Usually the stifle joint will be swollen and possibly painful but not always. The lameness can be on one or both sides, depending on if one or both stifles are affected. These help to stabilize the joint as the horse works.

Should your horse experience a stifle injury, you may witness the following: Swelling Lameness Seemingly intolerant of exercise Kneecap locking up Joint thickening

Horses with stifle problems are going to be lame in the hind end.

They gave him a joint injection, prescribed a few days of rest followed by light exercise. “The stifle is a highly mobile, weight-bearing joint,” says Baxter. Add to this collection of bones, ligaments and menisci the fluids and cartilage found in other joints, and you’ve got one of the most complex areas in the equine body. If the problems have been going on for a period of time in one leg, the other leg may develop problems from supporting too much weight. A common physical affliction among gaited horses is upward fixation of the patella, otherwise known as locking stifles.The symptoms of this may be so subtle as to cause the horse owner many nights of restless, worried wondering, or so obvious that it seems an otherwise healthy horse has become functionally useless. Stifle block on the right confirmed the lameness was in the stifle... but after over $1,000 worth of exams, including xrays and a really, really thorough ultrasound by the expert vet in ultrasounding stifles - nothing was found. Locking Stifle Syndrome in the gaited Horse Part 1.