Locking stifle

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char.lotte

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Hiya everyone,
I'm after some advice on dealing with locking stifle, I'd like to preface that the vet is coming out early next week.
He had it as a youngster but grew out of it and it hasn't happened in years. He has just had a week off due to the ice. He was out 24/7 during the icy spell. He is due the farrier this coming week.
On Weds he felt off going down the big hill straight off the yard, so when I got to the bottom I trotted him up and he was totally fine. I put it down to the bad footing and him finding the hill hard after having a week off due to the ice. No biggie, we carried on as he was totally fine wtc, he was fresh, seemed eager to go and happy in himself. Got him out today and he was dragging his leg along (bloody terrified me) he unsticks himself without needing to be reversed but it happened after him standing still for any period of time. Took him out in hand and he was totally fine after about five mins...
I can't find anything online about a stifle that only locks while being warmed up/ after standing? What has caused this? Is locking stifle a flaring up kind of condition or is he likely to have been kicked/fallen over/ run round on hard ground/ not had enough movement etc?
What do I do in this situation, he was very fresh so I put him in the school and he had a right hooley so I did end up getting on and riding him and he was totally fine, seemed exactly like his usual self which was really weird, it didn't lock once! Obviously you guys aren't a replacement for professional opinions, vet is coming but in the meantime what do I do? Should I continue to ride him (obviously would get straight off if it locked with me on) as he hasn't done it after a warm up, or should I completely stop? I only rode due because everything I could find said that the more movement the better, is that right? He is a lami boy so no hard work really isn't an option. Do correct me if I am wrong but I have read that lunging and downhill work is bad for this but poles/raised poles and uphill work is great for it. Is this ridden or inhand, which would be most beneficial? We are in a hilly area so from now on I will be building muscle in his hind legs by doing poles till we are sick and inhand up the massive hill. Will do the massive hill at least once a week, probably twice and poles as often as I can - the general consensus is that this is what is best from what I have seen, is that correct?
Sorry for the long post, very worried over here just want him to be all okay! Thank you all!
 
Obviously listen to your Vet but general consensus for locking stifle is to keep the muscle built up around it to prevent it from slipping out of the joint. As you said, walking raised poles, hill work and also plenty of turnout are all important. One of ours had it and ended up having to have a steroid injection to tighten the ligaments around the joint too which helped.
 
How old is he? My understanding (I had one years ago) is that it’s generally caused in young horses by the growth rates between bone/muscle/ligaments, and if the ligament grows quicker than the other structures, it can’t unlock the joint. Possibly if he is still young he has had another growth phase that would cause it, combined with a little time off as (as others said) it’s best to support it with muscle and conditioning.

From what I remember, pole work and hills are best for this kind of conditioning, downhill as well as up. Would be interesting to hear what the vet says.
 
I had one with a locking stifle years ago, at the time it was suggested that he have a surgery, which I think is very rarely recommended these days. I didn't bother and as he got older it improved and also improved with exercise. Occasionally I would need to back him up if it locked when I was picking up the feet and you do need to be careful as it can snap up quickly when it releases. I would expect when yours is back in work it will improve.
 
Thank you all, glad it was just the time off! On Sunday I didn't see it lock up once and I spent half an hour doing a line of poles and worked up to raising the end two. In time will raise all but we haven't done any raised poles before so going slow. Thank you for reassuring me! Will start taking him round the hills more and I have plans to do stretches whenever possible, 30min of inhand poles 3x a week and I've concocted a new hacking route that utilizes all of the ridiculous hills around us! I will start by long reining him round it and then work up to trotting them under saddle eventually.
 
Abacus said:
How old is he? My understanding (I had one years ago) is that it’s generally caused in young horses by the growth rates between bone/muscle/ligaments, and if the ligament grows quicker than the other structures, it can’t unlock the joint. Possibly if he is still young he has had another growth phase that would cause it, combined with a little time off as (as others said) it’s best to support it with muscle and conditioning.

From what I remember, pole work and hills are best for this kind of conditioning, downhill as well as up. Would be interesting to hear what the vet says.
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Yeah this is the general consensus with it, he had it as a 4-5 yo I think but he is turning 9 this spring and I'm almost positive he shouldn't be growing anymore, hence the confusion! Will update you, vet coming Thursday. RE the downhill work he seems to find this a lot harder that uphill, I am thinking he does have weak stifles that make it harder for him to properly use himself? Thank you!
 
Floofball said:
Hi @char.lotte I’m currently looking for information about this and came across your post. Wondered how you got on with your vet? I’m hoping my vet will be out tomorrow to see my lad 😮‍💨
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Our vet said that basically he’s fine, it was a combination of the time off and the cold. He had it very mildly as once he started moving again he was all okay and hasn’t locked since this post. Was told that he needs to keep moving/ trot and canter not just walking in the winter months! To strengthen there are stretches, raised poles, hills etc. Once a week we go out into the woods inhand and he backs up hills, walks over the biggest logs I can find and goes up and down the steep bank on the sides of paths. We are even fine to get on after a 15min walk but if locked I wouldn’t want to, so would stick to long rein and a lunge but big circles/ not static lunging as that can strain their stifles a bit. Hope all went well and your boy is okay, do let me know what happens! Sorry I didn’t see this in time to respond before vet!
 
Thanks so much for replying 👍🏻 My vet said the same thing, not to worry too much and carry on with strengthening work - almost the same as your doing. His stifles are weak following box/pen rest (recovering from hock chip removal surgery) he still wasn’t using himself correctly at his post op follow up so they did some blocks and he was much better after blocking stifles - so he had joints medicated and was given a 6 week strengthening programme then to reassess before adding the weight of a rider. The injections seemed to have had the effect of ‘loosening’ the joints and they started to ‘give way’ during exercises and turning in his stable etc, then right hind locked up a couple of times so I had a mild panic! Been advised by vet and physio to keep on with the plan so got everything crossed - and I’m getting fit with the hills 😝 His joints do seem to be stabilising a bit already so will keep on keeping on 🙄 🤞🏻 🤞🏻
 
Floofball said:
Thanks so much for replying 👍🏻 My vet said the same thing, not to worry too much and carry on with strengthening work - almost the same as your doing. His stifles are weak following box/pen rest (recovering from hock chip removal surgery) he still wasn’t using himself correctly at his post op follow up so they did some blocks and he was much better after blocking stifles - so he had joints medicated and was given a 6 week strengthening programme then to reassess before adding the weight of a rider. The injections seemed to have had the effect of ‘loosening’ the joints and they started to ‘give way’ during exercises and turning in his stable etc, then right hind locked up a couple of times so I had a mild panic! Been advised by vet and physio to keep on with the plan so got everything crossed - and I’m getting fit with the hills 😝 His joints do seem to be stabilising a bit already so will keep on keeping on 🙄 🤞🏻 🤞🏻
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Another exercise to build up to is a long line of poles and snaking them over it. Ideally foreleg closest to the poles first, then the other foreleg then hind legs and then snake back the other direction.

Its quite hard on their brains to start with so take it slowly and reward the try - but very good for stifles
 
Floofball said:
Thanks so much for replying 👍🏻 My vet said the same thing, not to worry too much and carry on with strengthening work - almost the same as your doing. His stifles are weak following box/pen rest (recovering from hock chip removal surgery) he still wasn’t using himself correctly at his post op follow up so they did some blocks and he was much better after blocking stifles - so he had joints medicated and was given a 6 week strengthening programme then to reassess before adding the weight of a rider. The injections seemed to have had the effect of ‘loosening’ the joints and they started to ‘give way’ during exercises and turning in his stable etc, then right hind locked up a couple of times so I had a mild panic! Been advised by vet and physio to keep on with the plan so got everything crossed - and I’m getting fit with the hills 😝 His joints do seem to be stabilising a bit already so will keep on keeping on 🙄 🤞🏻 🤞🏻
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Thats brilliant! Fingers crossed for a full recovery. Yep I definitely don't have weak stifles anymore after all the long reining lol!
 
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