Do you think this horse can be rehabbed?

Calm, easy-going mare, very recently retired from the track, still racing fit, needs some let-down/time off. No vices, athletic and a cute mover, but not currently sound on a stifle. Will make a lovely sporthorse broodmare (Mr. Prospector, Fappiano, Seattle Slew bloodlines). Photos on website, see contact info page for web address. Free to the right home.

I was e-mailing the owner before they found out she wasn't sound. here is some information from our conversations:

I've attached a few more photos of Drizzle, I don't have any of her undersaddle yet. I broke my collarbone about a month ago so I'm not able to ride at the moment, so she hasn't been started on the retraining process yet. Hopefully I can at least get her on the longe line this week. She's a cute mover and moves really well from the shoulder with a flat-kneed trot.

Personality wise, she's very friendly and is well behaved, she is very quiet in her stall and does fine turned out with other horses (both mares and geldings). She's been very calm and hasn't offered to spook or really look at anything. She is also supposed to be very calm and steady undersaddle--I know the race owner and when he says they're quiet, they are--the other horse I have from him is being retrained by a 14 yr old girl, she's had him for about a month and the horse is already working on the bit and jumping (she's an advanced-beginner the only one who's ridden him besides the jockeys at the track). I would imagine Drizzle will be pretty much the same.

The only issues that I know of are a scar on her left knee (I've attached a photo of her knee)--it was a pasture accident that happened a couple of years ago and is only cosmetic, the joint hasn't been effected. She also is a little sensitive about being groomed, she doesn't really like her flank area brushed and will pick up her hind feet but hasn't offered to kick. She does LOVE being scratched, so I think once she figures out the grooming routine, should be fine.

Drizzle is pretty much a blank slate, I think she would do well as a hunter or eventer or in the dressage ring. Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Hi Emma,

Sorry to say, Drizzle isn't sound. The trainer I got her from said she had had some soreness in her left stifle but was now sound on it. She's not--she actually hold her left leg up and canters around on 3 legs. So I think if she has a future it's as a broodmare. There is a bump on her left hip as well, so I'm not sure if the issue could be help with some chiropractic work and rest or not. At this point I'm just looking for a home for her. If you'd like to try rehabbing her you can just have her. I have 7 horses at the moment and can't keep one that's not going to do anything.

I'm not sure how Drizzle will do. She has been turned out since she's been here and she seems to be less sore than when she initially came off the track. I had my vet look at her quickly while he was out to work on another horse, he said there is some effusion in her stifle, and would recommend injecting it to see if that reduces the inflammation and soreness. Her stifle certainly doesn't seem to slow her down in the field, she seems to get around fine on it. I can't really say if more rest and some rehab/treatment will solve/manage the problem (the race trainer said she was sound after injecting her stifle a while ago), I'm sure she will improve but not sure if she will hold up to long-term heavy work. She is a really sweet horse, I really like her, I just can't afford her. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Sorry this is retty long.

Do you think she can be rehabb