Splints - Would you buy a horse with one/tell me what you know

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silverstar

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Ive seen a really lovely horse but unfortunately it has one split. Ive read that you have to be careful about hacking out on hard ground and doing a lot of hard work. I would be doing riding club showjumping and dressage.

Can someone tell me about splints please and whether it does affect what work a horse can do.
 
Yes
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My TB has a nice big splint - but he is 9, he is known to have had the splint for at least 2 years, and he has not been lame with it in that time. Doesnt bother me (or him) at all
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QUOTE OFF THE INTERNET: Causes of splint damage are: direct blows to the leg, work on hard ground, poor conformation and poor shoeing. They most easily occur in young horses under 6 years. Most splint damage is seen about 10cm below the knee on the inside of the front leg and there is pain and discomfort in the area. This pain can cause lameness if it interferes with structures like the suspensory ligament.

Splints are treated by reducing inflammation in the affected area. This can be done by using cold hosing, by using drugs like ‘Bute’, by resting and by applying ointments like DMS0. Surgery is not usually recommended unless the splints unless they affect the suspensory ligament badly, keep getting knocked or cause arthritis in the knee joint.

TBH Penfold I have a horse with 4 splints. It has never affected his work to any degree apart from when he was lame with an active splint. He got the splints after I had bought him, but unless they are an issue (as paragraph above) I would not hesitate to by a horse with splints. I meant to add that the splints Bailey has got were as a result of galloping down his field to come in away from the flies in the summer. It was quite a steep hill and despite fly rugs and fly spray he thought it would be okay to gallop flat out. He got the first one within a week of being turned out in his new home, and the following 3 appeared within a few weeks.
 
Splints are excess bone growth on the splint bones (or between the splint and cannon bones).
They can be caused by a number of reasons; concussion on hard ground, knocks or strikes, or poor conformation and/or incorrect foot balance, both resulting in uneven loading on one or other side of the leg.
Youngsters are more prone to developing splints as they are usually unfit and can be silly when first worked, their bones are not as fused/dense as an older horse, and they behave like idiots in the field.
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Splints when fresh tend to have a full inflammatory response - heat, pain, swelling. The horse should be rested, avoiding further causes, until the splint has reduced, and is cold. Splints often reduce dramatically over time, some disappear entirely.
Whether I'd buy a horse with a splint depends on what I want it for, and what I think caused it.
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I think it has formed not developing. But obviously this would affect price. I want to do some local comps, showjumping and dressage, and a bit of hacking.
 
I'm sure the location of the splint is the big question, ideally they are better if in the middle of the splint bone you don't want them near the joint.

If it wasn't a high splint or massive it wouldn't bother me, we have used splintex-gold with great success.

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I had my horse 5 stage vetted with a splint on one leg. My vet picked it up straight away and still passed the horse with flying colours. They are often bad when they first appear, horse can be lame etc, but most splints are ok esp once the horse has got over the initial pain.
 
My horse had a small splint due to a kick. Caused him no lameness ever. Passed 5 stage vetting. Now one day eventing. I wouldnt write it of- i'd just want to know the history.
 
MAny many horses have splints, as long as they are cold and hard and the horse is sound they have stopped forming and shouldn't cause a problem
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Why would it affect the price?

I'm interested because horses/ponies have won hoys with a splint. For local RC events, xc etc it is very unlikely to bother the horse.

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Flames-Slave, you dont need to tell me about dodgy feet, I had horse that suffered chronic lameness due to big feet. He he was a scopey jumper and fantastic in traffic. Trying to get another horse to match his ability in my budget, hmm it will be interesting.
 
I bought my current ned with bad feet (very flat and brittle) but I know my farrier could sort it out and he did! was still annoyed at me for buying him though but I think he is also chuffed that I trusted him to get them right!!! C0st me a lot to do and were nearly there but Dougal was worth it!
 
Mine has two behind. He had small length of time with one of them being sore, but it settled and has now almost disappeared a year down the line. The other one is a newer one, and I didnt notice it as far as lameness goes! He did them both by knocking himself behind. I event him, and except when it was forming, hasnt had a problem with either.
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My tb has two mahoosive splints on his fronts and they don't cause any issues at all. They are noted on the 5 stage vetting but as mostpeople have said won't cause a fail unless for affiliated showing etc. They can though have exclusions placed upon them so you wouldn't be able to claim for any further issues
 
oh this post is fab my youngster came in with a kick on his front leg 2 weeks after he came into work (typical) we put him on bute and anit-biotics but it has left a hard lump and i was really worried about it !!

does the splintex-gold work x
 
My old mare developed a splint one hunting season - it never caused her any problems and she hunted 4 times a month until she was 17, then dropping down to twice a month until she was 20!!!
 
I had a horse get two big splints on the outside of both front legs overnight - just from nowhere, never caused trouble or pain, but ugly. But after two years they were gone. The bone was reabsorbed and you would never know they had been there. So no, they don't worry me so long as they are not causing pain or heat or are too near the knee. My horse has fractured a splint bone though - whole other kettle of fish LOL.
 
I've had horse before with splints and they've never been a problem.

If you only intend to do riding club stuff then I wouldnt worry.

Lots of horses have them and are never affected!
 
Our 4 yo has one...and it wasnt there when we bought him...I fear it may have developed after him bombing around the big field in summer just after we got him....he's never been lame-its not tender and cos he's got fairly chunky/hairy legs you cant see it....he's to be used for hacking and local showing only, so I doubt its gonna be a problem.
 
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I had a horse get two big splints on the outside of both front legs overnight - just from nowhere, never caused trouble or pain, but ugly. But after two years they were gone. The bone was reabsorbed and you would never know they had been there. So no, they don't worry me so long as they are not causing pain or heat or are too near the knee. My horse has fractured a splint bone though - whole other kettle of fish LOL.

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dont worry mine did that and came back to another 10 years of competing !!!

did yours have the bone removed x
 
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We have used Splintex - gold for a couple of show ponies, and the splints completely went.

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fab thank you will get some this weekend xx
 
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