Stifle problem

Question
Hello im Jessie. My horse is a 7yr old quarter horse. He has a stifle problem and when he was little it was really bad and he had surgery done. It hasnt really bothered him much till recently. Today i couldnt even ride him. when he was on cross ties he avoided putting pressure on his left leg. Then i took him out to the arena and walked him and it didnt feel right he was trying to avoid putting pressure on it. when i tried to trot him a little i could tell he was in pain and so i got off. I love him a lot and were supposed to start showing greenhorse next year. If he becomes lame were going to have to give him away. Is there anything to do to help his stifle. exercise? stretching? i heard giving him more alfalfa will help offer more lubrication to the joint.
thank you so much for taking time to read this
sincerly jessie

Answer
Jessie:

by definition, your horse is lame right now. However, it may not be permanent nor is it necessarily serious. I have no way of knowing what was wrong with your horse's stifle that required surgery, but I will tell you that it is not necessarily the problem here. The onset of this problem being so rapid and the severity of the lameness is not generally supportive of that stifle issue being the problem. It is nowhere near necessary for you to consider giving him away as no one has evaluated this horse for this problem. I will tell you that the causes of lameness in the horse generally decreases the further up the leg you go. That means that given what you have told me, the greatest likelihood is that this is a problem in the foot. It is compatible with something as simple as a foot abscess, but it is also compatible with a fracture or a damaged tendon or ligament. You should not make these assessments yourself because they may lead to misleading approaches and conclusions. You should have an equine vet evaluate this. My guess at this point is that is is most lilkely to be a simple problem, but an equine vet needs to rule out the more serious problems and then will be able to give you a valid list of options and approaches to the resolution of the problem. Do not just give this horse away right now, that would be a mistake. If the problem is simple, you will likely still be able to begin your competition with him.

Jessie:
Im very sorry you didnt feel my knowledgability and helpfulness was as high as it might be. I strive to provide honest, very  educated, experienced and real information to people that ask me for my opinion. I know a foot problem is not as sexy as a stifle problem and makes me seem too simplistic, but the reality is this is much more likely to be a simple problem than some manifestation of a complex stifle or other problem- thats a real, experienced and practical answer and comes from the utmost of knowledgability. You need to rule out the more likely things first before diagnosing this as a complicated, statistically unlikely problem.