weesophz
Well-Known Member
Recently discovered my boy has a small splint in his right fore. i dont really know much about them at all to be honest, can anyone enlighten me?
splints?
- Thread starter weesophz
- Start date
FloydsMum
Active Member
Splints are caused usualy from impact, so for example can be caused by trotting a heavy footed/unfit horse on the roads for a bit to long or if a horse has been in the box and then gets turned out in a dry field with hard ground and has a gallop round sometimes just that can throw a splint.
Some people suggest hosing the leg, but it needs to be with cold water for at least ten mins at a time a soon as the splint appears for this to do much good, If you catch it pretty soon Id try doing that 3 times a day for a week and see if it went down.
A splint is just a boney protrusion and it will not usualy affect the horse once it "sets" (not many go lame even when they have newly happened), however it can sometimes be a cause to be marked down in showing classes, but that depends on the judge I wouldnt worry to much about an old small one.
If you really do want to get it down/ensure it gets no bigger, id hose the leg as above and turn out and exercise in supportive boots for a week or so. Also a large amount of Olbus oil on cotton wool can be placed under the boot over the splint and this has a numbing and cooling effect.
Hope that helps
Some people suggest hosing the leg, but it needs to be with cold water for at least ten mins at a time a soon as the splint appears for this to do much good, If you catch it pretty soon Id try doing that 3 times a day for a week and see if it went down.
A splint is just a boney protrusion and it will not usualy affect the horse once it "sets" (not many go lame even when they have newly happened), however it can sometimes be a cause to be marked down in showing classes, but that depends on the judge I wouldnt worry to much about an old small one.
If you really do want to get it down/ensure it gets no bigger, id hose the leg as above and turn out and exercise in supportive boots for a week or so. Also a large amount of Olbus oil on cotton wool can be placed under the boot over the splint and this has a numbing and cooling effect.
Hope that helps
Last edited:
weesophz
Well-Known Member
ah i see. thank you 
its not causing him any pain or anything, such an odd thing, no heat, nothing!
what about working them? should they be rested or anything? he's out for summer so i dont really fancy having to bring the poor lad in!
its not causing him any pain or anything, such an odd thing, no heat, nothing!what about working them? should they be rested or anything? he's out for summer so i dont really fancy having to bring the poor lad in!
mrogers
Well-Known Member
I've always worked my horses with splints unless they are lame. I would get some splintex down him and rub some hemaroid cream on really hard as many times a day as you can. It helped pull my girls splint down massively
weesophz
Well-Known Member
ok thanks a lot
Wundahorse
Well-Known Member
Vets given us DMSO with dexamethasone for our WB who at the age of almost 13 has recently popped a splint,a big one at that.
Rado
Active Member
I have a middle weight hunter who is plagued by splints, he is slightly offset in his cannons. Only ever been lame with one once though. I've tried all sorts or splint lotions & potions, spent a fortune doing so. I now just cold boot, ice gel/clay & magnetic boots, that's what I personally find most effective. I think they go down in there own time.