Ehh, yes and no. I do not agree with you that it is usually training because in my experience it CAN be a health problem and is more likely to be that. There are tons of threads on here as examples. People have been able to change how their horse goes by diagnosing ulcers, thin soles, kissing spine, SI problems, arthritis, neuro issues, etc.
If you “train” a horse through it, you risk losing communication with the horse because you can instill that, “you do this, there are no options, and pain doesn’t matter” you get a submissive and stoic horse that could break down on you later due to not addressing the initial underlying health problems.
Somewhat of a tangent: I don’t know what part of Germany you are from, but I’ve done some horse keeping there. It did seem that Germans are less into joint injections, ulcer treatments, metabolic issues and other ailments and more into natural remedies and training. Which, I’ve seen fail more than once, but could have been pure circumstances. Granted, I was in a rural area, but I felt like that area was behind the curve. On the other hand, maybe us British folk and Americans are more “alarmist” and sensitive to things. Could be cultural. I’ve only experienced boarding in the UK, Germany, Spain, Holland, and NE USA, but I’ve noted differences. Maybe another topic for another day. Maybe totally unrelated to your nationality, but I could see some parallels, maybe coincidence.
Back to the OP, the other thing to consider is that stifle injuries and weakness take a long, slow, and diligent rehab. So maybe it never got the strength back correctly and now the body compensated elsewhere and the soreness spreads. Just another theory to add to the never ending list! Best of luck with scoping and I’m curious to hear about the results.
