Hi there! I recently went to a barrel race and had to get my horse checked out so that I could get some anti-inflammatories. The vet there said that she has fluid in her stifles and that it would be in my best interest to get her injected. What do y’all think about that? Just trying to find out what the best thing is to do for her.
Have your vet out to do a full lameness exam. If her stifles flex positive and there are no other major issues/worse flexions, injections could definitely help.
Alrighty! I will definitely look into that. One more question if you don’t mind… I am look at getting another horse, and I was wondering what kind of exams and stuff should I get my vet to look at on him?
Injections can definitely help, and depending on the issue, an equine chiropractor might help too. Your horse might have been compensating and causing minor imbalances other places (like back/neck/shoulders/other legs). The chiro can help get everything back in alignment post injection. It is also cool to see if you haven’t had one out yet 
I can’t believe the stuff my chiro does with maresy.
Thank you so much! The vet had said that everything else looked and felt good, but I will keep a chiro in mind. Someone at my barn uses one, so I can ask to use hers.
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It has really helped me. My mare is 18 though, a younger, fitter horse might not have the same issues that she does. But if you have a good recommendation it probably falls into the “can’t hurt, might help” category. Good luck!
Thank you so much!! I just want to make sure that she is comfortable and running to the best of her ability!!
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You’ll want to do a basic prepurchase exam, which typically includes a clinical exam (eyes, lungs, heart) and a lameness exam (feel all over body for swelling and heat, jog on hard and soft ground in circles and straight lines, flex each joint). Then you can discuss with the vet whether she recommends any additional tests based on what she sees - like x-rays, ultrasounds, gastroscope, etc. Certain disciplines predispose horses to certain injuries, so there may be something common to x-ray. Talk to your trainer. For example, jumpers will often x-ray front feet and hocks because those are the places you see the most wear and tear. Navicular is more common in some breeds, so those people always x-ray feet.
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Sometimes stifle injections are just part of peeling the layers away. Stifles might be sore compensating for sore hocks, so may need to have those injected eventually as well.
I’m confused on your history of this horse so maybe you can explain better.
You said you took the horse to the vet so you could get anti-inflammatories. Why does/did your horse need these?
What was done for the vet to determine there was fluid on the stifles?
flexions?
xrays?
ultasound?
Is it one stifle or both?
Did the horse flex sore in the hocks?
Did you do X-rays of the hocks?
How old is this horse?
While injections can work very well sometimes, I think it’s a lot more complicated when you have FLUID on a joint.
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Thank you!!
My horse need the anti-inflammatories because I was at a barrel race where they had concrete stalls, and she was going to be staying there for five days. She has never stayed in a barn with concrete stalls before and I wanted her preforming to the best of her ability. The vet was just doing a wellness exam and he noticed that she seemed a little stiff and started feeling around and said that it feels like there is some fluid on there and it might would be in my best interest in the future, if I noticed that she was blowing out the barrels and other things, to get her injected. The vet said that it was on both. My horse is about 13. There were no X-rays taken or ultrasounds.
Well if the vet didn’t actually do a lameness exam you need to start there. Never "blindly " inject without looking at the horse as a whole and proper diagnostics of the problem area(s).
All right. Thank you so much for your help in this situation. My vet is going to be coming out to my barn very soon and I will have her take a look at her.
