Stifle injuries occur in various degrees and must be managed accordingly. The stifle is a complex joint, and it’s difficult to diagnose accurately, so it’s best to get advice from a vet before riding.
Can a horse with locking stifle be ridden?
1 Mild cases may only cause slight lameness, and there are ways to make your horse sound again (often without invasive procedures). However, if left untreated, horses that display regular locking stifles may be unsafe to ride and require surgery.
How can I help my horse with stifle problems?
Horses with a mild stifle lameness may respond to rest, the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or injections of a corticosteroid and hyaluronic acid to battle inflammation. The vet will discuss a timeframe after the rest period for resuming work with the focus on building conditioning.
Can a horse recover from a stifle injury?
In cases where the joint capsule is stretched and not ruptured, recovery can happen with 2-3 months of rest and a slow return to activity. When inflammation is present, intra-articular medication may be recommended.
How do you know if your horse has a stifle issue?
When stifle trouble strikes, the symptoms include heat, swelling and lameness as well as back and croup soreness, which are similar to those of hock problems, initially making diagnosis difficult, says Dr. MacDonald.
How much are stifle injections for horses?
Costs vary. Depending on where you live and how many sites require injection, you’ll pay anywhere from less than $300 to more than $700 to have both hocks done. Repeated corticosteroid injections have been linked to progressive joint deterioration.
What does a locking stifle look like?
A locked stifle is very obvious and can look alarming. However, it’s usually not as serious as it first appears. If your horse has the condition, he’ll stand with his hind leg locked in extension (it will appear very straight and stiff) and he may drag the toe of his hoof along the floor behind him.
How do you unlock a stifle horse?
When your horse experiences a locked stifle, gently guide it into a position that will unlock it. If you are walking your horse and its hind leg gets stuck in an extended position, signal your horse to rein back. This movement will allow the ligament in its hind leg to slacken, allowing the joint to unlock.
How long do stifle injections last?
Hock injections can be effective anywhere from 6-12 months. If your hock injections are only lasting 8-10 weeks, your horse may be a candidate for laser arthrodesis (surgical fusion).
What is a sticky stifle on a horse?
Answer. Also called locking stifles, “sticky stifles” are caused by upward fixation of the patella and occurs when the medial ligament catches over the end of the femur and does not release.
Can a horse dislocate a stifle?
True dislocation of the kneecap is uncommon in horses. When it does occur, it is usually a serious injury and the dislocation is very obvious. Some breeds are prone to a congenital form of dislocation.
What is the best anti-inflammatory for horses?
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the most commonly used drug for pain management in horses. Examples include bute (e.g. Equipalazone), flunixin (e.g. Equinixin or Finadyne) and meloxicam (e.g. Metacam). These medications relieve pain and help in the reduction of inflammation and fever.
Why do horses need stifle injections?
This is most commonly done through the use of ‘joint blocks’. Joint blocks, or more accurately ‘intraarticular anesthesia’, can be useful in confirming a suspicion that the stifle joint is the cause of your horse’s lameness. This is where local anesthetic is directly injected into a joint to numb the area causing pain.
How long does it take for stifle injections to work?
Your horse’s response to the injections will play a large part in helping us develop a future performance maintenance regimen. The effect of the medication typically maximizes in 2 weeks post-injection, so wait 2-4 weeks to assess the initial response.
How do you inject a horse stifle?
Intra-Articular Joint Injections: The Stifle
How much does equine Mesotherapy cost?
Typical costs: Mesotherapy typically cost between $250 and $450 per body part per treatment.
How much does it cost to inject stifles?
So, what is the financial cost to the horse owner for a joint injection? That depends on the veterinarian, what joint is injected, and what medications are used or placed into the joint space. I would guess, based on my personal history of injecting joints, the average cost would be around $250-300 per joint.
Is locked stifle painful?
Locking stifle is a painful, but common horse health condition that can create a lot of problems for your horse’s mobility.
How do you know if your horse needs injections?
To tell if your horse needs hock injections, look for changes in behavior that might indicate that your horse has pain in its hock, or hindquarters. This might include refusing to jump fences, excessive bucking, trying to bite you, or general bad temper.
What does it mean when a horse’s hocks are fusing?
Fusion occurs when the juncture between the ends of two bones transforms from a mobile joint into a stable bony bridge, immobilizing that part of the hock. The joints in the lower hock naturally have minimal movement, which means their fusion can potentially relieve pain without inhibiting the horse’s stride.
What is betamethasone horse?
The Racing Medication & Testing Consortium says betamethasone is “a potent, long-acting, synthetic glucocorticoid widely used in equine veterinary medicine as a steroidal anti-inflammatory.” It’s a man-made corticosteroid that can be administered topically but is far more often injected into a horse’s joints.
