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  Discussion on Sore behind (stifle?) much worse in soft footing, gets better on harder ground
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New Member:
clkauf01

Posted on Thursday, Mar 3, 2011 - 11:07 am:

Hi, new member looking for answers. I did try to look for hind end, mud, soft tissue in archives, and didn't find it.

I have 5 year old TB/Connemara cross, I have had for almost two whole months!! He's a good horse, but low on the totem pole and has been getting the worst of it in the pasture rumbles. It's also late winter in KY, so we are up to our ears in mud. last saturday I he felt off while I was trotting in the indoor (fairly soft, deep sand footing) and I thought he had done something silly in the mud, and so we quit. Sunday he seemed fine (but we were in the harder outdoor arena) and we had a great jump lesson. Mon, Tue riding at night in the indoor was not fun, no go, and just felt like a flat tire behind. yesterday went to have a lesson and he was very lame in the soft indoor, appears to be in stifle region. We went out to the outdoor, and lameness disappeared. If pushed hard in circle, could see a little gimp, but much better on the harder surface.

so.. thinking soft tissue something. He's not profoundly sore, he is willing to move forward, but he has a flat tire behind. I was thinking giving him a week off, maybe change pastures. There is a pond in his pasture, and he has been seen in it. I do not know if he went in on purpose or was run into the pond. He does get picked on, either scenario would not surprise me.

I am hoping this is mud spring silliness. But I am also fearful. This is a nice young horse, and I already have two horses retired, one with navicular and one with a suspensory tear (long sad story there). Would you do anything different? I don't want to keep him in bubble wrap (ok I would if I could), but I also want to be proactive about treating his soreness.

Any thoughts welcome.

Christina
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Mar 3, 2011 - 6:21 pm:

Welcome Christina,
The problem is we don't know what is wrong. There are no characteristics to a hind limb lameness that can readily lead you to a "stifle problem". Is there some other reason you think it might be the stifle?

The best thing to do is to get a good diagnosis, for more on this see the article associated with this discussion area. You can click to it on the navigation bar above. If you would like to take a wait and see attitude for a while check out HorseAdvice.com » Diseases of Horses » Lameness » First Aid for the Lame Horse. It is sort of a horse is lame for unknown reasons primer.
DrO
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