Splints

[JoJo_]

Found my mare had a splint forming on her left foreleg today!

No idea how she got it. It was quite hot but she wasnt showing any signs of discomfort so just cold hosed. I havent worked her on hard ground and dont intend to either as we are between saddles so have been mainly lunging in a roundpen with a soft surface.

She's only just turned 8. What problems do splints cause? Fingers crossed she will be fine with it and wont go lame at all. Would it make her worth less as she is not clean limbed now? Are people really put off by a horse with a splint?

 

[LankyDoodle]

My horse had splints when he was 4. They cause him no problems, and yours shouldn't either in the long term. Splints are usually formed between 3 and 5 years, so 8 isn't particularly young to be getting them.

My boy is lame at the moment, but it isn't related to the splints he had 4 years ago.

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Splints are quite common JJ but that doesn't mean that everyone would want one as they are formed by stress/injury to the splint bone.

 

[Divasmum]

Once formed they rarely cause lameness. They will devalue a top showing horse but for other disciplines are less of a problem.

 

[TS_]

For a local level riding club or pony club type they won't devalue the horse. My mare has a splint and I still bought her and do everything with her on all surfaces. It just needs to cool and go hard and she'll/he'll be fine.
When I bought my horse I asked my vet about it and he said that the bone is stronger now than it was before it had the splint and not to worry at all.