ridecamp@endurance.net: sweaty stifle

sweaty stifle

wood.cameron (wood.cameron@acd.net)
Mon, 28 Apr 97 20:56:16 PDT

I was wondering if any of you have had any experience with sweat patches
over the area of an old injury...... last fall, Yaled untied himself,
wandered away from where he was tied, spooked at the leadrope "chasing"
him, and ran helter-skelter through the woods and fields until I caught up
with him. I found him, rope snagged in a bush, blowing and dripping sweat,
with a stirrup missing from my saddle (I later found it...at least I know
the saftey releases work!) He appeared exhausted but unharmed, except for
a few minor scrapes from briars.

The next day I was grooming him, and noticed that his left stifle was
sweating, in a patch about 4 X 5 inches, directly over the anterior stifle,
below the patella. Dripping, and definately more heat than in the right
stifle. No wounds there, but I did notice an abrasion on the inside of
that thigh from briars. He trotted out soundly that day, and every day
since then.

Now it is nearly May, 8 months later and a winter's rest, and that stifle
STILL has a sweaty patch over it, long before the rest of Yaled gets hot.
During Michigan's cold winter, that area of the stifle grew a shorter coat
and shed out long before the rest (STILL shedding!!) We are planning a
ride on the 10th of May, and Yaled seems to be going well with no sign of
soreness except a tendency to switch leads in the rear at the canter (this
isn't new, though...it's always been a problem!).

My vet is coming out AGAIN to check him out, and radiograph both
stifles. I am going to request a flexion test....perhaps that will bring
out something that I haven't seen or felt. Do you think he has a problem,
or is it common for horses to sweat in an area of an "old" injury? My vet
is stumped, never seen this happen before either. Is it a joint injury, or
could the sweat glands themselves have been affected? Any comments ?
thanks in advance for your experience...!


Shannon W. & Yaled (do they make stifle
antiperspirant?!)

Laingsburg, MI

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