A horse...a Walking Horse I know has had a couple owners. The horse is a little older started knucking over on the backend. They've said it was stifle, been xrayed but the first owner normally squared the toe, put wedge pads on to get him to 58 degrees on the hind legs. Her farrier did what she asked. The new owner who wasn't aware of the problem is now needing information on how to shoe a stifled horse. We use to square the toe for faster breakover for gait (sound horses) but one of my farriers said it jams them up and makes it worse. Has anyone delt with this and changed the shoeing for stifle? I haven't run across that but would think the horse would be better at his natural angle. Thanks
Posted 2007-03-28 12:12 AM (#57923 - in reply to #57903) Subject: RE: stifle - knuckle over - shoeing
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 378 Location: Nebraska
It seems you are talking about 2 different things an extensor tendon rupture, horse knuckles over, or a flexor tendon contraction, horse standing on it's toes and the pastern straight. The contraction treat by trimming the heel and shoe the toe along with a balanced diet and seen mostly in young foals. The extensor tendon can not be treated with trimming/shoeing only splints will help. If the horse has been like this to long you may cause more damage trying to fix it. The hock is made for rotation and sliding so when people start doing wierd stuff to the feet you will see alot of lameness because of joint misalignment.
Posted 2007-03-28 9:59 PM (#57962 - in reply to #57903) Subject: knuckle over
Veteran
Posts: 150 Location: Le Claire IA
Thank you for sending me in the right direction. Knowing the name to look for was the clincher. I found a lot of information and thought this particular site was the best if anyone else would like to read on it.
I then went to some of my lameness books and just for kicks checked out my book called the Diseases of the Horse from 1903 and it can't get any clearer than "Knuckling of the fetlock".
My first thought was putting him at the high angle and excessively squaring the toe and that kind of trauma can do it, as well as wirecuts.
Thank you again and I'm sure the new owner will be grateful.
stifle - knuckle over - shoeing
