Stifle problem

[sarah23]

My little 4yr old mare has just started to have a stifle problem. Not really knowing much about it or ever having a horse before with the problem I need some advice please. They seem to be locking.

Is it something more connected to weakness or can any horse get it ?
Would corterflex help or not ?

 

[Wagtail]

Get the vet. It could be anything from locking patella, to OCD. If the latter then she needs treatment ASAP and box rest.

 

[lazybee]

Hello,
I've had two with locking stifles (both related) both when they were four yrs. They were both cured completely with work, work and more work; with Lots of uphill long reining mainly. I used to take mine uphill from my house on the long rein then go round in a loop back to the house to avoiding going downhill as downhill (9 times out of 10) brought on the locking. I think once the young muscles have toned up everything will tighten up and stay where it should be.

PS I don't know what Corterflex is?

 

[sarah23]

sorry spelt it wrong it should say: Cortaflex it's made by Equine America

 

[MerrySherryRider]

How much has she been stabled over the winter ? Youngsters do not cope so well with standing still as their older stable mates do.

Have her checked by the vet and if its a question of increasing muscle tone, walking, esp on hills or poles and being turned out 24/7 may be enough.

 

[sarah23]

Not stabled much, She is a cob-x so I try not to be too soft with her like I am with my TB and I try to keep her out as much as poss, but the odd time I had to bring her in she was doing it just once when I got her out the stable. She was stabled last night as the weather her is just C***, when I got her out this morning she done it again. She has been out until then and not doing it. I had a back lady out today who said she does look weak.

 

[TrasaM]

The cob I share has the problem too. Back lady said that cobs can be prone to it last time she checked him over. Last year, when the problem first surfaced, my friend did lots of lunging with him and I did the riding part; Trotting up every hill and some canter work, and he got really fit and the problem eased. Unfortunately he's just had a bad turn again possibly due to mud and too little exercise cause of the weather so we are back to lunging again.

 

[ELFSBELLS]

When you have her in and notice it, try to get her to take some steps back, in a straight line if poss, it helps to free up the stifle if its sticking, plenty of hill work, and raised pole work to get her using it , I was told, exercise is best, but do know that in some cases more investihation is needed, and turnout to keep mobile x

 

[MerrySherryRider]

As Eflsbells says, back her up until the stifle unlocks itself. If it is her immaturity then the above suggestions should build her up and resolve the problem.
My youngster had this problem when bad weather meant there was no turnout. We rented a field, part of it on a hill and turned her out. The stifle problem disappeared.

 

[smellsofhorse]

Get your vet.
They often grow out of it but it requires the muscle to be built up.
Being in a stables doesn't help.

 

[Ginger Bear]

My mums tb mare showed signes of it starting when she was 4, but it only happened on the rare occasion.. Then last year it started locking a lot in the stable, while grazing literally all the time. We had her booked in for a stifle op after trying lots of various veterinary & alternative treatments.. Nothing worked.. She was worked up hill, in deep sand, everything & anything to strengthen her up.. Then we found a vet/osteo who found that her stifle issues were secondary to back issues (she has a kissing spine & depressed sacrum..) she had various different treatment including accupuncture, osteopathy, injections into the stifle, being ridden differently & it did the trick!!

 

[sarah23]

Thanks for all your advice guys but I have one big problem, I live in Ely cambs which must be the flattest place on this earth lol. Do you have any more good tips to help that i don't need hills.

 

[TrasaM]

Well the plus side of no uphills is no downhills to trigger a locking episode lol.
I'd just do what you can with whatever resources you've got to hand to work on her fitness. Just being lunged daily really helped our ASBO strengthen up. Last time the vet examined him he was pretty sure that once he built up a bit of muscle again that it would stabilise the problem. Best of luck with it

 

[ELFSBELLS]

Raised pole work x

 

[Echo Bravo]

My youngster has it, had a chat with my vet he said not to worry as they do grow out of it and he's stabled at night, my horses have to be otherwise I'd have no grazing at all, this is the first animal I've ever had with this problem, so watch him ever day, he's not bothered when his back legs stick, causes no pain, but I have noticed that my other two geldings will nip him when he does lock just to make him move and then he's fine for the rest of the day, sometime it seems he locks a lot, but it didn't start till he was 14 months and he is now 22 months, but he can go weeks with out it happening, then like buses it come every other day.

 

[moodymare_1993]

I know how you feel sarah23 as I live in cambs too lol. Agree with elfsbells