A good progressive and structured training program is one of the most important aspects of avoiding stifle injuries. Sharp changes in workload, intensity or duration should also be discouraged since they may overload the joint and support structures.

• Begin Low Key and Build Up: If you start with too much, too soon, your horse will become undernourished and fatigued. It is better to go low-key and build up gradually. Give them a chance to adjust to new demands on the stifle joint and tissues around.

• Warm-Up: During any exercise, do not forget to warm up your horse well before any vigorous activity. It should consist of some minutes of walking, trot work, and canter work, where the scope of motion and flow of blood to the muscles and joints is activated step by step. Also, add lateral exercises such as leg yields and shoulder-in to ready the hindquarters laterally.

• Cool-Down: Properly after exercise, a proper cooling down is also very important. This serves to eliminate the wastes in the muscles, and it also slows down the heartbeat and the breathing progressively. Add a walk and stretching exercises session.

• Change Your Training: Do not follow up with routine training methods that exert a similar pressure on the stifle joint. There should be a variety of exercises, such as: getting training in flatwork, hill work (this develops hindquarters, but they have to be introduced gradually), cavalletti work, and trail riding, where the horse crosses different surfaces (after conditioning).

• Take Note of the Age and Fitness of the Horse: Your training regime should be centered on the fitness ability of your horse. The horses that have not yet developed musculoskeletal systems fully, and other horses with possible degenerative changes, are treated more conservatively.

• Pay Attention to Your Horse: You should listen and check for any pain, stiffness/lameness. Notice any slight changes and talk to a veterinarian, in case you see there is a problem. Lighten the work or rest it should your horse looks sore.

The feet of the horses anchor the whole musculoskeletal system in the horse. Unbalances in the feet may convey abnormal stresses along the limbs, and this may enhance stifle injuries.

• Farrier Care: Make a routine appointment with a trained farrier (preferably every 4-6 weeks) that will end in proper trimming and shoeing. Weight is evenly distributed when the feet are balanced and this will minimize the weight bearing on the stifle joint.

• Proper Hoof Angles: Be mindful of the hoof angles, and they have to be correct in relation to your particular conformation and discipline of your horse. False angles may distort the limb's biomechanics and put a strain on the stifle.

• Orthopedic Shoeing Example: Sometimes, your veterinarian or farrier may recommend therapeutic trims or shoe adjustments to help with conformational problems or provide added support to the stifle joint.

• Address Foot Problems: Manage any current foot problems, i.e., abscesses, thrush, or laminitis early since they can change the gait and put excessive strain on other joints, including the stifle.

Although you cannot modify the type of conformation that a horse is born with, learning your horse's conformation characteristics can help you deal with the risks involved.

• Assess Conformation: Anything that leads to poor conformation, such as straight hind legs or a low hock-to-ground ratio, may add additional pressure to the stifle. Adjust your training and management accordingly.

• Manage Developmental Orthopedic Diseases (DOD): During the early years of a horse, take steps to feed them correctly and keep their management healthy in order to reduce the chances of DOD, including osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) and its stifle joint counterpart. Talk with your veterinarian to devise a proactive regimen.

• Manage Existing Joint Diseases: In the event that your horse has been diagnosed with a pre-existing joint disease, like osteoarthritis, seek the assistance of your veterinarian to help build a management plan that may include appropriate exercise, medication use (if applicable), and supportive care to slow progression and reduce further strain.

Limiting horse movement over a long time can also make their muscles weak and joints stiff, hence easily injured when they attempt to exercise.

• Maximum Turnout Time: It is most recommended that you give your horse plenty of time to turnout, in a safe and large paddock or field. Free movement enables free stretching, toning the muscles, and healthy joint flexibility

• Safe Turnout Environment: Look in paddocks to see if there is anything that can cause injuries, e.g. uneven ground, deep mud, loose sections of fencing, etc.

• Examples include Track Systems or Paddock Paradise: These systems facilitate more movement during the day and may help to keep being actively fit at a minimum.

Being overweight poses extra pressure to every joint, including the stifle.

• Check the Body Condition Score of Your Horse: Maintain a check on your horse's body condition score (BCS) so you can be sure they are not too fat or too thin. Work towards a moderate BCS (say 5 out of 1-9).

• Put a Balanced Diet in Place: Consult with an equine nutritionist or your veterinarian to design a balanced diet to satisfy your horse with its energy needs without resulting in excess weight gain

• Avoid Overfeeding: Check on the feed and the quantity you give. Restrict him to high-energy feeds or lush pasture in case your horse is inclined towards becoming overweight.

Poorly fitted tack or inadequate footing may play a part in causing biomechanical imbalances and exacerbate the risk of stifle injuries.

• Check that Tack Fits: Have your saddle and bridle fitted regularly to be sure that they fit properly, not making it difficult to move, and not applying unequal pressure. Talk to a red-badged saddle fitter.

• Good feet under feet: Good footing can allow you to ride your horse frequently by offering a proper cushion and traction. Avoid soft sand, oil slick situations, or hard surfaces.

• Wear Appropriate Leg Protection: It is recommended (but still controversial) that some protective and supportive leg protection, eg. polo wraps or sports boots, should be worn during exercise, not only to protect stifles but to provide at least some support to the tendons and ligaments.