stifle problem

["Lynn" <romulus@kemail.co.uk>]

Does this ever "catch" when the horse is being worked/ Or do you feel a
little "hitch" when you canter on that lead?

A lot of horses with angulation like thoroughbreds have a problem in which
the ligament that sits in the stifle groove ( allowing the horse to "lock it
up" and sleep in the standing position) gets temporally caught up in that
groove while they are moving.

It sounds dreadful, but it is really a minor thing. A vet can come right
down to your stable yard and make a small incision . Through that incision
he will clip the offending , and "catching" ligament.

This will  solve all your problems. The only bad side effect from the
surgery will be that your horse will now have to sleep lying down. He will
no longer be able to automatically lock that  stifle and sleep standing up.

This is extremely common in retired or retrained thoroughbreds. However it
often goes undiagnosed and untreated.

If this proves to  be your problem, I would recommend the surgery, having
had it dome on a 7/8 thoughrobred Appaloosa Stallion of mine.
It was easy fairly comfortable for  the horse and worked like a charm.
This particular horse had always slept lying down anyway. SO that proved to
be  no hardship for him.

HTH
Lynn
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Chris White and Lynn Schrameyer-White
Schrameyer-White Gallery
lynn@schrameyer-white.com
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