Horse has sudden locking stifle. What should I do before a big ride?

I would advise you to get an equine vet out to look at her as soon as you can. What you describe may be due to sacroiliac pain, but aspects of it such as problems placing her feet would make me wonder regarding a neurological issue. I would advise you not to ride her until the vet has checked her out, for your own safety and to avoid worsening any problem. You can walk her in hand. I hope it is nothing too serious and you find resolution quickly.

There are many things that could cause a sore fetlock - a joint infection, a bruise, a pulled muscle or strained tendon, or even a fracture of one of the bones in this area. If she isn't finishing her food, this likely means that she's quite painful. If she were acting normal otherwise, I would suggest stall rest for the next few days to see if the lameness improves; however, since she's painful enough that it's affecting her appetite, I would really recommend having an equine vet come out to see her today if at all possible. He/she can take x-rays if needed to help determine the problem and get her started on appropriate treatment.

Poor Gigi! If she is non-weightbearing on the affected leg, I would recommend calling out an equine vet right away for an emergency visit, as this is often a sign of a serious injury such as a fracture. If she is bearing weight and acting normal otherwise, you could try stall rest for the next few days with lots of soft bedding to see if the lameness resolves. You can certainly try icing or cold-hosing the hoof, but it's hard to say if this will be helpful or not without knowing what is causing the lameness. If there is no improvement in the next 3-5 days, or if she isn't eating or having any other symptoms, she needs to be seen by a vet right away to find out what's wrong. Your vet can take x-rays or do other testing if needed to help diagnose the problem and see what can be done to treat it.

Hello. Without pictures & video, a full description of gait, & previous use history, it is impossible to say what is going on. Was this a previous injury, or a congenital defect? You really need to have an equine veterinarian examine your horse. I see there are two in the vicinity of your zip code. Dixie Equine in Madison, & Strong River in Brandon. I hope you can give them a call & help you with your horse. Good luck & take care.

Ebony may need to have a full exam and lameness workup done by your equine veterinarian to make sure she doesn't have a lameness issue. If there is no soft tissue or bone issue going on causing lameness, she may have muscle pain, and in my experience acupuncture works great for treating musculoskeletal issues in horses. Gentle massage and acupressure techniques and stretching exercises are things you can learn to do as a horse owner and they may help as well. She is at an age where she is likely dealing with arthritis pain also, and could benefit from products like Cosequin for horses. Hope that is helpful!

This is called patellar luxation. It may or may not cause any future issues. Here is a link to an article about this problem. Is this is 7 week old puppy? If so, I think it is too early to diagnose something like this. ( https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/luxating-patella-in-dogs )

If Stella is having difficulty walking/running, surgery may be indicated. Your vet will be able to grade the luxation by checking to see how far it moves out of the groove. She will then be able to determine whether or not surgery is necessary on this leg. Good luck! I hope Stella is feeling better soon.