My new baby has a problem!

Miniature Horse Talk Forums

Help Support Miniature Horse Talk Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

White Socks Miniature

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2006
Messages
496
Reaction score
0
Location
Delta, British Columbia Canada
My new guy just arrived with his mom, I let them settle in that night.

I have noticed though that his stifles have been locking. I called the breeder who is also a good friend of mine and she said that it only started around 3 months of age and that thier vet said to not worry about it during his vet check as it is just a growth thing and he will grow out of it.

I found this statement a little funny though as I dont think this is an issue that is going to be completely resolved or "grown out of". Of course I bought him as a future breeding stallion pending that he turned out nicely and depending on showing as well. Breeding him is out of the question now.

I will be getting him the surgery if they continue to lock up. In the meantime is there anything I should be doing for exercising him or strengthening the joint? He is 4 mos old.

any input in what I should do regarding this situation?

Cheers

Masako
 
I have a mare with a stifle issue. My vet also told me, that she could grow out of it. But hers was a very bad case and she never did grow out of it. She's a great pet/companion to my other horses. Stifle horses shouldn't be run in circles, but working them up hills is good for them.
 
It's actually not at all unusual for them to grow out of it. I hope that will be the case with your boy.
 
The fact that they're locking at all means he's a little straight in the hind.

A lot of these horses do grow out of it. Some go in and out until they're grown. It has to do with the rate of growth in the bone as opposed to the tendons.

He's too young to work. If he continues to have problems after he's a yearling, you can walk him over cavelittis ( know I mispelled that ) to help muscle up the stifle area without harming anything else. I've seen large breed horses that were fine as long as they are worked on an consistant basis, but lock within a couple of weeks of non work.
 
Yes they can, do and most likely will out grow this problem. Make sure he is outside with plenty of room to run and play. He will get better. Four months is way to young to worry about surgery!

Best of luck to you and let us know how he progess's.

Beth
 
So if they grow out of it is it still a concern when breeding them? How would you classify a horse that had it and outgrew it? Would this be something you would divulge to new owners/people interested in breeding to it? Am I understanding correctly, the horse would have to be conformationally incorrect as in being straight in the rear for it to be an issue in both cases where it's outgrown and cases where it stays?

I have always thought that any stifle lock was something you wouldn't want to breed, I didn't know til this thread that they can have it and outgrow it. Learning something new today, as always
default_smile.png
 
Thanks everyone!

I too thought it was a problem that once it occurs it will never go away!

Phew! That is good to know that they can grow out of it!

Both of his parents are 32" and he was 20" at birth and is now 27"... perhaps fast growth?

Cheers

Masako
 
Hello

My experience has been that in breeding horses that there a lots of things about a horse that vary during their growth and maturing. Teeth, legs, heads, eyes, rear ends and the list goes on.

I do think as a responsible breeder if there is a problem that is not growth related that you should by all means disclose that to the buyer, but of course if there is a genetic problem this horse should be sold as pet. It is our responsibilty as a breeder to know the difference.

JMO

Beth
 
Personally I think one reason it is so much more prevelant in the miniature breed is simply put that everyone seems to jump to defend why it is ok to breed and how it is normal.

It is not normal it is not something a majority of large horse breeds go through as part of their growth process. It is due to conformational issues and IMO there is no reason to breed a horse with a locking stifle. PERIOD!

I have heard breeders and owners defend for hours why it is ok and why it does not mean there is something wrong with their horse and how they will grow out of it or how it is normal.

I also hear alot how it is not painful I would tend to doubt that. I know if I had my knee in a straight position and could not get it to flow freely back and forth it would hurt. It hurts just when it needs to crack and does not.

You will hear many different answers on this my best advice is to go with your gut. It does exisit in other breeds of course but the reality is there is a reason why it is so much more prevelant in our breed then others.
 
I have a three year old stallion that has come in and out of stiffle locking problems. It seems to happen most often when his butt is higher than his front. So I assume that it comes with growth spurts. I thought he had out grown the problem, but a month ago he started locking occationally again. He is definitly going through a growth sput now so I'm not too worried. He should get back to normal soon.
 
He is going to be seen by a specialist next week. I have no intent of breeding an animal who has this issue. I am concerned first and foremost about him and his comfort, but am also concerned about how this can be handled.
 
This is not OK.

This is a hereditary problem.

This animal should not be used for breeding.

That is the bottom line.

It is becoming another flipping self fulfilling prophecy in Minis...there is no way this sort of conformation fault would be tolerated in a Morgan or an Arab.

Not breeding from an animal with this sort of problem is the only way to eradicate the problem.

Yes, the foals will have the same sort of faults.
 
Actually they can outgrow it. A friend of mine has a arabian mare who had this problem at a young age, now as a 8 year old she is fine and she has been shown in halter at the regional leval and was top 5. She also had a foal as a 4 year old who never once showed signs of stifle lock. The proper exercise is the key.
 
We've not really had a problem with it in our breeding animals, but I did talk to one of my my vets once when he was out, and he told me he saw it a lot at TB farms when they brought the yearlings up from the fields to start their training and that they outgrew it. He felt it had to do with the sudden confinement.

Personally, I keep an eye on how all our horses are maturing and if they mature into good, show quality animals without issues in form or function, I feel good about them having a spot in our breeding program.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Good for you White Socks to be looking for ways to best help your foal, and for knowing that this should eliminate him from breeding.

So if they grow out of it is it still a concern when breeding them? How would you classify a horse that had it and outgrew it? Would this be something you would divulge to new owners/people interested in breeding to it? Am I understanding correctly, the horse would have to be conformationally incorrect as in being straight in the rear for it to be an issue in both cases where it's outgrown and cases where it stays?
I have to agree with the person who said there are just too many excuses for why it is okay to breed a horse that has or has had stifle issues. Even if it is a growth spurt thing, I don't believe in breeding the horse. We grow our foals up fast here--ours all seem to shoot up a lot in their first year, they're well fed & don't always get as much exercise as I'd like (as in, they are not out on a big pasture running around, they are mostly dry lotted, though they are out in corrals 24/7, no confinement in stalls) and we haven't had one single stifle issue (other than the one gelding that got himself cast & hung up a hind leg in the fence, and even then he is sore in the stifle but hasn't had locking issues)--so to me saying that locking stifle is just a growing phase is not a good excuse for breeding. Good stifle conformation = no locking stifle, growth spurts or not.
 
Thank you everyone for your responses!

His mom is also bred back to the same stallion so im hoping next years baby will not have this issue. Even as a gelding I would still like to show him as this is the other reason why I bought him so hopefully it is something he grows out of so we can show together and hopefully start driving in a few years time!

lol I guess I will resume the hunt for a new stallion prospect!
 
I have been here a long time, but don't post as much as I use too.

I am very interested in the "change" of attitude about "upward fixtion of the patella".

I guess even is they "outgrow it"(from research, dealing with it years ago and vet) this in most cases is the result of conformation flaws. (can be injury which is a different situation) I do not understand the willingness to breed these horses and "dismiss" the condition as of no consequence.
 
One thing you can do to help him is to make sure that his toes on his hind hooves aren't too long. Keep them short.....rasp back the wall if it is thick....quite a few baby minis have "pointy" hooves and they need to be rounded off a little for a quicker rollover.

JMO

Sue
 

Latest posts

Back
Top