Huge splint - no heat or lameness - what to do?

[cyndi]

I first noticed the splint about two months ago. Seemed to pop up overnight. Most likely related to hard playing in the pasture. Horse is 5. No heat, no swelling, no lameness. Has been in steady work/turnout since.

Today I noticed the splint has grown by probably 100% - also pretty much overnight. It is now almost the size of a GOLF BALL (split in half). Again, no heat, no lameness, no tenderness to the touch.

I have heard that people sometimes have splints removed surgically, but wonder how much down time, or any possible complications. I know a splint should only count as a ‘blemish’ but not sure how he would be scored in hand due to this. This is a half Arab Oldenburg that has won several in-hand regional championships in the sporthorse division. His first job is as a dressage horse, tho, so if he has to ‘retire’ from in hand competition, so be it.

I usually lean toward the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach, but honestly I’ve never seen a splint this big in my 30 years of horse ownership.

[Addison]

I would just keep an eye on it and leave it alone unless it develops heat and/or tenderness. I’ve seen several that have no clinical symptoms other than the “golfball” blemish.

[allpurpose]

Our knucklehead OTTB who doesn’t where his feet are gave himself a huge splint kicking at a fly 3 years ago. Inside left hind cannon bone, just below the hock. No heat, no swelling, not lame on it, ever!

We try to protect it with an extra tall hind boot when he’s being ridden, but he occasionally come in from the pasture with it swollen and huge. Its placement is just prime for getting hit and irritated.

We cold hose, DMSO, and keep an eye on it. It always goes down to it’s usual ginomous size after a few days. Hope yours is as beneign as our Blue’s is!

[jcotton]

I would watch it and see. It should recalcify. If he’s not lame, not having heat with it or swelling with it, be aware of it and keep working him.

What does your vet think?

I don’t think surgery is always necessary or a first option for many.
I had an eventer that had a splint that was removed, left a nice of white hairs from the surgery. The surgery was done when he was young, long time before I owned him. I acquired him when he was 12yrs old.

My 10 yr old has a splint that has never given him any trouble. Now his crappy Tb feet are another issue.

[Calamber]

I would recommend that you have it xrayed to see if it is broken, especially if it has grown so big. Sometimes there is no heat and no lameness even when broken. Better to be safe than sorry.

[Fairview_Horse_Cente]

I don’t about the Arab shows, sporthorse classes, but for USDF Dressage Sporthorse breeding, splints won’t matter.

I had a 5 year old develop 2 huge splints. I was very “green” at the time, and super worried. I had the vet treat them, including an internal blister, horse locked up for several weeks, wearing a cradle. <ugh!>

Well, they came down to almost nothing. As soon as I turned him back out, they came right back to full size, but now sported white hair on them.

Ok, lesson learned. The horse stayed sound and jumping courses for 20 more years. At first, the splints were walnut sized, but began to not stick out so much, but got longer, up and down the cannon, beginning just below the knee. They ended up sticking out about 3/4 of an inch, but extending about 3" down the legs (both front) Over the years, the splints got smaller and smaller, until they were barely able to be seen.

[Soldier06]

Agree on the x-ray, better safe than sorry.
But I had a crash on my pony through a stone wall, resulting in 2 golf ball splints (one on each front). Did the whole DMSO/bute thing w/no real success. About a year later our vet gave us a tube of Surpass for the accident prone big horse, and told us to rub some on the pony’s splints to see what happen. No joke, if his legs aren’t clipped you can’t see them, and if they’re clipped you can slightly see them upon close inspection.

I rub Surpass on EVERYTHING, accident prone one gave himself a lump (very small can’t see but you can feel it) so I rubbed Surpass on it for 2 days, gone. Also used it when he tried to remove both his extensor tendons by rearing into the fence and severely bruised them. Used it on a bursa in his hock as well, and for swellings from shots.

Great stuff.

[cyndi]

Never thought about Surpass for this! I have a tube. Will also call my vet tomorrow.

Arab SH in hand classes are judged by either USEF dressage judges with a SHB card, preferably, or USEF hunter judges. The splints would be OK with the dressage judges, but doubtful with hunter judges. The hunter judges I’ve shown for counted off for bumps, hair missing from normal horse stuff, etc. Need I say we do better with dressage judges since my guy is turned out 12 hours a day and PLAYS HARD. Which is, I am sure, how he got the splint in the first place.

[Alpha_Mare]

second the Surpass

I would second the Surpass, and lighten the work for 2-4 weeks to see if it responds. By lighten, I mean just walking and not much in the way of circles. Let it go down.

If horse is hairy for winter, clip that area to get the surpass really worked into the skin.

I have had one (splint) that did disappear with surpass, but took a month ‘off’ to very lightly work her (4 year old at that time) and it went down 50% during the month and the remaining 50% over the next 2 months with gentle increase in work.

[Carol_Ames]

ICE1

Good luck!

[sar2008]

Surpass. I had a youngster pop a GINOURMOUS splint and after a month of daily treatment…it was gone.

[system]

My tb had a high splint on the inside of his hind leg. He never had a problem on it, until one day I pulled him out of his stall and he was 3 legged lame. We had it X-rayed and he fractured the splint in two places. The initial diagnosis was 4-6 weeks. We’re just starting back to work after 6 months off. My vet and the surgeon we sent the x-rays to both said it is completely healed and it should be stronger now. It still worries me though because it is huge! I don’t want him to hit it again and repeat what we just went through.

[system]

Surgery for splint- whats the recovery?

Our TB has been lame for a while due to a fractured splint. After xray the vets are recommending surgery because the lameness is not resolving and there is callous area that is probably aggravating the situation. He was in training for a jumper team event and we are so sad that he is out for while. Has anyone experienced this type of surgery? How long was your horse out of competition?

[EqTrainer]

Xray it and have your vet palpate it to be sure there is no impingement on any other structure.

As far as splint surgery goes, IMO it is akin to having a hang nail removed other than laying the horse down… no big deal. Out of work IME for 6 weeks.

[Maggiemoy]

This information has been very helpful to me. Last Fall, my then 8 year old TB/QH popped a huge splint on is Right medial front leg below the knee. I honestly missed it I thought his issues were behavioral or related to a back issue. Never dreamed he had a splint. It was never hot nor was he obviously lame. Just one day a huge knot appeared. I used Surpass and Back on Tract boots, it did go down. Fast forward to this summer. After several weeks of hot dry weather no matter what I did to my arena the ground was hard, the pastures were hard and stomping flies etc. He began giving me issues again under saddle, wrong leads, nervousness etc.(This is a schooling second level horse) After having his feet done he was beside himself the next day, squealing while lunged and shifting his weight side to side. I thought perhaps it was his feet. Took him back to the barn to take care of them then discovered 2 small splints on both front legs a few inches above the fetlock. No heat, not sensitive to touch. Again cold hosed and used Surpass and Poultice. After about a week I noticed the older large splint started to get bigger and my horse was off just enough that I knew something was not right. It seems I have one good ride 40 minutes WTC,lateral work, some hacking out, the next day the splints feel larger (still no heat) and he feels off. My question can an old splint change like this? I had 2 Vets check it and say it was OK and to go back to work based on it being cold and non tender. It has never been X Rayed. Is it too late now? If it was fractured shouldn’t I have seen more lameness? Heat and swelling? Is a healed splint stronger or weaker bone?

[kiwichick]

Yup got one here too.
My guy had a smallish splint when he arrived, and then literally like yours it came up huge overnight, but was hard and not sore to palpate. I had it checked and there was no active inflammation. I turned him out for 10 weeks (finishing next week) and did a lot of back on track, poltice and DMSO treatment, made no difference whatsoever.
Its location doesnt interfere with the tendons, and my horse has never had a day off NQR over it. Its still huge.
Ive thought about having it removed, but as he is pigeon toed (only slight) its there for compensatory reasons so im reluctant too. Im going to keep an eye on it. My main worry is a late fracture to it, but do you worry about what might happen, or what is happening.

Good Luck