| What they are | | | | Treating horse splints |
| A splint affects a horse between its splint bone and | | | | Horse owners who suspect that their animal could be |
| cannon bone and is a soft swelling or a bony | | | | suffering from a splint should have their veterinarian |
| enlargement. Splints can vary in size from a tiny | | | | radiograph the splint to be sure there is no fracture. |
| bump to a large swelling. Its symptoms can be as | | | | Some young horses can continue to work through |
| minor as an unsightly blemish on your horse or as | | | | splints if their training is gradual and no fracture has |
| severe as heavy lameness. A splint that is acute or | | | | been found. |
| new is often accompanied by heat, swelling and pain. | | | | To help reduce the size of the lump, you should wrap |
| Old splints, also called cold splints, turn into hard | | | | the leg and let the horse rest until the splint cools |
| bumps or blemishes and are no longer painful for the | | | | out, meaning that there is no longer any heat or pain. |
| horse. | | | | It is a good idea to alternate between cold therapy |
| What causes them | | | | and sweat wraps to reduce the tissue reaction and |
| Several causes lead to splints, but the syndrome is | | | | the size of the lump. The size of the splint will only |
| most common in young horses where the ligament | | | | go down while the splint is hot. In most case a |
| that attaches the splint bone to the cannon bone has | | | | permanent blemish will remain, but the horse will more |
| yet to harden into bone. When this ligament | | | | than likely not be lame. |
| stretches or tears new bone is laid down, resulting in | | | | When lameness occurs |
| a firm swelling. Splints in young horses typically occur | | | | Lameness can occur with large splints even after |
| on the inside of the front legs, where they bear | | | | they are cold. This is usually due to bone growth that |
| most of their weight. | | | | interferes with the movement of the ligaments and |
| This syndrome can occur in hoses of any age if they | | | | tendons at the back of the leg. The sooner you spot |
| suffer a trauma or blow to the leg. These traumatic | | | | the problem and take extra precautions, the less |
| splints occur in either the outside or inside of the leg. | | | | likely it is that your horse will suffer lameness from a |
| They happen just as frequently to the hind legs as | | | | splint. |
| they do to the front legs. | | | | |