Locking stifle

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Got the cream

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Hi
Hope somebody has had similar experience and can give me bit of advice

Daughters pony, has delevolped locking stifle 6 weeks ago, vet out on bute, turn out, chiro out, turned out during the day all on course to start excerising this weekend

Friday, locked and kept locking! Vet out jab of bute, course of bute and really no further forward.

Vet said to excerise her and keep doing what we are doing, 2nd option but he was reluctant injection and then the extreme a ligament op, which he said was absolute last resort.

Now my problem, do I allow daughter to ride her in constant walk hacking out and doing straight lines in school? To build up or just keep turning out for next few months over winter?
I am worried that if she is hacking out it locks and something happens and I'm not there, as we do have a very nice natured pony. She has not been rode since first lock and you can imagine I'm a little worried.
Any advice welcome or experiences on how we can progress this problem, as I'm all a little confused as to the best option
Many thanks
 
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Well I don't have a pony with a locking stifle but there are two at my yard. One of them isn't used at the moment but the other is, if he isn't used and kept moving then he starts to lock. If i were you I'd keep doing what you're doing, if the pony isn't really really bad and is walking ok then there shouldn't be a problem with a gentle hack. If anything it should do good. If somthing happens then i'm sure your daughter can get off and lead back, of even make sure she has a really cheep mobile with her just incase and she can ring you if she's stuck. I hope this helps :)
 
we once had a similar problem and we found that riding just in walk was the best approach in the end, as we could control everything and there were no risks of further damage through turnout.
 
Got the cream said:
No my problem, do I allow daughter to ride her in constant walk hacking out and doing straight lines in school? To build up or just keep turning out for next few months over winter?
I am worried that if she is hacking out it locks and something happens and I'm not there, as we do have a very nice natured pony. She has not been rode since first lock and you can imagine I'm a little worried.
Any advice welcome or experiences on how we can progress this problem, as I'm all a little confused as to the best option
Many thanks
Click to expand...

My experience is that it is much better to keep them in work, stay out the school if possible and just hack. My mare has mild stifle lock, and I find that even turned out she still catches but if kept in work then she rarely catches at all. Make sure you have knee boots if out on anything other than grass as if she locks it can cause them to stumble a bit and it's not worth the risk to her knees. Going down hill is harder for them but doing hill work is definately worth it as it will help to build up the muscles.
Personally I wouldn't go for the surgery at all unless there was no other option as it can predispose them to stifle arthritis.

Depending on the age of the horse they often grow out of it, my mare has significantly improved since she was 4 as she's matured. Also if your pony suddenly started doing this then it's possible she pulled something in the leg and as that heals she'll improve.
 
Thanks for replies, settled my mind a bit.
Really want her out exercised but her leg is still sore, when you go to touch tail swishing and turning her bum in stable, which is completely out of character
Don't whether to leave another week or get her out exercised in the next few days. Was hoping the vet would have give me some sort of plan but didn't, I did ask several times! I'm going to ring them again tomorrow.

Somebody mentioned boots, thanks I'm going to look at other boots as well as she is brushing behind, just since the first locking incident
Also she must be going crazy not getting out and exercised and only turn out on her own. Think going to have to put her back in field with others this week
 
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The more exercise she gets the better, even if you need to bute her to get the exercise - strengthening the muscle attached to the patella will help to prevent this.
I did find when my mare was in a small paddock on her own after pulling something she was much worse until she went back in the big field.
 
I had a shetland that locked his stifle. We just had the ligment cut. It's not a major proceedure, an inch and a half slice, hook the ligament, cut it, couple of disolvable stitches and bobs your uncle! If the pony had been in work he could have carried on working once the cut had healed over enough to not split open again - 8-10days. He stayed in the field the whole time and had no problems at all. It will never affect any performance career he has and it most certainly doesnt stop him chasing sheep and racing the tb up the hill for dinner!

The op isn't a big deal and is done under standing sedation in a stable at home. I don't know why more people don't consider it as an option and why vets are so reluctant to do it.
 
One of our tb's had a locking stifle, vet said to do hill work, work in deep menage and anything to build up the muscles, but this made her 10 times worse, so gave her some rest which sometimes seemed to make her better. Found a vet/osteo/physio in Newmarket, turned out her stifles were secondary to a back problem. A year later with going to this vet every 3 months, being taught a remedial way of riding her she now no longer has sticking stifles.. our vet was going to operate as a last resort but the alternative vet we found has worked wonders. She basically found that due to her back being so stiff she couldnt move properly which was aggrovating her stifles. Prevous to that we used a well recommended back person who never picked up on the fact that the mare has a kissing spine, dropped sacrum & a stiff back.

That's just my experience, eery case is different, some do just improve with muscle & work etc, some need an op which I dont believe is a huge deal..
 
We have two horses that have had this problem and I'm sure each case is different. However, our experience is that you can get through it, but it will take time and hard work. Generally standing in the box and small circles in the school are bad. 24 / 7 turnout, hill work, poles, lots of exercise are good. You will have to work through the problems, each time you step up the level of work, you may find there is a reaction before things get better. After 2 years our first is now good everyday, and can stand in for a few days before he gets 'snatchy'. The second is still work in progress and we haven't got his back end strong enough yet to stop the snatching if he comes out of work. We also found that back exercises helped. Our physio gave us a routine of exercises, and they love the carrot stretches! We have been recommended to try weighted boots on our second as he is not tollerating the pole work very well at the moment, and with the lack of light it's difficult to get him out and about. We would recommend that you avoid operating as this should be considered a last resort. Good luck.
 
We have two horses that have had this problem and I'm sure each case is different. However, our experience is that you can get through it, but it will take time and hard work. Generally standing in the box and small circles in the school are bad. 24 / 7 turnout, hill work, poles, lots of exercise are good. You will have to work through the problems, each time you step up the level of work, you may find there is a reaction before things get better. After 2 years our first is now good everyday, and can stand in for a few days before he gets 'snatchy'. The second is still work in progress and we haven't got his back end strong enough yet to stop the snatching if he comes out of work. We also found that back exercises helped. Our physio gave us a routine of exercises, and they love the carrot stretches! We have been recommended to try weighted boots on our second as he is not tollerating the pole work very well at the moment, and with the lack of light it's difficult to get him out and about. We would recommend that you avoid operating as this should be considered a last resort. Good luck.
 
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