A Kick to the Stifle (Then)

My little spotted boy was growing fast. He was happy, now out of his weanling funk. While I was glad that Chester was no longer depressed, I was not happy that he was now spunky, full of himself, and, well, an annoying little pisser. He was turned out with three mares - a National Show Horse who's pinned ears told Chester all he needed to know, a chestnut pony who couldn't care less so long as there was a pile of hay to eat, and a bay Quarab who took Chester's antics as a direct threat and saw it as her job to put the little spotted monster in his place.

Chester didn't speak the Quarab's language and her not-so-subtle hints were not working. Chester kept on annoying her - biting her, wheeling around to kick her, jumping over her head while she tried to enjoy a good roll in the dirt...you name it. The mare squealed, kicked back, pinned her ears, bared her teeth. Chester just laughed in her face and kept right on with his antics. Bad weanling.

I arrived at the barn one day to find Chester oddly subdued. I went to retreive him from his paddock and found that he had been kicked in the stifle. Lovely. It looked like Little Miss Quarab had finally landed one on Chester...in one of the worst possible pieces of his anatomy.

Dr. M came out, sedated Chester, cleaned the wound, and stitched it up. The slice was about an inch in length and took only a few stitches. I was worried about the long term effects. Dr. M, a man of huge talent, but few words, didn't dare to guess.

"Wow," I worried, holding up my drunk baby horse. "The stifle. Do you think he'll suffer any long term issues with that? I'm hoping to turn him into a show horse and..."

"Don't know. Hard to say," Dr. M offered. Comforting.

The prescription...a week of stall rest and then light hand-walking.

Chester made it two days before he tried to climb out of his stall.

I opened the stall door, slipped his halter on, and lead him out of the barn. Three steps out of the barn, he wheeled and kicked me...in my stifle.

"Son. Of. A. Bitch!" I could feel my knee throbbing and growing in size. Bad weanling.

At any rate, my little horse healed on the outside, but, to this day (at age 5), Chester is still a bit stiff in that stifle. It hasn't held him back much and he is on a daily dose of a maintenence joint supplement.

And no matter what happens to him, unless it is absolutely necessary, no stall rest is prescribed. It's just safer that way...for all involved. My stifle is still not right.