Stifle locking, growth in young rescue horse

[SC24]

Hi all
Am new on here
I recently took on a rescue horse just before xmas. We are just fostering at the moment. she is approx 2 1/2 years old. She was fairly skinny and has a pot belly. Her toes were overlong so I've had them trimmed since. We have wormed her m, are gicing her good quality hay and balancer, and we have had a vet out for full check up. She has bilateral locking stifles which the rescue hadn't noticed. I've no experience with this but from reading things on her and elsewhere it sounds like something she should hopefully grow out of. We are bringing her for short walks and started some exercises for the quads. My main question is her height. We measure her at 14hh. Given she looks like a yearling, very under developed, do you think she should grow? My daughter is beginning to get quite fond of her so I'd love her to be something she could eventually ride. Maybe am being a little unrealistic.

 

[ycbm]

I bought my cob at 4 with it and he's now 13 and it hardly shows and has never bothered him. Mine grew from 14.3½ to 15.3 from 4 years old to when I sold him at 8.

Fingers crossed yours will give you a few problems.
.

 

[SC24]

Oh wow that's a big spurt. My other horse who was also a rescue grew 2 inches from when I got her at 4. This new rescue is just a bit different, have no idea what's in her! I tried to attach a photo but it said the file was too big. That's great the stifles didn't bother your horse.

 

[ycbm]

Oh wow that's a big spurt. My other horse who was also a rescue grew 2 inches from when I got her at 4. This new rescue is just a bit different, have no idea what's in her! I tried to attach a photo but it said the file was too big. That's great the stifles didn't bother your horse.

It was a surprise, he looked pretty well full grown at 4. He looked at least half Clydesdale, possibly Shire. I bought him unseen and swapped at a motorway services and as he came out of the trailer I could see he had locking stifles. I had him x rayed before I put him into work and again before I upped his workload at 6 just to be on the safe side but his stifles were clean.

His owner keeps in touch and I know she's had no trouble with them at all.
.

 

[ycbm]

Oh wow that's a big spurt. My other horse who was also a rescue grew 2 inches from when I got her at 4. This new rescue is just a bit different, have no idea what's in her! I tried to attach a photo but it said the file was too big. That's great the stifles didn't bother your horse.

You might be able to reduce the file size if your device allows an edit, or you can pop it into Facebook or a photo app and pick up the URL. It needs to be no more than 1mb to display directly, but can be any size on FB or photobucket.
.

 

[SEL]

Mine had the same issue. I had x rays just to make sure there was nothing untoward - there wasn't. He's 6 this year and generally ok now. Farrier is careful doing his hinds but we haven't had a problem for ages so hopefully yours will grow out of it.

 

[nutjob]

One of mine had locking stifles as a youngster. It improved with fitness and returned if he was out of work for a time. It never happened when being ridden and backing up a couple of steps helped it to unlock for picking feet out.

 

[GoldenWillow]

My cob was 3 1/2 and very backwards development wise when I bought him, he had "loose" weak stifles (description from vet) but never actually locked up. I was advised hill and pole work which I mainly did inhand the first 6 months. Improved by next vet check 6 months later and classed as normal 18 months later. He was a tiny bit over 13.3 when I got him, grew until he was 8 and is 14.2. I bought him hoping he would grow and fortunately he did.