Help with locking stifle and associated issues

tobiano1984

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Last week I wrote a post about my rising 6 cob gelding, he came to us as a 'last chance' from a horrible dealer (case of going to buy a SJ pony and coming back with an extra..) and apparently couldn't be ridden as he bucked as soon as you try to mount. Over the last few months he's improved a lot and can be mounted normally, did a bit of everything.

Then had a couple of major bucking episodes for no apparent reason out hacking, and couldn't turn right in the school. Turns out he has a mildly locking stifle, nothing really noticeable to the observer, but has led to tension in his sacroiliac joint and various issues around his bum.

So I've been advised to rest him for 2 weeks and see how he is, and if still a bit sore to do a bute trial for a couple of weeks and see how that goes.

Just wanted to see if anyone else has experience of this and if so what helped? It's hard to tell whether it's been a long term problem and was what caused his initial problems before we got him, or whether its all unrelated. If only they could talk! His rough time frame is: Came over from Ireland May 2013 (already broken in), was XC'd, jumped etc over the summer and then started chucking people off, turned out at the end of the summer, we got him in Dec 2013, started riding in Jan 14, bucked someone off in Feb when mounting, had some time off just with groundwork, started riding again end of March, fine until a few weeks ago when he had a couple of episodes and then seemed to be unable to turn right in the school.

The osteopath suggested exercises like walking over cavaletti (inhand to start with) and shoulder in, to strengthen his back end and round the stifle. She is hopeful that it's either an injury that can be healed or is something to do with growing. He was pretty scrawny when he came over from Ireland and has grown a lot in the last year so not sure if that's affected it.

Any experiences/recommendations would be great!!
 
I have a mare with stifle issues.She is a nightmare if stabled but responds really well to 24hr turn out. She can buck going into canter but with regular work and plenty of hill work she is fine.
 
He lives out 24/7 and has done as long as I've had him. The stifle issue isn't really noticeable at all, it's more the knock on effect it's had on the surrounding area that's obviously become painful!
 
We had a Shetland who properly locked his stifle. The vet gave us 3 choices - get him stupidly fit so the ligament was always working and there was nothing in the way to stop it moving. Get him obesely fat so that there was too much lard in the way to allow the ligament to move. Or to have the ligament cut. We went for option 3. Sedation, 2in incision, pull the offending ligament up and cut it. Bobs your uncle. It's a useless ligament that does nothing and won't affect them if they don't have it. The pony has never had a days bother again. It might be worth asking your vet if it's an option with your lad?
 
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