Splint! What should I do? Help!

[CharlieGal]

Hi,

Someone came and looked at my pony today and said she had a splint. There is a hard lump a couple cm below her knee on her inside foreleg. I've had her a year and she's been in no pain or anything like that. It wasn't on her vetting (5 star) so i don't know when it happened. She's in no pain. What should I do? What will happen to her?

 

[nikCscott]

I'm no expert but used this when I went to see my boy who has a huge one - his seems to be one he was born with and I think its getting smaller - he's never been lame so I just keep an eye on it....

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/horsecare/1370/48104.html

 

[LuLu2]

If its hard and cold and not causing any lameness then don't worry about it, when they are hard and cold then they have finished forming and are over and done with. They are quite common if a horse is coming back into work after a break and in young horses. My youngster has one on each frontleg and they haven't caused him a problem, they are usually harmless unless theres a complication with where they have formed and how large they are but if thats not a problem then just treat it as an unsightly blemish sometimes they do get smaller and become hardly noticable. If it is hot and causing lameness then rest and bute usually works but if your unsure ask a vet. xx

 

[Patterdale]

DONT WORRY!



Splints sometimes make a horse slightly lame whilst they are forming, but not always.
Once formed they will almost certainly never affect him again. It will just gradually get smaller!

Both mine have them - I would bet that the majority of working horses will have one IMO.

Don't worry, and no need to do anything. Not much you can do anyway - it'll just gradually shrink.

Good luck with him

 

[CharlieGal]

Thanks guys! I was really worrying its definitely cold and hard I'm just wondering why it didn't show up in a vetting:/

 

[Nugget La Poneh]

Splints can form in what seems like hours. Nugz has 3 (1 a year so far, expecting leg number 4 in March/April this year ) and 2 of them have shrunk down so only noticable when you feel for them.

As others have said, no need to worry about cold and hard ones. If he comes in lame, check for splints first and if it is that, I find compression bandaging and box rest until sound (with bute) seems to lessen them. Nugz was sound and out in his field within 48 hours.