Prevailing wisdom has been that cutting, reining, barrel racing, cow horse, and other Western equine sports are too physically demanding to allow athletes to return to work following arthroscopic stifle surgery. Such disciplines require quick bursts of speed, strong hind-limb propulsion, abrupt stops, quick turns, and crouching positions that tax a horse’s stifles and hindquarters.

“Historically, some people have thought that Western performance horses have a poorer prognosis after stifle arthroscopy than horses in other sport horse disciplines,” Laurie Goodrich, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVS, professor of orthopedics and Interim Director of the Orthopedic Research Center at Colorado State University’s (CSU) Department of Clinical Sciences, told peers during the 65th American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, which is currently underway in Denver.

But is it true?

“We really questioned that,” she said