Stifle Pain

The stifle is the horse's actual knee — the biggest, most complicated joint it owns, and the one young and unfit horses complain of first. The classic story is the catch: a hind leg that momentarily locks or hitches as the horse walks off.

Consider this program when:

• the stifle catches or momentarily locks, especially in young or unfit horses
• stifle soreness follows deep going or hill work
• a fitness plan is rebuilding the quadriceps that stabilise the joint
• an older horse's stifles tire before the rest of it

One stifle per treatment, beside the strengthening work that is the real cure for the weak stifle. A locking stifle that stays locked, or true lameness, is the vet's case.