# I think her splint popped.... Now what?



## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

I can still be a splint. Some of the swelling you were seeing before probably was more stocking up than swelling.

You were working with your vet before, right?

Call them and tell them that Ricci is hurting herself staying in her stall what do they want you to do?


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

Yeah, I'm waiting for him to call me back, I called after office hours last night and left a message for him to call me when he had a chance. It's ridiculous though. I leave her in, she'll hurt herself. I put her out, she'll hurt herself. Why don't they know what's good for them? Haha.

Oh snap! Forgot pictures! Haha.

Her bad leg. The picture I took looking right at the cut was "too large" for my phone to send. I'll try to get another one, I only have pictures from behind.









My finger is right below where the swelling from the injury was/is, but I took these before it popped.









Her normal leg.









And because she's pretty, she's really pretty, and I'm an idiot with a death wish. =]


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

That is a pretty high splint.


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

So would you still think it is one?

She was never seen by the vet for this. I just thought a splint was the worst thing it could be. It was all I could think of at the time. I suppose it is more likely that she just hit herself with the branches really hard, that was my first "diagnosis" but I didn't want to take the chance. But you know how you can get smacked really hard and it somehow turns into a calcium deposit? That's what I was thinking.

Do you think it needs to be looked at/x-rayed by a vet? Is there something even worse than a splint it could be?


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

It could still be a splint, even that high. IF you are doubtful, it won't hurt to have her looked at by her vet...then you will know for sure. 

Obviously stalling is not really helping it...perhaps they can be turned out normally, and just keep it wrapped. Or pen them in adjoining pens, so they are 'with' each other, but not with each other...so then less likely to act like complete idiots in the pasture? 

I'm not really sure, what to tell you other than maybe cold soak it, a couple times a day, and get a second opinion. I've had horses with splints, but none were ever lame as a result, or atleast they were really good at faking not hurting :/


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

Splint, definitely. Jynx popped hers and they're almost a dead giveaway due to location and the hardness to them.

According to everything I read, splints are extremely painful and take awhile to harden with intense lameness. Jynx, however, bless her heart chose to be one of those horses I found enjoy defying medical books. She managed to pop the splint and heal it in a matter of about 4 days. She was never lame, never hot, never anything, just BAM, WTF IS THAT?! In talking to other people, I found it's actually more common then you'd think considering the medical books sure as heck don't tell you it's possible!

It's actually not high up at all, it's right where the end of the splint bone which is the most common area for them because it's such a tiny bone and such an unsupported area at this age. Jynx has a quite high up splint bone, right below her knee which is unusually high.

If it's already cold and hard to the touch with no lameness, I wouldn't worry about it. It means it's "healed" in splint jargon - the time to be worried is when it's soft, hot and painful. As a splint heals, the body channels calcium (bone) to the area because that's what a splint will be once the body converts the ligament holding it to bone. When a splint is fresh, re-injuring it multiple times causes the body to keep channeling calcium to heal it and can make it big enough to interfere with movement. If it's already cold and hard, it's healed whatever damage it felt was caused and is "happy" now.

Funnily enough, after finding Jynxy's (which is enormous by splint standards) I went and checked the others - Zierra is fine, but Justus actually has one that nobody EVER noticed!

Photos of Jynx's:




























It's actually gone down now, which they also tend to do. Just surprising that she managed to do this within 4 days! I noticed it IMMEDIATELY and I KNEW it wasn't there when I'd seen her 4 days prior to that!


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

OH yes, I for sure would guess splint if I saw that injury on my horse. I was just saying it is a high splint. 

On lots of things vets now say to keep the horse where ever they stay the most calm. This would probably fit into that category. Though you really should ask your vet.
My horse is currently healing a ligament injury. He has access to a small paddock. It is enough to allow him to move around some, be outside and get that stimulation, but not big enough that he can get up a good head of steam and run around like a total freak. 
(And yes, I totally know that ligaments and splints are two totally different things, just giving an example of 'where ever they stay the most calm' type set up.)

Are you keeping it wrapped? I would suggest keeping it wrapped/protected.

X-rays probably are not necessary unless the horse does not become sound with in a reasonable amount of time. (Been there, done that, have the t-shirt.)


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

Thanks guys! =]

I'm STILL waiting to hear back from my vet. I missed his call yesterday and he's not working today. I don't want to explain the whole situation to a vet that's never seen her, and I don't feel it's a "life or death" type thing that I NEED someone now, you know what I mean?

I did put her outside this morning with polo wraps on her front. She's still lame, and there is still some soft swelling but it's not warm to the touch. When I initially talked to my vet, he said give her about two to three weeks and if she's still lame then, she should be x-rayed. The only thing he suggested that I didn't do was Bute her, because I don't have any.

And again, thank you all, it makes me feel a lot better. I'm willing to beg, borrow, and steal the money for a vet when/if she needs one, but from what you all are saying and what my vet said, it doesn't seem she needs one just yet. =D

EDIT: I think I might have a pair of splint boots, should I try and fish those out for her are would the polo's be enough? I wouldn't think it would be practical to keep her no-bow wraps on, but I figure I'll throw that out there as well. She's just in her plain ol' polos now. And I picked up all the sticks so she shouldn't bang herself again or tear the wraps off.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

I would no bow and wrap at night and put her splint boots on during the day if she is going to be outside. 

I know from personal experience it is hard to keep the wraps on right, with out making them too tight, if you are including turn out.

With her still being lame it is a tough call though.......



Note - I am not a vet and I do not play one on TV or the internet.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I personally wouldn't worry about it unless the lameness is very persistent. That is a pretty small splint and after it is all healed, you probably won't even notice that it's there. I would go ahead and turn her out like normal and not even worry about the boots or wraps (I would be afraid of her hanging them on something). I would also avoid the bute. If she is ouchy, that is her body's way of telling her to take it easy and protect that injury. If she is buted and not feeling that pain, she could get to running and playing and hurt herself worse. My boy Denny is one of those that has suffered multiple splint fractures in his life. Some people say that certain conformation will make a horse more prone to it but IDK how true that is. His started as one lump about the size of Jynx's many years ago and they just seemed to multiply on both front legs. I am very careful to keep boots on him when I ride but that isn't feasable when he's turned out to pasture. It may look ugly but he has never taken a lame step. Some horses do and others don't. I think it depends on their individual pain tolerance and how the initial injury occured.

You can see the bony growths that start nearly at the knees and continue midway down the cannon bone.


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