# broken splint bone



## SO1 (7 August 2012)

My pony has broken his splint bone it was a kick injury he has 6 weeks of box rest before being xrayed again and a big bandage on. He is also at a specialist rehab centre for his box rest as he was refusing to box rest at normal yard (jumped out of his stable). 

I was so shocked when it happened i did not ask the vet all the questions I needed to vet coming back on Friday to change bandage so going to have a list of things to ask.

Does anyone have experience of this injury? How long to recover and what sort of rehabilition did they have - as he is now on full livery at the rehab centre he has access to all the top of the range facilities to help him get better.


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## mjcssjw2 (7 August 2012)

one of mine did this years ago and it took blooming ages to heal, 6 months in the end as it just wouldn't calcify. they can remove a broken bit, they didn't with mine, but it can be done.
My horse didn't have any specialist care, I looked after her, but I would hope with specialist care the recovery should be better.


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## SO1 (7 August 2012)

How long did yours have the bandage on? One the bandage comes off he can hopefully then have hydrotherapy.

They decided not to operate on mine as the break is stable and clean, and there did not seem to be a chip on the x ray, though I am hoping he did not do more damage when he jumped out the stable (at the rehab place he has a grid up!) It did take two weeks to get a diagnosis though.



mjcssjw2 said:



			one of mine did this years ago and it took blooming ages to heal, 6 months in the end as it just wouldn't calcify. they can remove a broken bit, they didn't with mine, but it can be done.
My horse didn't have any specialist care, I looked after her, but I would hope with specialist care the recovery should be better.
		
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## hoggedmane (7 August 2012)

I've had two do this!(and I've only had 4 horses total!!)
The first was a 14.2 mare - the vet pulled the bone chip out of the wound - bandaged with about 8 vet wrap bandages. No x ray - this was 30 years ago. She was sound within a week and I was riding again within a month.

second was a 16.2 TB - x rayed about 4 days after kick. Box rest for 2 weeks and re x rayed which showed an increased gap (normal as the bone recedes as it reabsorbs where the ends die). Further box rest for about 4 weeks and then he came back into work.

Both healed completely and had no further problems.

Hope your pony recovers completely. (and that he gets used to the box!)


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## SO1 (7 August 2012)

He is not actually very lame hardly noticable at all and it was a 2 week gap between injury and diagnosis due to lack of lameness and only a tiny bit of swelling i did call vet out early on but vet originally thought he had an infection and so he had antibiotics for 6 days and she recommended continuing riding in walk and trot as much as possible and turnout - he lives out normally because he does not do stabling.

I am hoping he will return to normal work and will be able to jump etc again. Typically it happened just before I had a few competitions coming up and he had been doing so well.


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## acw295 (7 August 2012)

Just typed really long reply and blasted laptop crashed 

Anyway, edited version here - we are 5.5 weeks post op for splint fracture. She did it on 13th May.

Diagnosed initially as lymphangitis/abscess but after 4 weeks we had xray and it was diagnosed. I had my suspicions after the general swelling went down as friends pony did his last year (made complete recovery!). Molly needed op as had fragments that had no blood supply.

Had pressure bandage for 2 weeks pre surgery and 4 weeks post surgery. Bandage now off, stitches out and we have started inhand walking/grazing.

She doesn't normally like being in but has been brilliant with the box rest. Walking out fine now so hopeful for good prognosis. Vet back in 9 days to reassess.

What part has he broken? Bottom third they usually operate, higher up they usually leave I think.

Molly was in the vets for 5 days for the op, longest 5 days of my life - so glad to have her home. You must be worried sick


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## acw295 (7 August 2012)

Some pics here

Before diagnosis - general swelling and lameness had gone but there was this lump left

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...0817704485849.395348.557680848&type=3&theater

At vets after op

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...0817704485849.395348.557680848&type=3&theater

2 weeks after op, stitches removed

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...0817704485849.395348.557680848&type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...0817704485849.395348.557680848&type=3&theater


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## wench (8 August 2012)

My horse broke one of the smaller bones in one of his hind legs a couple of years ago. Wasnt lame at all... but had a walloping great cut up his leg.

It didnt look like he had broken anything at all, as he wasnt lame. Got some Antib's from the vet, but gunk was still coming out of the wound a week later. 

Vet then brought x-ray out, and basically found out that "one of the bones was just mush". Don't think this had been helped by yard turning him out everyday into a wet muddy field. Vet then took him away to operate on it and clean it out.

He came back a week later and there was still gunk and crap coming out of the wound (vets had stiched him up), but it eventually healed up after about a month of box rest (inc time in hospital).

I was back on him about 8 weeks after he did it, and did not suffer any after effects from it what so ever. In fact he was much better with his jumping afterwards, so I do wonder if he had perhaps fractured it before, and it had never healed properly.


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## SO1 (8 August 2012)

Yes that is where he is and I am really happy with the standard of care they are providing. 

Here is the original injury hard to believe it really does not look like a big deal







Big bandage









Lowand Wide said:



			Is it www.horserehab.co.uk


My friends horse went there for 7 months, so don't worry about the four months.
Marie and Abbie provided great care and my friends mare came home very sound. The spa is amazing and the result was excellant. Her vet could not believe it. My friends horse fractured her pedal and navicular bone and damaged her deep digital flexor tendon
Don't worry he will be very settled and cared for there.
		
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## *Welsh_Ponies* (8 August 2012)

My mare got kicked in the field about 8 weeks ago resulting in a fractured splint bone. This was a big set back for her as I had only just got her back into work having been lame with atheritis in her hocks. Due to the artheritis she couldnt be stabled for any length of time so was put onto very, very small paddock turnout. She is now back into walk work but has total suprised my vet by not showing one step of lameness during the last 8 weeks.


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## ILuvCowparsely (8 August 2012)

SO1 said:



			My pony has broken his splint bone it was a kick injury he has 6 weeks of box rest before being xrayed again and a big bandage on. He is also at a specialist rehab centre for his box rest as he was refusing to box rest at normal yard (jumped out of his stable). 

I was so shocked when it happened i did not ask the vet all the questions I needed to vet coming back on Friday to change bandage so going to have a list of things to ask.

Does anyone have experience of this injury? How long to recover and what sort of rehabilition did they have - as he is now on full livery at the rehab centre he has access to all the top of the range facilities to help him get better.
		
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My mare was kicked in 1995 she sustained a fractures to the splint bone.  Injury happened in Nov 95.  It was touch and go as it was very close to hock and we we concerned  infection into the hock.. I lucked out there it did not. she was on box rest for at least 3 months  then turned out  but got kicked again on the same spot 2 more times so Kept her in then till we moved here.  The horse had a vendetta against her for some reason.  If I had a gun I would have shot it 

 The hole was a 5 p size hole it kept trickling so I called the vet.


 result showed bone shattered in 19 pieces  (which I still have)
 leg is still more filled than the other and she has a scar but it hasn't stopped her in her life.


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## ILuvCowparsely (8 August 2012)

SO1 said:



			Yes that is where he is and I am really happy with the standard of care they are providing. 

Here is the original injury hard to believe it really does not look like a big deal







Big bandage






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My mares kick was just below the hock (still got a small bald spot there)


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## ecrozier (9 August 2012)

No useful info - but I spoke to you on phone when you called Marie! My Roo is your boy's next door neighbour 
He looked pretty chilled out when I was there yesterday.  How long do you think he will be there for?  Roo is probably staying til the end of this month.


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## SO1 (9 August 2012)

Homey is there for at the very least 6 weeks as he will then have an x ray and then if all is well I expect he will some walking on the horse walker and some hydrotherapy and gradual introduction to turnout before he can return to his normal field and 24/7 turnout again. They have said they have never had to send a horse home because they have not been able to cope with its behaviour yet so I am hopeful he will be able to stay until he is completely better

how long has Roo been there? he is the big bay?



ecrozier said:



			No useful info - but I spoke to you on phone when you called Marie! My Roo is your boy's next door neighbour 
He looked pretty chilled out when I was there yesterday.  How long do you think he will be there for?  Roo is probably staying til the end of this month.
		
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## ecrozier (9 August 2012)

Yep he is the big bay next door in the stable with weave bars. He's been there 4 weeks today, and has been great, he won't go in the spa though or rather will go in but won't stay in, tries to jump/barge out. They managed 10 sessions by giving him Sedalin but then we decided that enough was enough so he is just box resting. Third shockwave treatment is next Thursday.


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## SO1 (9 August 2012)

I expect Homey will love the spa as he loves water though he might want to spash about and play as he does that when he goes into a river we hack to.

if your horse does not like the spa then they did well to get him in 10 times! Homey is having his bandage changed tomorrow.

what is wrong with your horse?



ecrozier said:



			Yep he is the big bay next door in the stable with weave bars. He's been there 4 weeks today, and has been great, he won't go in the spa though or rather will go in but won't stay in, tries to jump/barge out. They managed 10 sessions by giving him Sedalin but then we decided that enough was enough so he is just box resting. Third shockwave treatment is next Thursday.
		
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## ecrozier (10 August 2012)

Lol Roo likes water, think he just wasn't so keen on the enclosed part!
He's a slightly tricky one - we don't know exactly what is wrong as they couldn't nerve block him as he hates needles, they managed some, but the only things they found after bone scan and some X-rays etc was a bit of activity in his splint, and possibly a small lesion on suspensory ligament where that splint might be affecting it. My vet isn't convinced that's the problem but either way he's box resting/limited turnout for 3 months, would have been really difficult to box rest him at our yard as everything else is out 24/7. He's done 4 weeks full box rest now, will hopefully do another 3 then move to my new yard where he can start going out into a small paddock for a few hours a day...


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