Your advice and experiences with cold splints (false splints)

[Lydiamae]

Hi All.

As above really. My horse is 14.2hh and 4yrs old. He has 2 splints, a smaller and a slightly larger. Both between 12 and 24 month old splints which he picked up whilst in the field before he started any work. They were incurred from just titting about and catching himself, and no lameness was ever presented, hence the splints being 'false splints'.

I am now (after deciding he will be a ridden pony and not a driving pony) wanting to know if anything can be done about them? I wouldn't usually bother as they have no impact on him, his health or ability, but an inhand show judge did pick up on one last week and it got me thinking.

Can you treat a cold false splint? Do magnetic boots or does Splintex gold help?

Any experiences or advice would be great!

Thanks

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

My horse has a splint and vetted with it, there is no pain with it so it did not bother me. I have not tried any medication or treatment and just leave well alone.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I have known a few young horses throw splints and most go down on there own in a matter of months, my horse had 2 when he was 5 and they went on there own you can only feel them now not see them and his 13 now and has not had any since, don't know if there is anything that gets rid of them although I know much of the stuff you paint on them is not very nice and most horses object to having it put on.

 

[Shay]

A splint is a boney overgrowth isn't it? Surely nothing can reduce the bone once it has formed. (Short of surgery and shaving it away I suppose). You could reduce any swelling over the formation point but that would be about it. Splintex refuse to list their ingredients (or at least nowhere I can find) which in itself would suggest they have no confidence that it actually works.

A splint is a blemish for showing. But absent of any impairment to the horse I would just leave alone.