Would you box rest for a splint?

[Tiarella]

My boy has thrown a splint - first noticed around 4 weeks ago. He is mildly lame in trot so just went to walking him 3/4 times a week. He has now had a week off as it was getting worse and I box rested him this weekend so I could ice and cold hose it several times a day. I turned him back out last night for him to be a raving loonatic and this morning it's warm and the ligament behind is slightly puffy too. I'm tempted to box rest him this week, but not ideal as he suffers from a pssm type problem.

There is so much contradicting advise on the Internet!

 

[Michen]

I would probably have a vet look at it if it's still causing problems a month after being thrown.

 

[PorkChop]

I wouldn't box rest for a splint, but would continue with the icing.

However, if it is still flaring up 4 weeks on, it would concern me a bit.

Has he had any bute? How does it look/feel after icing?

 

[Tiarella]

He is on bute at the moment. After the weekend of box rest and ice/cold hose several times a day it was looking/feeling great. Turned him back out and it's back warm but seems sound from what I could tell when he was hooning round the field!

 

[milliepops]

can you make him a smaller pen so that he can potter around outside but not get up to mischief? Agree I'd maybe be wanting to get a professional opinion after that length of time though, even if it's just for peace of mind.

 

[Nugget La Poneh]

I would still be concerned if it is flaring up still, and is on bute. But legs can feel warm after a hoon in a healthy leg.

Each of the 3 times Nugz has had them he's had a day of the world ending (me thinking he's broken it), a day box rest, or until he's happy weight-bearing (no more than 3 days) then turned out. All splints have gone down, not visible unless you go feeling for them.

 

[be positive]

They can take a while to settle down completely, don't forget it is new bone being formed so will vary from horse to horse, I would prefer to turn out in a restricted area if possible and continue to treat every day, box resting is all very well but 9 times out of 10 it will still flare up a bit when they do go back out as they are going to hoon around even more so you may seem to be winning but it makes little difference in the end and at least by having him out it will help his PSSM.

 

[be positive]

I would still be concerned if it is flaring up still, and is on bute. But legs can feel warm after a hoon in a healthy leg.

Each of the 3 times Nugz has had them he's had a day of the world ending (me thinking he's broken it), a day box rest, or until he's happy weight-bearing (no more than 3 days) then turned out. All splints have gone down, not visible unless you go feeling for them.

I have never known a normal splint being formed to cause non weight bearing lameness, that sounds like more of a kick injury that has caused a splint, a fairly common place to get a minor but painful bruise from a kick, or your horse has a very low pain threshold.

 

[Tiarella]

Thanks for your advice guys. I will send my vet a text and see what he thinks.

 

[Nugget La Poneh]

I have never known a normal splint being formed to cause non weight bearing lameness, that sounds like more of a kick injury that has caused a splint, a fairly common place to get a minor but painful bruise from a kick, or your horse has a very low pain threshold.

Very much the latter - he is a wuss.
But to be fair, 2 of the 3 where when my old mare was still going strong, so a kick more than likely. And he's only leg lifting for about 1/2, but is on cow mats in the stable.
But aside from his wussiness, it's never gone on long, and if OP's horse is still potentially having issues after 4 weeks, that would raise queries for me, personally.

 

[Tiarella]

I did think splints could take a long while to settle - around 2 months depending on the horse. I am worried there is a possibility it could be niggling the suspensory ligament, but other than that the actual lump is only small, and is completely hard.

 

[ohmissbrittany]

The thing is that when the fetlock is extended, the tendon rubs the splint bone. So keeping his activity to a walk would be sufficient I would think. I'm also seeing great results with a product called Runners Relief that I've started using on my mare's splint fracture