Instructions
Have the cause of the horse's problem diagnosed by a veterinarian even if you believe it is due to a bad stifle. Many afflictions can cause lameness in a horse. Bad muscle tone is a common cause of stifle problems, and sometimes the locking attributes of the patella become faulty and the stifle "locks up" when the horse is in motion, causing lameness.
Find a good horse-shoer or farrier with an excellent knowledge of corrective shoeing. When any horse is shod, the farrier first removes the old shoes and trims the hooves, which grow in the same way as human finger and toe nails, using hoof clippers. Have him cut the inside wall of the back hooves more than the outside wall. This will cause the hooves to rotate outward. When he rasps the hoof after trimming, he should round the front of the hoof to shorten it and help prevent the toe-dragging movement that occurs with bad stifles.
Make certain the shoes are big enough to cover the bulbous part of the horse's heels. This will ensure that the horse's weight carried by each rear hoof is evenly distributed. The shoes should have wedges at the back to raise the heels and put more weight on the toes, and must be adjusted to properly fit the rounded fronts of the hooves. The rear nails may be omitted to allow for expansion of the horse's heels.
Arrange for the farrier to return and check on the shoes regularly. A horse's shoes are normally replaced every six to eight weeks. The corrective trimming process must be repeated at each visit. Implement a careful exercise program to strengthen the horse's back legs. An increase in food intake may also help by causing the layer of fat behind the patella to enlarge, making it less likely for the patella to lock up. Surgery is the only other option if the corrective shoeing and exercise do not relieve the stifle problems.
How Do I Shoe a Horse With Bad Stifles?
A horse's stifle, in its hind legs, can be likened to a human's knee joint. It has a knee cap, or patella. Like a human knee, the stifle can develop problems with age and excessive use on hard ground. Horses also use the patella to "lock" the stifle joint in place and sleep standing up without the joint buckling, and sometimes this can cause problems that human knees do not experience. Some stifle problems can be corrected with special shoeing techniques.