slipped stifle ? help advice please

[Holly27]

hi guys

sisters pony has a very old injury she had a slipped stifle years back so when we got her they said no jumping as it could cause probs ( she came from a rescue center)
anyway today i was giving sister lesson and as i asked her to go into a working trot she went so lame ... looked quite shocking
her near hind leg kind of swung out very weird from the hip

so we took her back in yard and shes just resting that leg ... felt around stifle hip leg and no heat she didn't move like in pain
but as soon as you trot her up shes lame

Ive called the vet who's coming Fri morning so Ive kept her in she hates being in so cant totally box rest
what do you think it is ? do you think its the old injury
Ive rang the rescue center and i got a feeling this happens before and they didn't tell us
shes 17 years old but wasn't backed till she was ten then turned away and only been back riding for the last year

any ideas would be great
thanks xxx

[mememe]

poor thing!! i have herd of some young racers slipping their stifle but they just went back after a minute or so, i dont really no what 2 suggest! hope she gets better soon!

[Fattie_Hattie]

my friends pony had a slipped stifle and she had to take it to the vets to get in put back in place. But since the op the pony is riding and jumping better than it ever has

[DuckToller]

My old horse used to have an upwardly fixating patella, which meant the leg would get stuck and he would perform some really strange back leg movements, sort of a kick back, looked like he was trying to be a ballerina (!) and then it would go back in. Does that sound similar?

We could never lift his leg up high behind to pick his feet out in case it went, and the farrier used to have all sorts of problems shoeing him, but it did get better with work to the point where it hardly ever happened, so may not be the same problem as yours.

[Tia]

Upward fixation of the patella is purely mechanical and rarely causes pain. The very last thing a horse with this needs is to ever be kept in a stable. A horse with UFP needs to be out 24/7 and constantly exercising to build up the muscle surrounding the stifle - this will help to stabilise the stifle area.

There are many exercises you can do with the horse to help the muscle build-up.

[Holly27]

yes exactly that !!!!!!!!!!!! you described it far better than me
funny that when we got her they said she couldn't be shod on back hooves as she went loopy , same with picking out back hooves she will not allow you believe Ive got the bruises to prove it
i will turn out as she hates being stabled to be honest its hard to know what to do till vets comes up
but i will keep her turned out and wait for vet
thanks guys

[DuckToller]

Glad to be of use! Our farrier devised a way to shoe him by propping his quarters in the doorway so he could lean on his good side. Also I didn't pick his back feet up high once I realised, just asked him to put weight on good leg then picked out other with the toe resting on the floor - might work? Pity the rescue people didn't give you the full information, would have saved you some bruises!

My friend has a miniature shetland with similar problem only he has been lame for several weeks, has been out in the field as much as possible and she is a vet so that must be ok! We were advised to long rein to help build up muscles, lots of road work - that's ok as long as you have nice quiet roads!