It is roughly equivalent to a human knee. There is a surgery also, but I would want a more definitive diagnosis. “A horse could certainly slip in the paddock while playing and pull a ligament,” says Baxter. But this mechanism can also cause trouble. The stifle is the joint lying under the heavy muscle at the top of the back leg where the leg almost meets the belly. Many horses struggle with stifle dysfunction due to injury, surgery, immobility, or disease. Have your horse evaluated by a vet to identify the problem and start it on a … Stifle injuries can be difficult to detect. Horse Care How to care for the basic health needs of horses Lameness Prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of leg lameness Nutrition Proper feeding practices for foals, adult horses, and older horses Part of a complete examination would include a good set of nerve and/or joint blocks to isolate the gait deficit to the stifle joint. If your horse's hind leg is stuck in an extended position, it may be suffering from a locked stifle. When the horse brings his hind leg back underneath himself, the patella slips back up over the medial trochlea. Sticky or Locking Stifle in a Horse - Cause and Treatment 'Sticky Stifle' is a result of a slight problem with the locking mechanism which fixes the stifle joint and allows the horse to stand sleeping - as a result, the rest of the horse's hind leg is affected. There is a surgery also, but I would want a more definitive diagnosis. “And years of riding and concussion of any type can take a toll on the joint, leading to arthritis, which is simply a long-term chronic injury.” Diagnostic advances. There are several ligaments that control how the stifle moves and these are attached to some very strong muscles that run upward along the horse's femur and downwards along the tibia. Younger horses with stifle slipping can benefit from hill work to strengthen the area and that works well. (A horse's actual knee is more like our wrist joint.) When the ligament involved doesn’t unlock spontaneously, or if it locks at the wrong time, it gives rise to a locking stifle. A vet will conduct a physical examination of your horse and might use blood tests and imaging technology (e.g., radiography or ultrasounds) to diagnose the issue. The stifle is a complex hinge joint in the upper hind limb of the horse, and the largest joint in the horse’s body. The stifle’s job is to allow your horse to extend and flex his hind leg. To extend, the patella slips down over a bony knob on the lower section of the femur, the medial trochlea. To confirm that your horse is suffering from a locked stifle, contact an equine veterinarian. A Stifle problems are common in equines. I rode this morning and really made the horse work all the way and the stifle only slipped once going down a very steep, sharp hill on a corner. A New Approach to Stifle Injuries - The Horse Owner's Resource Diagnosis and treatment of injuries in this complex joint have never been easier, thanks to advances in research and technology. Sometimes this locking mechanism in the stifle gets "stuck" and the horse or pony drags his hind leg and toe. One especially clever adaptation is a locking mechanism in the stifle, which allows your horse to keep standing while sleeping – all with minimal muscular effort. This condition is common in young, developing horses but also occurs in old or poorly developed horses. But any horse can injure a stifle. Diagnosis and treatment of injuries in this complex joint have never been easier, thanks to advances in research and technology.