Splint x Ray?

[Michen]

Posting in here as more traffic. Boggles had a fairly sizeable splint for a couple of months on his inside fore below the knee. Never soft, never lame.

It does seem to have got a bit bigger though, and if I was really picky it’s maybe a touch warmer than the rest of the leg. Still hard though, no lameness, fine when palpating.

Probably not helped with road work when hunting (doubtful we will hunt again this season now anyway as eventing starts).

Would you ping an x Ray on it to check all is well or ignore?

 

[ihatework]

If it’s not painful on palpation or showing lameness then no I wouldn’t.

If it’s showing some heat and/or appearing bigger I would be icing and minimising work until it settles

 

[Michen]

If it’s not painful on palpation or showing lameness then no I wouldn’t.

If it’s showing some heat and/or appearing bigger I would be icing and minimising work until it settles

Wish I’d measured it 🙈 I *think* it’s got bigger but then I clipped his legs out again recently so...

Will re assess tomorrow!

 

[AmyMay]

I would probably get it checked out, and rest.

 

[Red-1]

If it is warm I would rest for 6 weeks, along with cold hosing. Then pick fitness up and carry on.

I would only X ray if he was very lame or if after 3/4 weeks he was not trotting up sound.

 

[Michen]

Will give my vet a call tomorrow. Shoddy picture of size/location if helpful!

 

[SEL]

I didn't xray a whopper on madam's left hind back when she was 5. Vet felt it over on a routine visit and just said cold hose etc. I wish I had - 4 years on the new vets have commented on it because that's the leg we've had the intermittent lameness on.

Not sure whether they think she might have been compensating and that's had a knock on effect. It was huge and it's still lumpy when you run your hand down.

 

[AmyMay]

Ooo that’s pretty big. Definitely get some advice and I’m the meantime rest and cold hose.

 

[Red-1]

Will give my vet a call tomorrow. Shoddy picture of size/location if helpful! View attachment 30042

Oh, that is a whopper. TBH, if your gut feel is to have it x rayed then that is what I would do.

It is at least a smidge away from the joint.

 

[Michen]

Oh, that is a whopper. TBH, if your gut feel is to have it x rayed then that is what I would do.

It is at least a smidge away from the joint.

Wow I wasn’t quite thinking it was a whopper 🙈 plenty on the yard with bigger, just thought it was sizeable enough to be of interest!

Typically ballot is at 12noon tomorrow for two entered events, wonder what my chances are of getting it looked at before then so I can withdraw- unlikely I bet 😄 horses eh? God love them...

 

[Red-1]

Wow I wasn’t quite thinking it was a whopper 🙈 plenty on the yard with bigger, just thought it was sizeable enough to be of interest!

Typically ballot is at 12noon tomorrow for two entered events, wonder what my chances are of getting it looked at before then so I can withdraw- unlikely I bet 😄 horses eh? God love them...

If it were mine and warm I would do as my first post says, rest 6 weeks and cold hose. I would not event. Even though it is a bit away from the joint I would worry about working as the suspensory can be affected by a large splint.

 

[Michen]

If it were mine and warm I would do as my first post says, rest 6 weeks and cold hose. I would not event. Even though it is a bit away from the joint I would worry about working as the suspensory can be affected by a large splint.

Indeed, think I’ll just withdraw, plenty of other events. I’m going to have another proper feel tomorrow, I’m a bit useless at telling if something is actually warm or not as I look for it when expecting a problem. Will get a few hands to have a feel of it!

 

[ycbm]

Hard splint, not lame, not sore to press. Personally I'd just carry on and I certainly wouldn't x ray. I've had quite a few horses throw splints over the decades and never had an issue with one.

I have found a surface temperateure thermometer really helpful for finding hot spots in horses. One of these:

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/181576182329

..

 

[Michen]

Hard splint, not lame, not sore to press. Personally I'd just carry on and I certainly wouldn't x ray. I've had quite a few horses throw splints over the decades and never had an issue with one.

I have found a surface temperateure thermometer really helpful for finding hot spots in horses. One of these:

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/181576182329

..

That’s a great idea re thermometer, thanks. Will definitely get one of those for future use.

Grabbed some more pics of it this morning. If it is warmer it’s absolutely marginal, had a split opinion with several people. Argh just not sure what to do about these entries now!
Shall harass my poor vet shortly.

 

[ycbm]

It wouldn't worry me, and you know I'd be totally honest with you if you said you were going to crack on and I disagreed 😏

I once found the most miniscule hot spot on a horse's leg with one of those thermometers, which explained a mysterious lameness. It was about 5mm and several degrees higher than the rest of that leg and the same spot on the other one.

 

[Michen]

It wouldn't worry me, and you know I'd be totally honest with you if you said you were going to crack on and I disagreed 😏

I know that for sure 😄 Would you crack on even if it is marginally warmer!? Hands are so unreliable, wish I had the digital thermometer now 😄

 

[ihatework]

I’d leave the entries in.
Walk him for a week and ice (if you are thinking it might be active), and make a decision on whether to run or not nearer the time.

Have you jogged him on a small hard circle? That should flag up if he is feeling it.

I wouldn’t say it’s a whopper of a splint. Big enough that you wouldn’t want it bigger, but not an OMG one

 

[ycbm]

I know that for sure 😄 Would you crack on even if it is marginally warmer!? Hands are so unreliable, wish I had the digital thermometer now 😄

Yes, if it wasn't a show horse, I'd crack on. The warmth is so little you don't know if you can even feel it, and it might be because it's remodeling to come down in size (which it will over a year) or it might be just forming more permanent bone, but it's small and in a good place (well forward of the tendon and away from the joint. I wouldn't lose the start of the eventing season to it myself. There's a risk, but I think it's tiny.

I like IHW's suggestion that he must jog around sound on a small circle on both a hard and a soft surface though.

 

[Michen]

Spoke to the vet, he said no point x rating and more to do with reactivity and soundness. I’ll check the latter later on but in the mean time I think I will do as suggested, a week of rest/ice just to be super safe and then crack on as long as sound.

He’s worked hard recently so a week off will be no bad thing for him.

 

[SEL]

Wow I wasn’t quite thinking it was a whopper 🙈 plenty on the yard with bigger,

Nowhere near the size of the one that left mine with a lumpy leg. I think that'll go down quickly with ice and rest

 

[Pinkvboots]

One of my horses had a huge splint come up on the front leg, it wasn't soft or warm rang vet he said not worth x raying it and just to keep an eye on it, it was the size of a small egg massive and looked terrible! it's gone down a lot and is about a 3rd of what it was, this horse is barefoot and his not jumped or worked fast on hard ground as he has very mild navicular, it might be worth cutting back on jumping for a bit and keep an eye on it.

 

[Michen]

I’d leave the entries in.
Walk him for a week and ice (if you are thinking it might be active), and make a decision on whether to run or not nearer the time.

Have you jogged him on a small hard circle? That should flag up if he is feeling it.

I wouldn’t say it’s a whopper of a splint. Big enough that you wouldn’t want it bigger, but not an OMG one

Yes, if it wasn't a show horse, I'd crack on. The warmth is so little you don't know if you can even feel it, and it might be because it's remodeling to come down in size (which it will over a year) or it might be just forming more permanent bone, but it's small and in a good place (well forward of the tendon and away from the joint. I wouldn't lose the start of the eventing season to it myself. There's a risk, but I think it's tiny.

I like IHW's suggestion that he must jog around sound on a small circle on both a hard and a soft surface though.

Couldn’t get much of a proper video, phone and appalling pot holed stoney surface but think he’s alright, looks the same on the other rein.

[video]

[\video]

 

[Red-1]

Couldn’t get much of a proper video, phone and appalling pot holed stoney surface but think he’s alright, looks the same on the other rein.

[video]

[\video]

Wow, what a difference from a previous video I saw. He looks fab.

 

[ycbm]

Couldn’t get much of a proper video, phone and appalling pot holed stoney surface but think he’s alright, looks the same on the other rein.

[video]

[\video]

Bog 😂 !


👍✅👍

 

[Michen]

Wow, what a difference from a previous video I saw. He looks fab.

Ah thanks! There was only a short clip where he wasn't careering around corners so the whole 30 seconds probably isn't pretty but that bit at least shows how he is moving when he's not being.... well, Boggle...

 

[Michen]

Bog 😂 !


👍✅👍

It's what I shout across the field!

 

[Michen]

Thanks for the advice HHOers, I’m glad I didn’t withdraw as splint is definitely not even marginally warm now. Cool legs, cool splint. Going to give him until next week off just to be totally sure but think I was either imagining things or over reacting (not like me eh...)

 

[ImmyS]

Thanks for the advice HHOers, I’m glad I didn’t withdraw as splint is definitely not even marginally warm now. Cool legs, cool splint. Going to give him until next week off just to be totally sure but think I was either imagining things or over reacting (not like me eh...)

Hi Michen!

Just wondering how Boggles splint is getting on now? Arlo has thrown one similar size and in same place. No lameness or heat and not bothered when palpated. Did you just carry on as normal in the end or treat it in anyway? We’re only light hacking at the minute so thinking to just carry on as normal unless he tells me otherwise.