Young Horse lame splint

[Trinkett]

Hello, I'm here to understand from people that maybe had the same experience even though I already contacted the vet and she'll come next week.
So, 4 weeks ago I brought home my 3yo mare, she was lightly broken in in the past months and I'm doing the rest of the work.
Two weeks ago (saturday 28th) I found a hard bump on the inside of her front left leg, I left her alone and the Sunday I lunged her, she seemed fine but since the bump didn't convince me (I thought it was a splint) I called the vet that came on Tuesday and xrayed and did an ultrasound to make sure what it was and the splint bone wasn't involved, probably she kicked herself in the stall (she is barefoot) and that was the bump. My vet told me that if she wasn't lame I could lightly work her (I work in a very small arena so when I lung her I let her follow the track so she can go straight on the longer sides and I try to no let her turn too much, I'm doing basics groundwork exercises and i put on the Saddle, get on, walk, get off) i started bandaging the leg, cold hosing twice a day and putting on clay.
From last Wednesday to this Thursday she was fine (I don't lunge her everyday, I maybe do two/three days in a row and then a rest day) but Wednesday I lunged her as usual, started on the left rein and she was fine but as soon as I put her on the right rein she was lame on her left front leg. So. I stopped and I just walked after getting on. Called the vet, she told me to rest her and lunge her just to see if she was OK, vet thought maybe she was sensitive on her foot since the arena is a bit hard. Yesterday lunged my horse for 5 minutes and she was perfect. This morning again lunged her and she was lame on the right rein on her left leg. The bump on the leg is warm still, but I don't really know why she is lame on the right rein on the left foot.
She is only 3, I'm very stressed, depressed, tired and I don't really know what to do.

 

[TheMule]

Sounds like classic splint presentation- they're frequently on/off lame and the heat in the area goes up and down.
6 weeks rest, cold hosing (don't bandage and definitely don’t clay, it does more harm than good) and it should settle by itself- you've don’t the right things

 

[Trinkett]

Sounds like classic splint presentation- they're frequently on/off lame and the heat in the area goes up and down.
6 weeks rest, cold hosing (don't bandage and definitely don’t clay, it does more harm than good) and it should settle by itself- you've don’t the right things

So it's normal that she is lame only on one rein and not the other?

 

[TheMule]

So it's normal that she is lame only on one rein and not the other?

It's likely that’s she's lame both ways but more noticeable one way as there's more force being put down that part of the leg where the pain is.
I would not work a horse with an unsettled splint at all- they settle quicker and with fewer issues if you reduce the forces on the leg

 

[Trinkett]

It's likely that’s she's lame both ways but more noticeable one way as there's more force being put down that part of the leg where the pain is.
I would not work a horse with an unsettled splint at all- they settle quicker and with fewer issues if you reduce the forces on the leg

The "problem" is that it's not a real splint, the splint bone is not involved and not even the splint ligament is involved, so I thought it was different than a real splint?

 

[Carrottom]

Whatever the origin of the lump it seems that lungeing is causing inflammation and lameness. I would stop lungeing for a month and walk out in hand, you can still put the tack on sometimes if you are worried about that. I used Ekyflogel from the vet which reduced the lump considerably.

 

[TheMule]

The "problem" is that it's not a real splint, the splint bone is not involved and not even the splint ligament is involved, so I thought it was different than a real splint?

It doesn’t really matter if it's a true splint or related to trauma on the cannon bone. You have some bony re-modeling and that is causing pain. Worst thing you could do is to continue to stress the limb and risk it becoming a bigger problem that may start to impinge on the suspensory ligament

 

[Trinkett]

It doesn’t really matter if it's a true splint or related to trauma on the cannon bone. You have some bony re-modeling and that is causing pain. Worst thing you could do is to continue to stress the limb and risk it becoming a bigger problem that may start to impinge on the suspensory ligament

Thank you!!!!!

 

[Goldenstar]

On a young horse I would rest keep it cold and do shock wave therapy this works very very well for splints and in a horse of that age it could reduce the size of the splint enormously .

 

[Trinkett]

Whatever the origin of the lump it seems that lungeing is causing inflammation and lameness. I would stop lungeing for a month and walk out in hand, you can still put the tack on sometimes if you are worried about that. I used Ekyflogel from the vet which reduced the lump considerably.

Since she is so young I Still want her to be able to move, do you think I can put her in the paddock? Evert time I put her in she stated quite calm, only galloping and bucking a little but nothing eccessive

 

[ycbm]

The "problem" is that it's not a real splint, the splint bone is not involved and not even the splint ligament is involved, so I thought it was different than a real splint?

I don't think you know this yet. Bone changes "brew" and cracks and growths are often seen on an x ray after 2 weeks that weren't visible on early x rays.

It sounds like a classic splint type issue to me and they generally only need rest to come right.

I have always turned them out and never had one not come right.

 

[Trinkett]

I don't think you know this yet. Bone changes "brew" and cracks and growths are often seen on an x ray after 2 weeks that weren't visible on early x rays.

It sounds like a classic splint type issue to me and they generally only need rest to come right.

I have always turned them out and never had one not come right.

I'm telling that I don't know if it's a real splint because the vet told me this! After x rays and ultrasound

 

[ycbm]

I'm telling that I don't know if it's a real splint because the vet told me this! After x rays and ultrasound

Yes I know. I'm just telling you that later x rays often show a different story.

I had a lame horse whose x ray was fine, nothing to be seen at all. Two weeks later there was a very clear sequestrum, where a piece of bone was detached. It's what happens sometimes with x rays.

 

[Trinkett]

Yes I know. I'm just telling you that later x rays often show a different story.

I had a lame horse whose x ray was fine, nothing to be seen at all. Two weeks later there was a very clear sequestrum, where a piece of bone was detached. It's what happens sometimes with x rays.

I think so too because it's too near the end of the splint bone and since she's 3 I really think it's just a common splint and I don't really know why the vet said that ??
I'm a little scared about turning her out since she has this splint and I'm scared that she would stress the splint even more? Idk she doesn't do much in the paddock but still!

 

[ycbm]

I barely ever have a horse that doesn't get a splint, it seems to be par for the course keeping young horses on steep hills. I always turn them out, and out of at least 10 horses they have always come right in 4-6 weeks with no other treatment. I don't care about lumps though. Treating it might reduce the eventual size if that worries you.

 

[Trinkett]

I barely ever have a horse that doesn't get a splint, it seems to be par for the course keeping young horses on steep hills. I always turn them out, and out of at least 10 horses they have always come right in 4-6 weeks with no other treatment. I don't care about lumps though. Treating it might reduce the eventual size if that worries you.

The size doesn't seem to be a problem because it's quite far from the ligament, but my vet suggested shock wave and my coach too so I think I'll have them
Thank you so much for sharing your experience, this is my first young horse and I just brought her home and already had some problems so I'm quite depressed about it ?

 

[Carrottom]

I would definitely turnout daily, if not 24/7.

 

[Trinkett]

I would definitely turnout daily, if not 24/7.

Unfortunately I don't have the possibility to turn her out 24/7 but I'll put her out every afternoon now and maybe I'll move her where I keep my retired horse where they have personal paddock + stall for the next year

 

[ihatework]

I have to say I’ve never box rested one throwing a splint. I stop all work but do turn out on their normal routine and then just ice and bute. Bone remodels, I try not to interfere

 

[Red-1]

TBH, with a 3 year old, if I got it right that she is working in the school 3 days then one day off, I would knock that on the head as it has not worked for her.

For a 3 year old, I like to back, ride away then turn away over the hard keeping winter months, starting again in spring.

I think, for a 3 year old, turning out for some time in the afternoon alone would lead to mischievous behaviour.

As you have the option for proper turnout, in a herd, with your other horse, I would go for that.

I did once keep a 3 year old in work through winter, we had good hacking. She had most of the day in a big field with others, and was therefore level headed for some walking out. I still feel that I did too much, too soon. She was a horse who seemed to have nothing major, but a lot of niggles through her life. I wonder if I would have had less niggles if I had turned her away cleanly for a few months. She was a TB type, but not in racing.