Possible locking stifle?

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stimpy

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This morning I found my 18 month youngster horribly lame in one hind leg. She will bear weight on the leg but she doesn't seem to be able to move it other than swinging it around or dragging it behind her. She has swelling on the front of her thigh and it feels like there is some swelling, or a bump on the front edge of the bone about an inch or two down from her stifle. Despite this picture she seems fairly cheerful, she came up with her two field mates (one of whom is her mother) for her morning apple like normal, except it was like someone had replaced her leg with a wooden one. Does this sound like locking stifle? Despite having had horses for thirty years I have never seen one.

I am waiting for the vet , just doing that dangerous thing of self-diagnosing while I wait....
 
Yep, it is locking stifle. She had it locked from when I saw her first thing until she lay down at around 1pm and then when she got up hey presto she was fine! This was before the vet arrived....

He said "it happens, worry about it if it starts happening a lot". He advised me if it does happen again to try walking her backwards to free it, or to rock her side to side. He also said that they can inject the ligament if it keeps happening. In thirty years of having horses I have never seen a locking stifle, it was pretty alarming!

BTW I was wrong about the swelling, I think it was just the odd angle of her leg that made me think there was swelling there when there wasn't. Now that it is back in place there is no trace of any heat or swelling.
 
That must have been so reassuring for you. Hopefully it's something she'll grow out of. Asbo cob (friends horse) is fine as long as he's kept fit but as he's now 6 years + it's something which has to be managed but we've been assured that he's not in pain- Although he did look very uncomfortable when it last locked up badly.
 
I have a miniature yearling and she has a locking stifle that affects her in the morning if she is kept in over night. Vet has suggested she will grow out of it and that keeping her out and walking her to strengthen the muscles will help her get over it. Hope your youngster improves.
 
I had one - always very dramatic when it locked. He became very good at unlocking it but it involved a sort of kick back, which was tricky if he was in the stable. Basic advice was keep him out as much as possible, long rein (obviously when old enough in your case) and hill work when appropriate.

Mine once locked going through a water jump at MK (must have been the drag of the water) - jump judge ran after me yelling pull up pull up he's lame but he sorted himself out and we carried on :)

He went Grade A eventually but sadly not with me.
 
Thanks all, it's really interesting to hear about other experiences.

I have to keep mine in overnight during winter and I had planned to have my youngster yarded with her 'uncle' but I am now thinking that I may have to bite the bullet and leave those two out to keep her moving. (They will be fine, it's the paddocks that won't be.)

I already do a bit of in hand work with her, just to really teach her about leading and manners but I may try getting her stepping over poles a bit to encourage muscle to develop. It's the thin line between doing too much with baby but trying to help her where I can....
 
I think my 6 year old cob has a locking stifle - he seems to just 'give way' on his back near leg not necessarily when ridden, more when he's been standing for a long time. This morning I was grooming him and noticed he had been obviously lying on that side for a while overnight - he struggled with the leg until I stretched it out and then he seemed fine. I'm hoping fitness will help and maybe he'll grow out of it? Impossible to leave him out 24/7 in winter as fields too wet, so am anticipating it might get worse before it gets better...
 
Foxy girl said:
I think my 6 year old cob has a locking stifle - he seems to just 'give way' on his back near leg not necessarily when ridden, more when he's been standing for a long time. This morning I was grooming him and noticed he had been obviously lying on that side for a while overnight - he struggled with the leg until I stretched it out and then he seemed fine. I'm hoping fitness will help and maybe he'll grow out of it? Impossible to leave him out 24/7 in winter as fields too wet, so am anticipating it might get worse before it gets better...
Click to expand...

Fitness definitely helps but be careful if the ground gets too soft over the winter. We were told that this was what triggered off cobs the last time he got bad. He had to be moved to a neighbours place as the place he was in was a complete bog after lots of rain and flooding. Probably didn't do himself much good galloping about in it doing emergency stops which sometimes resulted in him skidding on his bottom. Cobs!!
 
Fitness, good footing - no deep ground, and lots of turn out are good. It's not good to keep them stabled for long and slipping around in mud strains everything. A lot of them do grow out of it to some extent.
 
I used to look after a Clydesdale youngster for a lady and she had this (the Clydesdale, not the lady!). It would only lock if she was stabled for long periods, and I would have to push her back end over to the side so she could click it back into place, then take her for a walk to ease it off. Apparently they grow out of it, but I'm no longer in touch with the lady so have no way of finding out if she ever did grow out of it or not!
 
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