where the horses are expected to have hunted surely there is room for forgiveness on minor blemishes?
 
I have had them on him but they blistered his leg which I cant have now were showing again. Maybe he is a bit sensitive as he is a full TB?? Anyone tried laser?
 
We are new to hunters as well. Vet says it isnt a prob and to leave it but then hes a bit like that! Instructor has said laser but havent a clue how much it costs or what is involved however she is also a hunter judge and she says she would only pull him up for it if it was very close between two horses.
 
I can understand why you want it gone, but TBH, I have never heard of any treatment that will make a fully formed splint disappear, sorry.
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If they are still active it is sometimes possible to minimize them by icing, blistering, laser etc, but I actually think if it's settled you're more likely to make it worse if you start messing with it.
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The only thing that might work is actually operating on it I think, but then you're left with scars, which is just as bad, from a showing POV.
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I'd leave it for now and just see how you get on.
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My horse spooked warming up for dressage last year (typical had just taken off the boots!) kicked himself and threw a large splint an inch below the knee, 6 months on it has been virtually reasorbed and can barely be felt, whilst this is not much comfort to you with the season starting now but given time they will often go of their own acccord.
 
Everybody used to rave about using DMSO on splints but i dont think you can get it from the vets anymore.Alot of people said it should never be used and some said it was brilliant.I personally have no experiance either way.
 
You could try Splintex - it made no difference to mine (but we subsequently found out there was more to it than just a splint) but lots of people have had good results with it.
Splintex Silver is for fresh splints and Gold is for more established ones.
 
Bone does remodel, so splints can be reabsorbed into the body, and the minerals used elsewhere....this happens more readily in the younger horse for obvious reasons.
How old is the horse?
It might be worth remembering that splints appear for a reason - imbalance in shoeing, poor leg conformation, knocks damaging the bone, poor calcium phosphorus ratio in the diet, concussion on hard ground...if the reason is still there, the splint won't disappear.
But, to cheer you up, one of my youngsters threw a splint as a 2yo (quite a large one), which has now gone (she's rising 4yo)
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[ QUOTE ]
if its a class where the horses are expected to have hunted

[/ QUOTE ] I'm not a showing person by any strech of the imagination, although I do very means plaits if I do say so myself, but I get the impression that hunting is a very noval idea to a horse that shows in hunter classes.
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Thanks everyone. Tom had hunted for 4 seasons before his previous owners had him so is a true hunter!! Someone else has said splintex so may well be worth a try. Would say it would be old as you can see it in pictures of him showing last year and as I say he had excellent results but this was with some of the best people around and i just feel as an amateur i want to get as much right as i can to still geive him a good chance against the pros horses if that makes sense??
 
Splints are more accptable in Working hunter classes, but the 'Show hunter' classes are not so tolerant of these blemishes. Sorry.

I feel it's a shame because horses are working animals and should not be wrapped in cotton wool.

My coloured mare had 2 enormous splints from being 'flapped' (trotted out hard along the roads) on her front legs and they have remodelled to a large extent. She's 11 now.
 
My horse got a splint the summer before last and it was quite large. I did nothing (besides cold hose for a few days when it first appeared). You can neither see nor feel his now. TBH I dont really see how any product that you put on the skin can make it dissapear.
 
Mine suddenly threw one age 10 or 11. It stuck out like a ping-pong ball on his spindly leg and I was horrified.

I did absolutely nothing to it and it is now almost invisible and you can hardly feel it. He's 13 this time.

Leave it be. Shils is right, bone remodels.
 
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Thanks everyone. Tom had hunted for 4 seasons before his previous owners had him so is a true hunter!! Someone else has said splintex so may well be worth a try. Would say it would be old as you can see it in pictures of him showing last year and as I say he had excellent results but this was with some of the best people around and i just feel as an amateur i want to get as much right as i can to still geive him a good chance against the pros horses if that makes sense??

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If he had good results last year with a splint, you will find it was because of WHO was riding him...
 
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