4 Vital Steps To Evading Stifle Struggles
The horses’ stifle is comparable to the human knee. It is a complex network of 4 bones, 3 joints, 14 ligaments, and 2 cartilage menisci. The stifle allows for your horse to flex and extend their hind leg and is designed to help absorb shock as your horse is in motion. Commonly most people think of performance horses when it comes to injury or concern of the stifle…
What is important to understand is that conformation, genetics, and fitness/conditioning plays a role in the health of your horse’s stifle. This means that even recreation and leisure horses can experience concern if the right supportive measures are not implemented with the horses’ care and lifestyle to promote the proper function of this intricate system of your horse’s body.
- Proper Digestion- There are many resources that teach on proper nutrition to ensure the health of your horse’s musculoskeletal system, but if the delivery vehicle for that nutrition is not functioning at its best. It is likely that the nutrition will go in one end and out the other… leaving your horse still at risk and your hard-earned money in supplements in a steaming pile of poo. A great start is to support with the 3 Amigos of Equine Digestion, click here to read more.
- Species Appropriate & Individualized Nutrition- The resources I mentioned sharing nutritional advice… not only fail to address the delivery vehicle being operational (big deal if you want results…) but they also preach on cookie-cutter, ratio, lab-created synthetics that will most certainly fall short of the long term health and benefits you desire for your horse. Do you think that you and I have the exact same nutritional needs, what about compared to your spouse, kids, or your friend who goes to the gym for an hour every day?? Is blanket nutrition really what you want to trust your horses’ vibrant health? Once you have cleaned the nutrition of synthetics, chemicals, and toxins… looking to add a natural amino acid supplement or check out our favorite joint health hack by clicking here.
- Fitness & Conditioning- Proper warm-up, cool down, and overall fitness have a huge impact on the health of your horse’s stifles. Did you know that the quadriceps and stifle area of your horse is the last place to build and strengthen your conditioning routine? That means it will also be the first to weaken if you lack consistency or if the horse is on stall rest or inactive over a period of time. Remember that strength training is best done with slow work, consistency, and patience. Working with a sports trainer or qualified professional with slight incline hill work, trotting poles, lateral suppling exercises, and serpentines are great ways to build fitness and condition over time.
- Recovery & Therapy- Supporting your horse with bodywork, natural liniments, and nutritional support and remedies known to reduce oxidative stress, and aid in cellular reproduction, repair, and function can be the small difference that puts the icing on the cake to your additional efforts.
Simple Exercises You Can Do Now With Your Horse To Support Hindquarter & Topline Health
When you don’t know where to start…
You can eliminate the overwhelm and confusion on how to best care for your horse! It seems there are so many opinions, facts, and conflicting information out there… We want to help empower you to individualize your horse’s care with confidence and peace of mind… grab a copy of my book Healthy as a Horse, and discover the forgotten framework of care that can transform your horse’s health. Click here to reserve your copy now.
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Life is better when you’re horsin’ around!
