What they are

A splint affects a horse between its splint bone and cannon bone and is a soft swelling or a bony enlargement. Splints can vary in size from a tiny bump to a large swelling. Its symptoms can be as minor as an unsightly blemish on your horse or as severe as heavy lameness. A splint that is acute or new is often accompanied by heat, swelling and pain. Old splints, also called cold splints, turn into hard bumps or blemishes and are no longer painful for the horse.

What causes them

Several causes lead to splints, but the syndrome is most common in young horses where the ligament that attaches the splint bone to the cannon bone has yet to harden into bone. When this ligament stretches or tears new bone is laid down, resulting in a firm swelling. Splints in young horses typically occur on the inside of the front legs, where they bear most of their weight. 

This syndrome can occur in hoses of any age if they suffer a trauma or blow to the leg. These traumatic splints occur in either the outside or inside of the leg. They happen just as frequently to the hind legs as they do to the front legs.

Treating horse splints

Horse owners who suspect that their animal could be suffering from a splint should have their veterinarian radiograph the splint to be sure there is no fracture. Some young horses can continue to work through splints if their training is gradual and no fracture has been found. 

To help reduce the size of the lump, you should wrap the leg and let the horse rest until the splint cools out, meaning that there is no longer any heat or pain. It is a good idea to alternate between cold therapy and sweat wraps to reduce the tissue reaction and the size of the lump. The size of the splint will only go down while the splint is hot. In most case a permanent blemish will remain, but the horse will more than likely not be lame.

When lameness occurs

Lameness can occur with large splints even after they are cold. This is usually due to bone growth that interferes with the movement of the ligaments and tendons at the back of the leg. The sooner you spot the problem and take extra precautions, the less likely it is that your horse will suffer lameness from a splint.

For more information on splints and horse health, visit your local Seattle vet clinics at www.seattleveterinarianclinics.com