I just spent an interesting three days with a veterinarian/chiropractor that
does Biomechanical Adjustments. We saw 21 horses with a menagerie of
problems. One of the horses, a Fresian stallion, had been locking in the
stifles. They had just X-rayed them; inconclusive.
The Dr.'s evaluation found hip rotation and lumbo/sacral displacement which
was the primary cause of his stifle problem. But what was surprising was the
extreme outness in this horse's neck and thoracic vertebrae. The owner then
confirmed the horse travels with his nose to the left. (The majority of the
horses I observed when out in the hip were also out in the poll and v/v).
I found it amazing that this horse, who has as close to perfect conformation
as I have run across, could be as compromised as he was and still look
"perfect".
I'm not suggesting that all stifle problems will be solved with
"chiropractic" but this vets' experience has been that the majority of stifle
problems are a "symptom" of being structurally compromised. Good luck. (PS.
it turned out the horse had been roped &"doubled" at the trainers which could
have created or compounded his structural problems).