Talk to me about Splints! (youngster)

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

OK further to a previous post when my sweet little youngster did a bit of a hissy-fit on me.........

Was "doing" her yesterday, and felt a hard bony lump on the inside of her near fore. No heat that I could feel, she always picks her feet up if I have a feel around, so hard to tell if she was happy with me touching it or not.

She is five. Gypsy cob. 13.2. In light work, just hacking, and I've been soooh damn not to trot her too much on the roads that I shall be pig-sick if she's thrown a splint! Turned out 24/7 with two veterans, so she shouldn't be hooning around!!

I've never had anything with a splint before........ but can't remember ever seeing this lump under her knee up till know - you know how it is, when you're doing them all the time you sometimes don't see what is under your nose! If it HAS been there, am sure the farrier would have noticed it when she was shod a couple weeks ago.

Perhaps this explains the hissy-fit she did earlier in the week (bucking/nappy-type behaviour, but totally untypical of her as she's such a sweet girl normally).

She is not going lame, I can't find any heat. Will get the vet as I'm concerned, obviously, but just wonder what wisdom anyone has??

 

[DabDab]

Splints are generally ok long term, as long as they are not at a size where they might interfere with suspensories and is not a 'knee split', as those can cause issues for the joint.

I'd say that it is more likely that she's knocked it than done it through exercise, which is pants but these things do happen.

Generally if you find them while they are still warm then the immediate treatment is ice and rest.

 

[Red-1]

Generally if you give them 6 weeks off then they are fine. The lump will remain (although they do remodel and become less obvious over the years) but after 6 weeks if you pick up again, starting with walk, then generally you can forget them health wise. Showing my be another matter but I am not into that.

 

[Carrottom]

I had the vet look at mine as she was here for another reason and she advised to use Ekyflogel (sp?) which was painted on for 2 weeks. The splint reduced in size quite quickly which I assume was due to the gel. She advised to keep him in and walk in hand to prevent hooning around in the field which as a 4 year old tb he was likely to do.

 

[tallyho!]

Don't panic. They disappear eventually.

It's a pain if you're showing though.

 

[dollyanna]

Mine was younger but at about 3yrs she had 2 enormous splints come up on her front legs. She was field kept entirely and no hard roadwork, I suspect they might have been related to a bad farrier trim shortly before (switched after that trim) but now you'd never know, they have completely remodelled. I've not treated them at all.