bella forma help/My show mare fractered lateral splint bone

[Serendipity]

I had a mixed emotion vet day on Mon I found out that my show mare Prueba has fractered her lateral splint bone or the 4th metatarsol tword the tip :cry: .That is of course the bad news but Vet said she will make a 100% recovery :D I have 2 choises to keep her on complete stall rest for 5-6 months and hope it fuses back together or to take her to a bone specalist to have the piece removed. Recovery time should be 2-3 months then so I'm waiting to hear back on when we can get her done and of course how much ( my credit card will love me :roll: ) So if you can please keep her in you prayers and I'll let you know when she goes for surgury.It is possible this happend last Aug. she got kicked and it did not show on the x-ray because of all the swelling then I competed this horse at Nat'l and she did really well I feel terrible that I pushed her and she my have been injuried.But she was never lame ever.Any way I'll keep everyone informed.

2nd now that my mare can not compete she is country pleasure and trail I have my gelding that may be sold(thanks for all the interest) I am running out of show horses I have my colt but I really did not want to show him till next yr with the trainer to help me so that leaves me with my 2 2yr fillies and that means bella forma I have no Idea how to train for this on one or 2 leads its all greek I've done line driving before but use this mainly to teach right ,left,back and whao and to have tings bumping against them and always at a walk.then on one line they tend to be trotty mixing gait and trot gaits like a dream in the field try to drag her around and wants to mainly trot any advice any one like close that I could buy a leasson or 2 from....

[stella]

How could swelling hide bone on an exray? I dont think so! It likely happened later.
The 2yo BF classes tend to be the smallest(those terrible 2"s, I guess!)so that's a plus if you're relatively new at it....makes it more comfortable.
I start my youngsters in the roundpen lunging,and then run the second line across their backs...usually a chain under the chin on the outside line, for added control, since its indirect(off)side......and start moving closer to them, as they go around the ring, stationed by their hip....to make it easier, start at the walk....and ask for more speed at gait, and back and forth....do both ways, so they get used to a person on each side....only later, proceed to a riding ring.....eventually-or if you HAVE one available always- use the second person! In the roundpen is easier to teach forwardness and also collection for gait.

[LynnG]

I had a mare (about age 6) incur a fracture in the upper third of the splint bone. That area was slightly swollen, but also the injury was noticed fairly fast too. The options were pins to hold it together or stall rest with deep shavings for 4-5 months with it wrapped. I opted for the stall rest... and I kept it wrapped and supported. I would take her out for very short periods of walking with the leg wrapped. It healed up beautifully with no lasting physical effect. The first week or so she was a bit stir crazy, but then settled into the routine. I'd rewrap every other day.

She had been wearing egg butt ? shoes backward for founder to relive any toe pressure, and I feel no doubt during her "bossing around" the other horses that backward shoe came up and bumped her splint bone causing the fracture.

[Serendipity]

Our vet said she will be able to go back to her current work with no problem once we get it healed I'm oppting for the surgury because recover will be faster and vet said it was just as safe to remove that piece of bone as it would be to heal it.

Thanks stella on imput on bella forma but how do you get the youngster to gait constiantly my big filly gets excited and will prance and trot plus the only way to keep up with her is to run she has a lot of extention os I guess the question would be how to work them into a frame

[Barbwire]

Nicole, sorry to hear about your mare, but it is good news she can be fixed. I hope all goes well with her surgery, keep us posted.

[Polly Aulton]

We had one with a broken splint bone who did not heal with rest. Her leg also kept opening up and we wound up having to treat proud flesh. It was a mess. Finally she had surgery. She was up and running around really quickly after that. I thought we had a whole new horse.
Polly

[stella]

First, relax her to go at a walk then go to a collected walk....and that's why also, to use a roundpen it slows them down- there's somewhat no where to go, relatively speaking!

I use the outside line with a chain under the chin, sort of like a bosal chinstrap! Then, while at the hip, if I do the pull and release, I simultaneously use my body to drive the hip/butt forward under itself, sometimes you can also use that line against their hip, tapping lightly(usually just seeing it move towards them gets them tucked and forward)and do after the release of the chin, once the head/neck is up...to get the "bascule," collection. Just ask a bit at a time...praise for gait. It IS easier keeping up with a bigger gaited horse- or uncollected one, in the roundpen, and once they're collecting some to shorten the gait, enough for it not to be a problem to keep up, THEN go to the bigger riding ring! And work a "straight" line...going both directions helps develop lateral flexion and the inside stifle and hock more(so BOTH get done)to help collection....hope this helps at least get you started! (and your lungs will build up too, in the roundpen, to keep up! hope yours isnt too deep, harder footing helps gait- and human wind!)

[Serendipity]

I'll give it a try today and see what we get