Sticky stiffles

[Broff]

I hope that I am not putting this in the wrong forum, since I am still learning my way around. It is driving related in away.

I have a coming 3 year-old gelding who has sticky stiffles. As he matured now only one sticks at time but you can tell they are both loose, one more so. His conformation is basically pretty good (he is a bit straight thru the stiffles but really nothing major) and the vet hopes it will resolves itself with maturity. He has a lot of basics but I am not planning to start him in harness until that is resolved. I don't see how he could hold the cart with wobbly stiffles, well one now.

Has anyone dealt with that kind of situation before? Is there a hope of a driving career? Any input would be useful.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I can't offer much since I've never dealt with this issue (thank goodness) but one of our regular driving forum posters 'hobbyhorse23' has a gelding, her very talented CDE horse who developed this and I know she had the surgery done and I believe it turned out well for her but hopefully she will see your post and chime in. Locking stifles is not terribly uncommon and if you don't get much response here try the main forum. There will certainly be someone there who has some experience in this.

 

[Broff]

Good to know. This pony had it since he was born. It is getting better and one side seems to be completely fine now but not the other one, although it is better than it was. I am worried he won't be able to hold the cart without a really solid hind end. I guess I could always put him in a pair since pair vehicles have brakes that would help. I am afraid that driving could cause him to have osteo-arthritis since the joints are not tight.

 

[paintponylvr]

I had a colt develop it when he was 1/2 way thru his yearling year. We thought he'd grow out of it, but it was taking forever. He suddenly got pretty "bad" this past winter when we had a ton of rain and humidity. So I had our vet look at him (I'd already had my stallion prospect gelded because I was "freaked out" about the sticky stifles - which none of the other ponies in his bloodlines seem to have developed). She told us to work him. Get him into condition (she knew we were ready to start working him if she gave the ok), and get him going with lots of hill work and backing up - both on the flat and up hills. He turned 3 the middle of February.

So, two weeks ago, he went to my freinds' place to get started. He hasn't had any problems with sticky stifles there at all that I'm aware of. But from the start, he was running like crazy (made a deep trenched figure 8 in her round pen) - as he's never been separated from his buddies... I don't know if we'll see any problems show back up later or not... While doing ground work with him, she's done a lot of backing him up, too.

Both folks on this forum and several vet contacts online and my vet said that he didn't appear to have conformation that predisposed him to "sticky stifles". So we shall see.

Let us know how your guy turns out and what you do to improve him...

I've been told to make sure to condition the horse, spend lots of time backing him up (will strengthen the stifle area) and not to keep them in a small pen or stall. So, let us know what you do to make your guy better as he matures...

 

[Broff]

Funny, same story here. No sticky stiffles in his bloodline and his sire had lots of babies he is 18 and his dam has foals by the same sire and nothing.

I do back him up when he locks. He rarely locks now, one side still does from time to time. I know that opinions varies on that but my vet is worried about too much hill work because it can make them sore that then they don't use their stiffles as much. My previous vet (now retired) liked to see them working on a long and gentle incline. I do a lot of handwalking with him, which is a pain because he is so immature and forgets every 5 seconds he is supposed to behave and not play with whatever. He has pony ADHD!

I find that he is worse when he has access to pasture and grazes for a few hours

 

[paintponylvr]

~~~I find that he is worse when he has access to pasture and grazes for a few hours..~~~

That's weird! That's totally opposite from others I've spoken to.

My guy usually locked up after he'd been sleeping or staying still too long and sometimes when he was tied up at his feed bucket to eat. He got used to me asking him to back up - if he was locked when I went to unhook him. Got to the point he'd see me coming down the line and back 2 or 3 steps to the end of his tie, so that he was "unlocked" when I turned him loose, LOL.

I don't know on yours...

 

[studiowvw]

Mustang has had locking stifles - have seen a few stiff steps in the morning after being in the barn overnight.

He was worst at first after having been on the truck for 4 days coming here last fall.

But lots of exercise every day means I don't see it much.

Since my weanling paint/AQHA came home 2 weeks ago, I have been putting Diesel and Mustang out in the riding ring with her (for company).

Of course, that means Mustang does not get the free uphill/downhill/tearing around exercise he does when they're free.

So then I was seeing more of the stiff steps in the morning.

Now I am not seeing it anymore. He has learned to step up and forward with his hind legs, and although it looks slightly awkward, he is not getting locked anymore that I am seeing.

I haven't talked to the vet about this. His legs look pretty good, so I am hoping he continues to develop out of it.