Dull Clicking sound from Hock area when walking

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A Yankee In NC

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I have had this horse for just over a month and I have noticed that when he walks a dull click (sounds like joints rubbing) coming from his rear legs in the area of his hock.

I took him for a walk today and listened and watched him walk...and it is quite noticable.

he is just about 9 mos. old.

He runs and plays normally.....seemingly to my uneducated eye.

Is this something to be concerned about?

I do not ever plan on showing, training excessively...he is a pet.

Thanks!
 
This sounds like "locking stifle" or "upward fixation of the patella" to me. It is in the stifle, which is just one joint higher than the hock.

You can do a search on the Forum here for past posts, there have been quite a number of them, because this is a very common problem in minis.

If in doubt, have your vet diagnose.

Andrea
 
I agree with Andrea… sounds like a locking stifle.

I understand the tendency for this is genetic.

There is a relatively simple surgery to keep it from locking. We had it done for one of our geldings. But his was severe. It would stay in the locked position for several steps, before it would unlock and he could walk normally. Then, we have another guy that just clicks sometimes, and we have opted to Not have surgery.

If your guy is showing no other noticeable effects, may be best to just let it be. (Also, young horses can sometimes “outgrow” it. )

But to be sure…. you might want to check with a vet.

-Becky
 
Yes, sounds like a locking stifle.

I find this is common in younger horses; a big growth spurt can bring it on and they can outgrow it. Sometimes a good diet high in protein, some MSM in the feed and lots of exercise can fix it. Surgery is a last resort. Good Luck.
 
I've had young horses do that and it can be their hocks or even their pasterns. Usually during a growth spurt. It's very important that they get the right balance of vitamins/minerals and also that their hoofs are trimmed properly. Long toes in the back can cause them to do that. Shorten the toe and I bet it makes a big difference.
 
That is a normal sound in some horses caused by two tendons ( I believe the DDFT and SFT)

We researched for years trying to figure out where this noise was coming from and what was causing it. I wish I could tell you what publication I finally found the answer in. It was a veterinary research paper.

One of my horses makes this noise and when I have him on EquineSaver ( an supplement by Figurola) it seems to stop. I'm not sure what part of the supplement helps.

The noise BTW comes from just above the hock where the tendons kind of snap accros each other and make a noise a lot like a rubber band.

Bottom line, it's not a problem for the horse.

If it is the patellar ligament , you should see some locking of the leg.

Just saw Becky's answer. Changing the angles can stop the noise as it changes where the tendons rub each other. I would imagine you can get the same sound at the pasterns, same tendons.
 
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There's a difference in where the sound can come from. Stifles is different from the hock area. When my horses were weanlings or yearlings there was a popping sound and the vet said it was from a growth spurt. He said too much protein can cause it and advised me to cut the protein in a foal feed for one. It never came back after a few weeks.

Blessing recently had a sound in her hocks. My husband had been rasping her rather than the farrier trimming every time he came (the farrier always checked his work and found it fine), so I immediately had the farrier trim her every time to make sure the toe is short enough and I also added MSM to her feed and she's fine now. It's quiet back there.
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