I saw a post about this in 2015 but wanted to revisit. I have a just turned 5 year old who has sticky stifles. His right seems worse than his left. He sticks coming out of stall and sometimes walking out of the cross ties - but not noticeable under saddle. When he gets tired at work - usually the 25 minute mark - he will sometimes bolt at the canter to the right - once a week or so. We are doing all the things - hills, backing, poles and estrone every 4 days. Just wondering if anyone has had this issue themselves and found the bolting to be related to the sticking stifle. Also for those that did the surgery did it fix the problem??
Hi, i had a couple with sticky stifles but they were not bolting but i prƩsumƩ that it dƩpends on thƩ tempƩrament of the horse, both mine were very stoic kind of horses
Well, Iāve had 2 with stifle issues at various times and neither developed a bolting issue.
However, the canter is really tough on the stifles and horses will sometimes use momentum to get through things that are hard or that hurt, so it isnāt completely impossible that these things are related.
My first instinct is that you may not have as fit of a horse as you think. My vet prescribed āLOTS of trottingā before trying to canter - like building up to 20-25 minutes of trotting outside the ring before asking for canter. With lots of walking on trails - up to an hour a few times a week. It sounds like if your horseās quarter is running out at 25 minutes, heās not as fit as he should be.
All that said - if heās just turned 5 heās likely growing and they go through spurts where the stifles fall off the wagon. Iām not opposed to surgery, but Iād make sure heās leveled out and youāve really done the fitness work (and checked those hoof angles!) before going to surgery. Itās permanent and not 100% risk free, so Iād wait until heās a little older IIWM.
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Sticky stifle horse here, no bolting either.
Breed? The 25 minute mark and then acting up could be about PSSM, as this is the age around which that type of issue often starts showing up
Another option is some cervical impingement, where turning the head juuuuust right makes a zing
Sticky stifles donāt get surgery, not without going through very, very purposeful fitting up which is lots of walking and trotting, very little canter work, lots of hills and pole work to strengthen all the supporting muscles of the hind legs.
How are his hind feet? Long toes are bad for stifle issues (bad in general, but extra bad for stifles)
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Super helpful notes here. Sounds like I need to do a lot more trotting and hills. Heās a warmblood not huge but not small. He looks like heās still growing butt high and his butt muscles definitely need work. Iāve had him for about 6 months now and I"m pretty positive he didnāt do much before I got him. Heās been in 6 days a week of work for about 2 months now. I did have a saddle completely redone to fit him. I had his stifles flexed last week and he flexed fine. There are days when heās amazing gets past the 25 minutes mark no problem and there are days I get on and want to get right back off - you can just feel heās not happy to be ridden. At the 25 minute mark there is a definite change of character - he starts rooting and his facial expression gets pissy. Itās very interestingā¦We are very fair let him have a ton of breaks when he gets antsy and roots as soon as he good for a few steps heās done but we do ask he stops in a good place. I know heās going to bolt once the rooting starts - heāll often also start stamping when he walksā¦
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WB + that behavior says fitness and possible PSSM to me. Both worth checking while he hopefully catches up with the butt-high issue! Heās at the right age. And hoof X-rays wouldnāt hurt either!
On the flexions - they wonāt always flex off if itās a loose ligament or issue elsewhere thatās making the stifles unhappy. But I have seen a meniscus tear not flex off either so thereās thatā¦
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Is the PSSM a muscle biopsy or blood test?
One is a biopsy, but a lot of people have luck with changing the diet as a diagnostic. Thereās different types of PSSM with slightly different diets and Iām not the most knowledgeable on which is which, but lots of good info here on COTH.
The only definitive tests are hair analysis (or blood, hair is cheaper) for PSSM1, and a muscle biopsy for PSSM2. Note that the latter can yield a false negative depending on the skill of the vet taking the sample, and even just missing affected tissue
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This might be a little out there, but a former student of mine had a TB gelding who was fine working and warming up at the trot, but would bolt/takeoff when asked to canter - he turned out to have pretty severe KS.
That was really not the first thing that occurred to us!
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He did a full clean neck back X-rays done about 6 months ago. Heās actually fine cantering trotting until he gets tired around that 25 minute mark.
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Two sticky stifle horses and no bolting. Also have a PSSM horse and no bolting. Usually PSSM theyāre unable to go forward and almost act like theyāre colicing when they tie up, so a bit of the opposite presentation. Iād focus on fitness work at the walk and trot and check hoof angles, and then vary the routine riding so the bolting doesnāt get to be on such a schedule. That will help guide whether its a physical (lameness, or strength) or behavior.
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This is a great idea!!! Wish Iād thought to mention itš.
This is a great idea about the varying the training so he doesnāt get on a schedule. I will say his go to when heās high, spooky, or feeling his oats is bolting - even out in turn outā¦so it is hard to say if this is behavioral or physical. I like the hoof angle idea.
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My can be spooky warmblood when he was 6 loved variety. I know you mentioned riding 6 days a week in a 2 month period and while thatās probably fine for going horses for I know mine would have absolutely lost his mind and refused to go forward if I kept at him like that. So I accomplished training in different ways-- can you take him on a trail ride, keep him engaged and marching-- ask for leg yields on the trail, shoulder in, etc., Youāre doing the same thing, but differently. I took him to push cows. I just varied his training in every way I could. Iād jump a fence or two in the middle of flatting. Iād do my work in the giant hay fields vs. the ring. Now you may not want to do that if heās truly bolting like his life depends on it, but you get the idea. Now heās a solid citizen and doesnāt need that, but I had to work at creating a work ethic with him. And nights that he was goodā¦ even if weād ridden for 15 minutesā¦ that was it. Mission accomplished. He basically has ADHD and needs something to focus on or he creates his own games so tons of walk breaks just extended the ride time. He seemed to appreciate a more fast and furious type ride that was over quickly rather than work, walk break, now pick back up. Heād usually act up to be honest. But if you kept him going and ended sooner he was fine. Now whether thatās good training or Iām just straight living that adult amateur life and choosing the easy way outā¦ eh? 
Iām not one to say itās behavior and not a pain response. I have to figure out if its a pain response or heās bored or if heās just not feeling it for whatever reason because theyāre not trying to be naughty-- they donāt have it out for us (except this one mare I knewā¦). But take a step back and think about whatās changed in his life since youāve had him especially since it sounds like youāre already ruled out some physical issues and have identified the sticky stifles. Give him some variety in terms of work, where its done and how long. Work on fitness. Give the estrone some time to work. Then see where youāre at in a couple weeks. If you hear hoof beats think horse, not zebra.
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I think for some, bolting is the reaction to discomfort somewhere. Others might shut down. How is his breathing and sweating? The timing stood out to me. My horse with asthma would just āhit the wallā after about that time until we figured out he had asthma and adjusted his management. My horse is a good boy and would try, but there would be fussing and rooting. I imagine that if bolting was in his playbook he might have gone there if pressed. Canter is harder than trot when they have breathing issues.
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I think the sticking of the stifle can scare/startle some horses and that bolting is a pretty normal response to that. There is sometimes a pain component to this particular issue as well so that could also play into it. You could do a bute test to experiment a little.
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