| What do you need for the proper care of your | | | | to put yourself in his place. The horse can't tell you |
| horse? Besides things such as horse blankets, | | | | verbally when he's had enough. If you had a sprain or |
| saddles, a horse trailer, the right food, clean water, | | | | a fracture, you would want the same consideration |
| adequate housing and roaming room, a horse brush, | | | | from others. |
| treats, careful training, and lots of love and attention? | | | | The area will feel hot to the touch when inflamed. |
| You need veterinary care. | | | | Help your horse remain calm, keep him or her in an |
| One of the things a horse can encounter includes | | | | area where no one and nothing could spook, hose the |
| something called splints. There are splint bones, not to | | | | hot area with cold water. Allow rest. |
| be confused with the injury itself; however, splints do | | | | Although you should reduce the workload, light |
| affect the area of the splint bones. There is a bone | | | | exercise on a soft surface is recommended to |
| called the cannon that is affected as well. Blind splints | | | | encourage the healing bone growth. It may take a |
| occur between the two. These are harder to | | | | few days of treatment with the cold therapy. |
| diagnose and take longer to heal. | | | | Surgery is possible, but it is not as productive as you |
| The locations of the splint bones run alongside the | | | | would think and may increase the size of the splint |
| cannon bone, being attached by a ligament to the | | | | injury. |
| cannon bone itself. The ligament is called the | | | | Splints are usually caused by a hard hit to the splint |
| "interosseous ligament". Understanding the terms will | | | | bone area, such as another horse's kick. Working on |
| help familiarize you when the vet comes to call. This | | | | hard surfaces is another possible cause, but this usually |
| is helpful especially if you are a first-time horse owner. | | | | will affect both legs at once. |
| Pain and swelling of the bone area occurs on the | | | | When you place your horse on rest and recovery, |
| inside of the leg, just below the knees. It is possible | | | | remember to put that horse blanket to good use. If a |
| for this injury to happen to the back legs as well. | | | | horse is kept warm and comfortable, healing will be |
| Splints normally would happen to a horse up to five | | | | much more pleasant. The horse blanket is like a |
| years of age. | | | | jacket to a horse, and an injured horse may need his |
| The condition can cause lameness for several | | | | jacket more than normal. If he is running fever from |
| weeks. Fast, hard overworking can cause splints, so | | | | an inflammation, he may get chills. If he is recovering |
| please be kind and considerate to your animal and | | | | during the cold weather season, the blanket may save |
| don't expect him to work until he literally drops from | | | | an even bigger vet bill! |
| exhaustion. Especially understand that the work load | | | | If treated properly, complete healing is expected. |
| and pace must be reduced for the horse to heal. Try | | | | |