Splints

[rachelk]

Hi everyone,
I hope someone can help me.I have a percheron gelding a heavy type who has reccently been diagnosed with splints in his off-side forearm between the muscles( the vet told me the technical name for the site but i can't recall it ) this has made him mildly lame so mild in fact that it is just an uneveness in his stride. He has been like this for some months now. I have given him eight days of bute by the vets recommendation and he was instantly sound again but now that he is off the bute he has come up lame again. Has anyone had similar problems? and if so what was the outcome, I don't want to give too much bute if i can avoid it. My vet says the prognosis is positive but that recovery for this type of injury may take some time. I would appreciate any feedback as I have only owned this horse for approx 18mths and I haven't yet had a chance to do much with him.

[galadriel]

Hmmm...there are various different kinds of splints. Typically they're pretty harmless, as a "splint" is damage to the splint bone--which doesn't actually do anything. Often you get damage to the splint bone and it forms a bit of ossification at the damage site, which isn't pretty but still isn't painful or affecting soundness. (The original injury/impact which causes the splint can still make them lame, but usually only for a week or so.)

I wonder if your horse's splints are affecting his soundness just because of their location--for example if it's forming ossification right next to a tendon the tendon may be a bit tender due to having to go over a new bump.

I'd talk to your vet a little more, find out where the splints are and why they are affecting his lameness. Once you know just what they're doing in his leg, you'll have some idea what needs to happen before he's sound again and how long it will take. For instance, in my example above, the tendon would have to develop a bit of callous which could take a while.

[Tina J]

How old is your horse? Typically splints occur in younger animals. Youngsters get splints more readily than older horses, but also recover more quickly. The big heavy types do take time to mature though, and are more prone to splinting. So try to be patient with your big boy. What may seem a long wait now for him to be sound, will be worth it to keep him sound for the next 20 years!

[DebO]

My horse has a couple of splints and threw one when I first had him. It does make them lame whilst they are forming but don't usually cause any problems. It could be the location of the splint, plus the fact that he is a heavy chap.

I didn't give my horse too long off but if you are concerned get a 2nd opinion.

[rachelk]

Thanks guys,
it's really helpful to get other peoples insights into a problem it's horrible when your beloved friend is not 100%.
Tina, my boy Minty, is 9 years old so he's no longer a spring chicken but he has had soundness issues with previous owner who kept him as a hunter. he has had past tendon damage but this is questionable as i can't pinpoint just what damage this was and there does'nt seem to be any evidence that this was the case. He also suffers from the condition stringhalt. What i am confused about is can a horse have splints so high up the leg? the vet says that the site of the injury is in his forearm. I rode him today and asked a friend to ride him also and he seems to be fine so i'm pleased about that i might just keep working him quietly and contact my vet to clarify a few pointswith him. thanks again!

[Tina J]

Wow, you have been unlucky! Getting splints in a horse that is now 9 and getting them so high up. Neither are unheard of, but both together....... I would have expected, if he had a hard working life, that he would have got splints in his previous work and that it would all be done and dusted by now. Very tough that you are being careful with him, and it happens now! Glad to hear that you can exercise him gently now anyway. Hope he carries on improving. Best of luck.

[cvb]

as others have said, splints form along the edge of the splint bone due to concussion of some form. The area will be warm while the body is laying down extra bone. The difficult splints are where they form near a joint and can interfere with movement.

But your one sounds a bit weird as the splint bone is lower leg, below the knee....

Sounds like a second word with the vet (with a notepad handy to get the names down) would be highly worthwhile.