Tell Me About Splints?

[Woolly Hat n Wellies]

Unfortunately my yearling was kicked in the field a few weeks ago. He's been going through a 'pest' phase and probably just pushed one of the others a bit too far. It came up in a bump on the inside of his front leg, a bit below the knee. It had a cut on it, which scabbed over, but he wasn't lame on it at all, and wasn't bothered about the bump being touched or prodded. There was a little bit of warmth in it initially, but it went away quickly. The bump stayed for about a week and then reduced in size almost overnight, leaving a smaller, hard bump. We didn't call the vet as he wasn't in pain, we kept the cut clean, and he was completely sound on it. Obviously he's not in any work as a yearling, so he's essentially on field rest anyway. The smaller bump hasn't gone away, and when the farrier came to trim him today he said it was a splint.

I'm a little bit gutted about it, but as a BOGOF of unknown parentage he hardly had a glittering HOYS career in front of him, I suppose. It is what it is and we'll just have to deal with it. It shouldn't stop him being a future safe sensible low-level all-rounder, should it? (This is my ambition for him)

I have no experience with splints. Can anyone tell me more about them or direct me to a good source to read about them? Is there anything at all I can do to try to reduce it? The farrier suggested that, as he still has a lot of growing to do, it might become smaller as he grows up.

 

[PorkChop]

They often go away by themselves tbh.

Apart from initial ice/cold on the area there isn't a lot you can do now.

Trust me, if that is his only injury before being backed, count yourself lucky

 

[gunnergundog]

There's plenty of high level competition horses with splints and so long as the splint doesn't impact on any of the soft tissue attachments then they normally cause no problem whatsoever and are purely cosmetic. Okay, they are ****** if they appear on a horse you intend to show, but otherwise no real cause for concern in my experience.

Years ago we used to paint splints with DMSO to reduce them - not sure if that is still available, but worth a call to your vet to inquire if you decide you can't live with them.

Have known one horse to have a splint virtually the size of a small hen's egg with no ill effects whatsoever.

Make sure that your farrier stays on top of his medial-lateral foot balance though.

 

[tristar]

one of our yearlings got one in the summer, just left it alone and now its gone.

 

[Sukistokes2]

Once it's healed it will cause no issues. The only time to be concerned is if they are to close to a joint. My lad has a chain splint , also caused by a kick in the field. As it was quite bad took a while for him to go sound, vet was unconcerned. Once sound I brought him back to work and he was fine. In younger horses the bumps can reduce and even vanish.