horse with stiff leg?

Question

I have a friend who bought a sud pony thats about 8-10 yrs old.. I have began to wonder what the problem could be I mean His back left leg is stiff could it be from a broken hip and how could I possibly fix it or is there anyway.. Also could he still be rideable such as for pony rides???

Well I really dont know much about the pony and neither does my friend I mean they bought him from the horse sale for like 80.00 dollars..It just seems stiff I mean he cant bind it and when he walks he drags it I mean he still trots and runs and he still shows off..

Is there anyway that it could have stiffened from a broken hip or some sort and most of you are right he was bought from an auction and thats exactly where he was going,, but however i believe in giving ANY animal another chance and thats exactly what im doing with him... And as for the riding i wasnt talkin about teens or adults riding him i was referring to children 4-6 riding him such as pony rides.. but all the information i have recieved was helpful and i hope to continue to recieve more..

Answer 1

You need to have a vet look at it, but it sounds like your friend bought a pony from a killer (meat) auction, so it probably is injured. He's definately not rideable from the sounds of it. Hopefully the poor pony doesn't need to be put down, but I'd get the vet out asap. Good luck to the pony.

Edit: It could be a locking stifle, that's going to require therapy to tighten those muscles up to support the pony. I still think any pony bought for $80 probably has some health issues.

Answer 2

broken hip or dislocated hip = euthanasia.

Really I would have a vet out to look at him.

You're pretty vague on "stiff", he could just have arthritis in one of his joints from an injury. Also, he could've received an injury and it didn't heal well, so it permanently stiffened his leg. Or, it could just be temporary. If he's not pastured very often, his legs could just be a little stocked up - meaning some fluid has accumulated that will leave with some exercise and movement. Perhaps he has a cut or something on his leg now - that would make him reluctant to move his leg in certain ways and make it appear swollen. Talk to a vet and get the pony vet-checked.

Answer 3

Locking stifle sounds likely. It can be brought on or worsened by cold or lack of muscle tone. It generallly locks while they're standing then once they've slipped the tendon back into place they move normally. It may or may not lock every time he stands. Once the habit is well developed it is hard to cure. You try a resting shoe which will keep him from straightening the leg and locking it to give the muscle time to shorten and tighten. You can try to build his muscle tone and tighten it up. In very severe cases they can do surgery, they recover and can ride perfectly but cannot lock that leg to sleep standing up, he could still rest three legged and lay down to sleep normally. Make sure to get a good trim and see if he clears up, he'll probably lock more often the more he's kept stalled. He can probably do pony rides the weight shouldn't be any problem and may help him. Good luck

Answer 4

well it sounds like he is lame. this means that you can't ride him, if you do them you will cause more problems with his leg. if they sold him for that cheap then they knew that he can't be ridden and that he can only be for a pet. when people sell horses for that cheap then you know that there is something wrong with them. the same thing happened to my cousin and she didn't know why her mare was not putting any wieght on her front leg, and of course she went to go buy her alone and she was taken advantage of, so i had to look at her mare and told her what was wrong and what she can and can't do with her. well if you bought him for that cheap then just let him live out the rest of his life just being a horse. once a horse has a leg problem then you can't fix it, plus if it has been like that for a while before you bought him then there won't be any way to ride him. pretty much you bought a very big dog. just have fun with him and keep him happy.

Answer 5

Tell your friend to NEVER buy a horse, pony, etc without a thorough vet check first! It does sound more like he has stifled, which will require lots of expensive, long-term therapy. Call the vet now so that your friend knows for sure what's wrong.

Answer 6

Need to get the vet to be sure but sometimes they do get stiff and a good linament rub will help straighten out the problem. But I would let a vet make the call to be absolutely sure its not something more severe requiring a vets intervention!

Answer 7

The only way to be sure it is not a broken bone is to consult a vet. Sounds more like arthritis to me. Does he hold it up at all. Sometimes they will get a cramp and pull it up tight to them. That is a sign of arthritis, especially if done while shoeing. If it is Arthritis there is medicine for it. As long as he is kept out of pain I wouldn't see a problem with using him for anything.

Answer 8

WELL IF SOMEONE SOLD U A HORSE FOR $80.00 THAT EXPLAINS THE LEG. WELL TO HELP YOU OUT A LITTLE IF IT JUST LOOKS STIFF MAYBE YOU SHOULD BUY ADVANCE H.A. IT LOOSENS UP STIFFEN BONES AND MUSCLES. IF THAT DOESN'T WORK I WOULD GO TO THE VET THATS ALL I KNOW OF.

Answer 9

anybody out there considered stifle lock sounds a whole lot like it,really need a bit more info for an opinion though

Answer 10

get a vet to lok at him did you get him vet checked before you bought him?????