Locking Stiflespersil grass affected!

The horse's stifle is equivalent to the human knee, and is designed to bend forward whereas the hock bends backwards.
A ‘locking stifle’ (more formally: 'upward fixation of the patella' or UFP) is a common problem in horses, especially young, growing horses or those in poor condition.
In severe cases, the horse will be unable to flex the affected hind leg (it will look very straight) and may even drag it behind him. Sometimes both hind limbs can lock and the poor horse cannot move at all!
Usually, the leg will unlock of its own accord, but if this is not happening gently ask the horse to back up. This will allow the ligament to slacken and help unlock the joint.

 

 

What Causes Stifles to Lock ?

As the cause is ‘weakness’ of the muscles needed to hold the ligament in place, treatments to date usually involve targeted exercise such as walking the horse up and down hills and on uneven terrain to strengthen the muscles.

Another cause of ‘muscle weakness’ is a lack of the right nutrients needed to operate the muscle. This is why young horses are particularly prone as they have an increased requirement for these same nutrients for growth.

 

Current Recommendations?

In our experience it is well worth addressing the problem nutritionally BEFORE resorting to any of the following more traditional, comparatively drastic options such as:

  • Attaching ankle weights to the horse’s pasterns in order to work the muscles that support the stifle, strengthening them in the process.
  • ‘Blistering’ (injecting an irritant near the stifles to encourage the body to strengthen the surrounding ligaments) is another treatment.
  • Surgical intervention for serious cases. The horse will take several months to recover and will require numerous follow up vet visits to remove sutures and check its progress.