Splints

Hi I put a post on a few weeks ago about my boy who had a splint. I was advised by some people on the forum to turn him away in the field for three months - biggest load of rubbish I have ever heard. The vet advised accordingly and he ended up having about five days of walk and trot on a hard surface (not too soft as our school is too deep) with exercise bandages on to support the splint and surrounding area. I ice cupped the splint twice a day (buy polystyrene cups - available from places like party shops/poundland, etc) and fill with water and freeze. Apply to the splint making sure you keep the cup moving over the area to prevent freeze burns. Peel off the polystyrene and the ice melts and you move down the cup. Its a good timer as well as once you have used the entire cup (depending on how fresh the splint is i.e how warm it is, - warmer the injury the quicker it melts) it can take up to 25/30 mins.
 
Thank you, and did you boys one go away or just reduce? Ice cupping is a new one, sounds good
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there are products on the market to get rid of splints. years ago we used bone radial which we put on with a tooth brush. I had a show pony who developed a splint to our horror. We got rid of the splint completely. He went on to continue to win many more championships. Forget what the newest product is called that i have seen, think it has the word silver in the name.
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I have bore linament it says to use on splints but im not sure about it, anyone used it? its a white bottle with blue label and the solution is pink?
 
My friend is a trainee veterinary physiotherapist and her tutor has told her and her fellow students that ice cupping is the best thing for acute injuries where the skin isn't broken. It is ideal for tendons, bruising and kicks/bites and of course splints. It is more useful than cold hosing in the first instance, and every horse owner should have a supply in the freezer of cups ready to use. You can also apply DMSO from the vet which is an ointment called diamenthyl sulpahmide or something similiar which helps reduce the splint but the splint itself was not my worry as I don't show the horse. Bailey was right as rain after about a week and I actually told the vet I had dressage the following sunday and he advised me to go and see how he was as it would be good to know for the one day event I had planned for for the following week. He was fine for both. I kept the bandages on his legs when I rode him for about a fortnight. You just have to be sensible. If I had of listened to the people that told me to throw him out in the field for three months he'd still be out there now!!
 
Yes that should be sufficient. Another thing I forgot to mention, you can see how sore your horse is by pressing on the splint when the leg is held up (as if you are picking out the foot). Just squeeze the bone, but be careful as it can be very, very sore! This is a good way to assess. Of course you can get problems with splints, the old fashioned term for ladder splint is a splint which continues to calcify and you can get splints which can interfere with the action of the tendons but these are quite rare problems. Always be advised by your vet in the first instance, but to sum up 1) ice, ice and ice (but keep that ice cup moving over the splint!) 2) bandage for support whilst exercised (always use gamgee underneath and don't overtighten bandages) 3) work on a hard surface, ie hack out or ride around the yard and avoid deep surfaces or surfaces that are pitted like a field as this will just aggravate the splint 4) don't use pain killers as these are not necessary according to my vet 5) keep in for few days. I had to turn my boy out as he is very colic prone, and it would have caused more problems to keep him in unless it was really really necessary and he's quiet in teh field anyway. Good luck, and PM me if you need further advice. x
 
Thanks applecart! I hate the thought of Box Rest so i will have that as plan B as she would be on her own all day on Box rest
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THANK YOU!!
 
TBH with you by the time you've ordered stuff and its come through the post the worst of the splint has dissapeared anyway. I had some DMSO to hand from a injury the horse had before but in the end decided not to bother using it as it is quite powerful stuff, and I don't really like giving drugs unless really necessary. I really cant emphasise enough the power of the old ice cup!
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