Stifle Surgery

[fourluckyhorseshoes]

Hi Everyone-

I am/was planning on sending my mini to be cart trained next month, when I remembered that my mini had leg surgery before I bought him. I went through the health records the owner gave me when I purchased him--

In August 2007 he began having problems with his left stifle, in November 2007 he had the surgery done , I'm assuming the medial patellar ligament was cut. Then in January he was having occasional locking in the right stifle through July where it was locking once a week. In August of 2008 he had surgery done on the right stifle.

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From our experience (purchased in July 2010) he has never been lame, no popping/locking, or any signs of lameness. I am thinking this is the genetic type of locking stifles since he had it when he was 2-3ish. I've read its like "growing pains." We will be having a vet come out in a few days to do his Coggins, and we will ask her when she comes out if he will be fit to go into cart training. We have lunged him a bit, small jumps, trails and he has been fine.

Do you think he will be able to handle cart training? Any precautions I need to take or tell the trainer? Thanks for your help.

 

[Sue_C.]

You might have better luck sending this off to the Driving forum...I know that "Hobbyhorse" has had it done on her driving gelding, and there might be others.

 

[Jetiki]

I know several horses that have had the stifle surgery and gone on to be fine driving horses. Unless there is another reason you vet says that he can't be a driving horse this shouldn't slow him down any.

Karen