stifle problem?

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AlexC

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hi
we are a bit concerned about a horse at the yard, we think it has a stifle problem but as i have never actually seen a horse with a bad stifle i dont really know what im looking for, when riding the horse its feels totally sound, on the ground it looks stif, 1 of her back legs does kind of a twisting action at the fetlock, she does beautiful dressage, and jumps, altho last time she kind of froze in the air, but i think its because she wasnt bein pushed forward, she brushes her back legs together, she is rode with fetlock boots and overreach boots, but as we are unsure what is wrong with her she hasnt been rode much, i personally think shes worse when shes been stables and not been walkin round on it, i would just like to hear what yous think it sounds like?
please help
thanks
alex
 
My horse is currently at Liphook and was diagnosed with stifle OCD in both legs yest. He wasnt hugely lame, but rotated the leg strangely to avoid weight baring. When he first presented problems in it, he would suddenly stop the leg mid gait then walk stiffly for a few strides.
 
hi
how much of the leg was yours twisting? holly does it when she puts her foot down, ive never seen it im just saying what someone has said, but she said that when she puts it down at the fetlock it twists, she doesnt stop her legs in mid gait, she was hard to get into canter when she first came, and as i said before i think, she landed funny when was jumping, but think that was down to her not bein pushed on as she usually jumps fine, and has been jumpd 3ft, she looks like she has had an old injury on her hip, there is a scar about 2inches long, some people think its just that healing and muscle lose and thats y she is moving abit weird and brushin her legs, but others think she has a stifle problem, i just wonndered what you experts thought?
thanks again
 
Oh god, im deffo not an expert, just someone who's having a bloomin hard time dealing with it. TBH I couldnt really see the twisting, it was the vets who classed him as being 4/10ths lame for doing it. To me he jut looked like he was tracking up but a little off every so often.

The freezing mid gait while being trotted was at its extreme and only 2 or 3 times over a month. You have to bare in mind, my horse was unworkable and on box rest, not a horse still able to be ridden.

Other signs would be holding the effected leg forward when at rest, canter problems, napping or reluctance to go forward, bucking or stamping.

Having learned thats its better to be safe than sorry and esp if the horse is insured, then get a vet out to have a look. If and when I can bare getting another horse and it even became slightly off in its work, Id be inclined to look into it sooner than later.
 
Thomas has double stifle OCD which took a bit of time to diagnose. When he was ridden it felt like a schooling problem, stiff on one rein, reluctant to bend, clamping his jaw on the bit. Eventually his patela started locking so the hind leg was momentarily 'stuck' straight and he would swing it out a bit to release it.
 
What have people done with these horses with OCD? My 4 yr old has just been diagnosed with it. He is just starting to go out after Arthroscopy and 4 wks box rest. I have been told its a wait and see as to what he will ever be able to do. Was supposed to be my next dressage horse! He has cracks in the cartilage in one stifle.
 
Thomas was a sad story unfortunately, but at the time I was given good stats for full recovery and spoke to a few people whose horses did well. He had a double arthroscopy, 9 months of box rest of which 5 were complete box rest and 4 included gradual work, pronounced fine at 12 months and the problem returned at 18 months. I retired him for 4 months but he was totally loopy in the field so he was PTS.
 
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Hi
I really hope you dont mind me commenting on this, im new (as of today lol) and was just browsing the forum when i came across this one!

My mare has just come back into work after being off for 6months due to a stifle injury! Hers was deep seated soft tissue damge to the stifle area, caused by a slip on wet rubber matting :( She literally walked in her stable found a wet patch from where i had spilt a drop of water slipped and her back leg went back and out to the side!

Her symptoms as it were, was first thing mornings coming out of her box she would almost skip/shuffle her back leg for about 2-3 strides and then be fine, it looked like she had pins and needles in her leg lol!!
Riding if right from her box again a couple of strides and she was fine, schooling she would be a bit stiff to start with but within 5mins flowing like normal! The vet came and couldnt see any lamness until he did the flexion test, she then became lame!!
She was given finedyne for a week, then on danoline for 4months! the vet predicted her being on meds for 6months but through keeping her out in a small paddock and reducing her time in her box she came good alot quicker! Im not saying all stifle cases are this easy to deal with but the stiffness you describe especially coming out of the box and the twisting yet being able to do a dressage test seems soooo similar to me!!
I hope this helps
 
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