Has anyone had experience with this device? We are looking at the one for the lower front leg. Or know of anyone?
Thank you
A kimzey splint? Why are considering the use? Like so many things, they can be genius and they can be devastating. With more info, it would be easier to share useful information.
My gelding has 2 ruptured tendons in his front leg and some tears in another tendon. The vet recommended using this splint. Right now he is wrapped - both fronts, he is putting weight on the bad leg but the vet thinks we would have better luck with the splint.
Yes! My mare was in one for 3 months when she severed her superficial digital flexor tendon and had an 80% tear of her deep digital flexor tendon (right hind.) I assume your vet recommended the splint?
It was a LONG recovery for my mare but she did recover. She went back to being a riding horse and has even competed successfully at Novice level eventing.
The splint was necessary for my mare because she was pretty much non-weight bearing. And it helped keep the deep digital flexor tendon from rupturing.
We kept her in standing wraps on both hind legs and the splint went over the standing wraps. The splint itself is easy to use. I had to change her standing wrap every 3rd day or so. I got REALLY good at wrapping since her total stall rest time was 9+ months.
INCA - Did you use the full leg splint or just the one below the knee? The vet wanted us to use the full leg but he won’t be able to lay down which he has done his whole life and I didn’t want to stress him by not letting him do it.
We are hoping he will just be pasture sound at this point - he is retired.
We used the one that goes below the knee. My mare was able to lay down. One reason they didn’t put a cast on her leg was that they were trying to keep her from foundering on her good hind leg. So, she needed to be able to lay down to rest her good hind leg.
But, with a hind leg it might be easier. She could move around her stall with the Kimzey splint on. The whole process was not pretty but we had a positive outcome. She was only 7 and the 1st goal was for her to survive and be pasture sound. My mare is one tough cookie and did really well. But, I’ve been told repeatedly how lucky I was. It was not an easy process to go through. Many tears were shed during that time and I asked the vet a few times if we were being cruel. But, my mare’s attitude was pretty good the entire time and I had her at home and could manage things so she had a buddy (rotated my other horses to keep her company), had a stall that looked outside, etc., etc.
