What is a slipping stifle?
If the ligament gets hung up and doesn’t slip into an unlocked position, the hind leg can’t be flexed forward and the horse has to drag the stiffened limb forward for a few steps before the ligament releases. This is commonly known as a locking or sticking stifle.
What causes weak stifles in horses?
Injuries to the ligaments of the equine stifle generally result from a combination of speed and rotation: awkward takeoffs or landings from jumps, sudden stops, quick changes of direction and other missteps a horse may take when traveling at speed or when out of balance.
What causes a horse to drag his hind feet?
Horses drag their hind feet for many reasons, but the main influences are the rider, the horse’s conformation or shoeing problems. Low limb carriage, which can cause dragging of the toe, can be due to low heel, long toe foot conformation. Excessive toe wall thickness can also be a contributing factor.
How do I know if my horse has a stifle injury?
Signs and Symptoms of Stifle Lameness
- 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.
How do I know if my horse has weak stifles?
How do you strengthen weak stifles in horses?
Another great way to begin getting your horse to stretch and use his stifles is with a good-quality working walk, which requires him to be balanced on each leg and to use his quadriceps to push forward. This, in turn, strengthens muscles and ligaments.
What causes stifle lameness in a performance horse?
While lameness is more commonly attributed to problems with the hock joint, stifle lameness is seen frequently in performance horses. The stifle is considered the most complex joint in the horse’s body with a similar function to the human knee.
Where is the stifle located in a horse?
The stifle is designed for flexion and extension of the hind leg. The stifle is the largest joint in the horse’s body and the site where the femur meets the tibia in the hind end. The former is the long bone between the hip joint and the stifle, while the latter is the bone running between the stifle and hock.
How can you tell if a horse has lameness?
Equine Symptomatic Lameness. Symptomatic lameness often appears as a problem in the right hind leg. We have found that horses with symptomatic lameness in the right hind fall into the majority of horses (70 percent) more strongly muscled on the left shoulder. This unevenness can be easily seen by viewing the horse over its rump.
What to do if a horse has a stifle injury?
The veterinarian will check for swelling and perform a flexion test. After viewing the horse moving in hand or under saddle, the vet will block the three joints if a stifle injury is suspected. All three joints are usually blocked at once to narrow down a lameness in that area.