Stifle issues? Symptoms?

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Simbapony

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Hi all

How would stifle issues present themselves? I'd assume with lameness? I'd also assume you'd see it on the ground and not just under saddle and that it would be continual lameness rather than intermittent? Not something I've had dealings with previously :).
 
Not necessarily, it depends on what is the issue as the stifle is one of the most complex structures of the horse, but signs other than true lameness could include
Stiffness after stabling that improves as they start to move.
Reluctance to work may prove an early indicator of a stifle issue.
Dragging the toe
Canter resistance
Very rough canter
Difficulty backing up
Shortened stride
Issues going up and down hills
Drifting to one side over fences
Problems transitioning from trot to canter and vice versa.
A sore back or croup often accompanies stifle lameness, also just feeling NQR
 
Friend's horse had problems in both stifles.
First signs were lower head carriage and leaning on the bit, especially going down hill.
 
Mine has just been diagnosed with a stifle issue (among other things) initially he didnt look lame as such, he was reluctant to move forward and struggled with going down hill, he was carrying his head low and over bending. It can definitely be intermittent to start with, you would really need a vet to do a proper work up
 
mine has bilateral stifle issues and had no problems except being excessively spooky suddenly and then a few weeks later lame, literally never noticed anything off in his movement but he was obviously covering up and the spooking was pain related.
 
Mine was a little strange at canter one evening, had refused to jump a couple of days before and then suddenly could not get up from lying down - all in the space of a week! The vets never did find out what it was and put her on Bute and she was fine as a field ornament for a couple of years until I called it a day.
 
No lameness, just rested one hind more than the other. No drop in performance, way of going, nothing.
Only went lame when i backed off the work while doing investigations. Found a tear in the middle patella ligament.
 
Mine was fine in walk. The first evidence that something was wrong was when I asked for canter on a hack and she bucked and bucked on the spot. After that she was lame in trot so I got the vet out and she went for a lameness work up.
 
My youngster was reluctant to go forward and a body worker picked up "low flight arc" on her RH. She would also occasionally toe drag a little in walk. We suspected OCD as same body worker had treated her brother, who had been found to have this condition. Turned out she was clear as far as OCD, but was found to have a torn lateral meniscus. She was never lame even on a circle.
 
My mare toe tapped on the affected leg in trot. Her hind hoof also came down slightly outside the front one - you could see the print was about half an inch further across and you could also hear it just skidding slightly as she put it down in the road at walk. It was very subtle and both my vet and physio said she was fine initially.

Oh and she was not happy to pick up the opposite hind. She would actually offer the other leg when I asked for it like she was trying to do what she was asked. She also rested it more but horses often rest one hind leg more.

Many of these things would be be obvious if both stifles were affected.
 
Mine suddenly resisted when the farrier picked up her hind and she leapt forward, she was 24 and was only doing gentle hacking as she had an arthritic knee so I was mainly walking and she seemed fine in the field , used to trot and canter when she felt like it . I was mainly concentrating on the knee and didn’t think of stifle , fast forward 3 months when I had stopped riding and she came in from the field and struggled to pick one hind up so had to
Pick her foot out with it virtually on the floor. Vet came next day and both stifles were swollen , he gave me plenty of pain relief as she was too sore to manipulate and he was coming back in a couple of days. She was so uncomfortable even on a lot of pain relief , I got him to PTS rather than examine as felt it wasn’t fair to continue , if she had been younger with no other problems I would have investigated but not with a 24 year old .. I had owned her for 23 years and was heartbroken…
 
WestCoast said:
My mare toe tapped on the affected leg in trot. Her hind hoof also came down slightly outside the front one - you could see the print was about half an inch further across and you could also hear it just skidding slightly as she put it down in the road at walk. It was very subtle and both my vet and physio said she was fine initially.

Oh and she was not happy to pick up the opposite hind. She would actually offer the other leg when I asked for it like she was trying to do what she was asked. She also rested it more but horses often rest one hind leg more.

Many of these things would be be obvious if both stifles were affected.
Click to expand...
Can I ask what the outcome was? What was the treatment?
 
splashgirl45 said:
Mine suddenly resisted when the farrier picked up her hind and she leapt forward, she was 24 and was only doing gentle hacking as she had an arthritic knee so I was mainly walking and she seemed fine in the field , used to trot and canter when she felt like it . I was mainly concentrating on the knee and didn’t think of stifle , fast forward 3 months when I had stopped riding and she came in from the field and struggled to pick one hind up so had to
Pick her foot out with it virtually on the floor. Vet came next day and both stifles were swollen , he gave me plenty of pain relief as she was too sore to manipulate and he was coming back in a couple of days. She was so uncomfortable even on a lot of pain relief , I got him to PTS rather than examine as felt it wasn’t fair to continue , if she had been younger with no other problems I would have investigated but not with a 24 year old .. I had owned her for 23 years and was heartbroken…
Click to expand...
You did the right thing. Hugs.
 
Mine started napping, then a week or so later I noticed she was dragging her toe and when stood she very slightly turn the foot of the affected leg out
 
Adding what hasn't been mentioned; Adduction of hinds (swing to the midline) in walk, muscle tightness in the lower back/ glute med (compensatory), worse on one side as one stifle worse than the other so you could see a "hitch" in the hip action. Then the usual, spooky, finds canter difficult, steep downhill is hard. We have a chronic issue due to less than ideal conformation rather than an injury though for context.
 
smolmaus said:
Adding what hasn't been mentioned; Adduction of hinds (swing to the midline) in walk, muscle tightness in the lower back/ glute med (compensatory), worse on one side as one stifle worse than the other so you could see a "hitch" in the hip action. Then the usual, spooky, finds canter difficult, steep downhill is hard. We have a chronic issue due to less than ideal conformation rather than an injury though for context.
Click to expand...
How are you managing it?
 
My friend's Clydie x 18 y o ... that I've been riding once or twice a week for her for the last three years was recently diagnosed by vet with mild locking stifle. Its being treated with monthly Pentosan injections. Vet also recommended regular hacking - up and down gentle hills as this is strengthening apparently, and to keep him in some kind of regular light work.

It presented as while tacking up he would do this peculiar 'ballerina at the bar' slow stretch out into the air of his left hind, presumably unlocking it
Under saddle and lunging he found it difficult to track up on that hind ie stepping noticeably shorter with the left hind on left 20 m circle
Uncomfortable going downhill while hacking out. Uncomfortable reining back.

Other than that, for a big heavy boy, he's been sound. The Pentosan is really helping.
 
holeymoley said:
How are you managing it?
Click to expand...
Sorry, wasn't on the forum all weekend! Imperfectly is the answer to that direct question 😂 Anything and everything to build quad muscle to stabilise the joint, so as much hill work as possible, pole work with a focus on stepping under and stepping over, she should be on 24/7 turnout but was getting too fat, which is also bad for the stifle. We have a regime of stretches to activate the quad muscles which helps, side tail pulls, belly lifts, some mobilisation stretches for the hocks and hip joints.

She is also on Cartrophen atm which is helping after she did do herself an injury but the original stifle issues have been going on for ages.
 
holeymoley said:
Can I ask what the outcome was? What was the treatment?
Click to expand...
Sorry I missed your question. My mare was investigated including an arthroscopy, had box rest and then was rehabbed starting with walking in hand. I found a yard with good turnout and just walked her all winter before doing a bit more. It was 3 years ago now and she’s still sound. but she mostly hacks a few times a week, although she’s just had a fortnight training with a cowboy to get over her over reactiveness and she was fine.
 
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