Conference noted::equitation

    Sounds like a young horse that got "trained" too early.  
    
    If she's really that uncomfortable, talk to the vet about a pain
    medication.  Bute and Banamine are common anti-inflamatory drugs.
    Personally, I don't like to use them unless the horse is very
    uncomfortable.  Sometimes aspirin is useful.
    
    For the splint, cold therapy is useful on new injuries (like within
    24 hours).  The idea is to keep inflamation down.  Once the injury
    is set, heat  therapy is more useful.  Increased blood flow is supposed
    to enhanced healing. I've seen splints treated with everything from
    pin firing (not pleasant), to blistering, to sweating the leg
    (glycerine, furacin, or a linement). The hind end lameness is not
    that uncommon when you try to keep working a horse with a problem
    in the front end.
    
    Definitely give the poor horse some R&R.  Stall rest at first, to
    limit her movement and then some time in the pasture. Preferably
    a lot of time in the pasture. I suspect this horse was put to work
    before her body was ready to cope with the stress. A splint in a
    young horse is a sign that something is wrong - perhaps diet, or
    maybe the workload. In any case, I'd forgo any short term fixes
    and give the horse a chance to heal.
    
    -Maureen
    
    
   

    
    		well did the vet give her a shot of banamine?
    and leave you with 2 shots to give her for two days.
    i would try using beagle oil and wrap, wash it off in the morning
    and do it again in the evening again wash it off the next morning.
    it there is swelling on the splint (cold compress) and other three
    legs on the oil. then after that use reducine on the splint (never
    used it myself).
    		if not but here up and warp the legs see how she is
    in two days and then try and lunge her on soft ground.
    
    		just a thought.
    

    Re .2
    I think you mean Bigeloil.  It's a mild linement - good for minor
    soreness, but not really effective for a splint. Basically, if
    you've got a horse sore enough to need a drug for pain, plain
    old linement won't help much.
    
    Reducine is blister  and useful for splints.  It's a lot stronger 
    than a linement, but works on the same principal of irritating the
    skin to get more blood flow.  Blisters will blister or scurf the skin
    and you have to be careful of scarring and changes to the color
    ofnew hair growth.  Typically, you use it for 3-7 days and then
    let the horse heal for a while. Blistered horses are uncomfortable 
    and are generally not worked during this process. If you need to
    keep a horse working at the same time, a lot of people use WORKALIN.
    Any of these blistering products are best used on the direction of a vet.
   
-maureen
    

    One more idea -
    
    You might try using DMSO in the same way you would a linement. 
    It will produce a lot more heat than a linement, but it's a whole
    lot more pleasant than a blister of firing.
    
    

    re:3yes thats it!!!! (oil) ;^)
    
    anyways i would just use the anti-flam shot with the wraps and then
    work on the splint (later) after shes a little more sound . splints
    to me would cause me little or no worry. i've had performance horses
    with them and doesnt seem to hinder the performance, halter horses
    it might be a little different. dmso.. i use it with glycerine for
    neck sweats.. and used it on a hock once, supposed to work, i really
    cant say good or bad.
    
    
    

    I wouldn't be so concerned about splints, as I have had many horses
    with splints that have been used as both event and competative trail
    horses with no problems.  My concern with this horse would be that
    it is trying to compensate for the pain in its front legs while
    putting the rest of its body at physical risk.  I have a horse that
    bowed a tendon in her right front, and also had a splint in the
    same leg.  I completely forgot about her(well, not really) by giving
    her 14 straight months off, not even getting on her back the whole
    time.  She has healed completely, and its been 3 years and I've
    had no problems, except for occasional filling in her leg when she's
    left standing for a long time.  I realize this can't always be done,
    considering the age of the horse, etc. but give it some thought,
    because I am convinced R & R is the best medicine!!

    Problems like that are the body telling you something.  This baby
    sounds like the training is too much for her.  I'm believing that
    when you mean filly, your describing a horse under 4 years of age.
    I would be very careful just how much training a horse that young
    is receiving.  Horses don't stop growing until around 6 years. 
    Just because the knee and hock joints have closed doesn't mean other
    joints have closed.  Many in the body do not until later times.
     A young horse should be broken carefully, and slowly and not worked
    on the lunge or on his/her back very much at all.  A few times a
    week for a few minutes is good.  There is so much basic stuff to
    teach them at a young age besides carrying a rider. 
    
    I agree with the R&R until this filly is sound, than start training
    by backing off the time spent on it.  Some horses can take a tougher
    schedule (it doesn't mean it's good for them) and others just can't
    which is what this filly could be telling you.
    
    Anyway, that's just my 2 cents.
                                                         
    regards,
    stephanie

	 By R&R,  don't rule out that this may include STALL REST if she
     is  really  sore.  If  she gets turned out and is quiet, that's one
     thing,  but  if  she  runs around, that will probably aggravate the
     condition  and  she  may  be more uncomfortable.

	 Essentially, it's just a waiting game for the splint to do it's
     thing  and  set.  When she stops compensating for a sore front end,
     the back end will recover.

    I put this note in the file for the owners and assumed when they
    told me she was a filly..that she was 3 yrs old. But, she is actually
    5 years old, and she is still very sore!! Looks like she's due for
    a long rest! I gave her owners the replies you all entered in response
    to this note and they were very pleased with everyone's helpfulness
    and ideas! 
    	Her owners are wondering if maybe salt water would help? Could
    they get any results by walking their mare through ocean water as
    a part of therapy? 
    
    			Regards, Nancy