As the horse is an athlete, injury to the legs is very common. Working a horse too hard when he is not properly fit can lead to problems and lameness.
Strains happen when the horse's movement is at its most strenuous. If you make a horse gallop when he is unfit or force him on in heavy going, or when he's tired, the muscles can no longer use their elasticity to cushion the shock. The shock is then thrown upon the tendons. As these have very little elasticity - unlike the rubbery muscles - they strain or even rupture. The foreleg muscles take the most weight and are more quickly fatigued than the larger ones in the hindlegs, so strains occur more frequently in the forelegs.
They are also more likely to affect the flexor tendons which are responsible for lifting the leg off the ground. The extensor tendons carry the leg forward after it has left he ground, they have less work to do and take less strain.
The best way to prevent your horse from staining his legs is never to gallop him when he is unfit, and never push him on when he is tired.
Once a tendon has become stretched beyond it's limit - strained - the horse is usually lame with considerable swelling and pain if you press the area. In severe cases the back tendon area 'bows' outward. Call the vet as surgical treatment may be necessary.
Luckily lameness because of tendon trouble is not usually so severe - the severity depends on the number of fibres ruptured. But even with mild strains, rest the horse, bandage the leg, and call the vet.
Strains can occur in the ligaments. Ligaments hold the bones together and are made of fibres like tendons, but they are even less elastic.
Shock from fast work on hard ground or general overwork in an old horse can cause strains. If the horse slips, and the legs are splayed outward in an unnatural angle this may well wrench a ligament.
Try not to work your horse at swift paces on hard, stony surfaces. As he gets older, reduce his jumping work.
All 'cures' depend on helping the body's natural mechanism for repair of damaged tissue. Rest is the most important factor in healing any injury. It lets the body right itself naturally. However, most horses need gentle exercise after a few days - walking for short periods several times a day - to pump away unwanted fluid from the injury. Ask your vet for advice.
After the pain and swelling have gone down, you can turn the horse out into a small, level paddock where he cannot gallop about. Bring him back to fitness in easy stages, strains can take up to 18 months to heal.
A splint is the layman's term for a firm swelling found on the splint bone where it connects to the cannon bone. Splints occur mostly in the foreleg - you can feel a hard lump on the inside of the leg. If they occur in the hindleg, they are generally on the outside.
There are two splint bone; one on either side of the cannon bone in each leg. They are held to the cannon bone by ligaments. In young horses these ligaments may become inflamed.
After the age of four the splint bones are fused to the cannon bone. Splints occur as a result of concussion, for example, when an immature horse is given excessive work on hard ground. Faulty shoeing can also be a factor, as it puts an uneven strain on the leg.
The swelling can be any size. The horse may, or may not be lame, depending on the position of the swelling and the extent of the injury.
When they are forming, splints feel spongy with some heat, and are painful when pressed. To examine for splints, lift the leg and run your finger and thumb along the groove at the back of the cannon. Do not mistake the nodules at the lower end for splints as there are natural 'buttons' at the bottom of he splint bone.
Rest and reduced work is all that is generally needed with a young animal. With a mature horse, splints that feel cool and are not high up do not cause lameness and don't really pose a problem. Call the vet to make sure there is not a fracture of the splint bone.