stiffness in the legs?:(

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jolie1234

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I currently have a 15 month old Belgian warmblood x who is the laziest horse ive ever met, but since the cold weather has started he has had a problem with his back legs. when I lead him from stable to field every few steps one of his back legs (normally his back right) will drag behind him them jolt back in to place as if it dislocated then goes back in, a friend on the yard suggested it may be due to him being lazy that his young joints just freeze up but I should ask for advice, any ideas ? anyone experienced this before? he seems fine coming in from the field it just seems it happens in the morning

any help or advice much appreciated !
 
It sounds as if his stifle is slipping, being stabled will mean he moves around less and it may get worse, could he stay out 24/7 as that would help. A check from your vet would be a good idea before it becomes a real issue.

You can do a search for more info and plenty of advice but being turned out and plenty of movement is usually the best thing.
 
The leg dragging sounds like it may be locking stifle (locking patella) - google it and see what you think.

I'm not sure that I believe any horse is lazy, especially a youngster, without good physical reason. What is his diet? Does it include a full daily ration of a good vit/min supplement?

Sarah
 
Sounds like the above suggestions of locking patellas and is fairly common in large young horses or unfit out of work horses. Once he starts building muscle his ligaments will become tighter and this may stop. If you can turn him out onto a hill all the better as this will improve his muscle tone. As he is so young you cant really do raised ground poles to build up the muscles but maybe a few sessions of swimming in an equine swim pool (straight better than circles) would be beneficial.
 
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