#ringbone

[barefoothooves]

Plastic shoes for a Big Boy™ with ringbone

[barefoothooves]

Ringbone and Sidebone

Ringbone is the ossification (remodeling/laying down of excess bone) on the long and short pastern bones. Ringbone on the coffin joint (coffin bone+short pastern) is referred to as "low ringbone," while ringbone on the pastern joint (short pastern+high pastern) is called "high ringbone." Imbalance and unnatural forces on the joints cause the changes. Comfort level varies from horse to horse, with some being severely lame and others suffering only a loss of range of motion. It may or may not be seen/felt through the skin of the horse, depending on severity. On a radiograph it would show up like this:

And the bones themselves look like this:

Sidebone is the ossification of the lateral cartilages which are nestled again the palmar processes of the coffin bone in the back of the hoof. The lateral cartilages are where the bar corium exists. Heel contraction and other imbalances and extreme forces cause the ossification. There seems to be a trend of drafts and draft crosses developing it for reasons that are not clear yet (perhaps their large size and thus greater concussion??). Many horses are not bothered by the condition, but some are. It may or may not be seen/felt at or above the coronet band, depending on severity. On a radiograph it looks like this:

And the actual bone:

Photographs Copyright Cheryl Edwards-Henderson

Radiographs:

1, 2, 3, 4

[natshorses]

Question about ringbone.

Rabbit has ringbone in one hind foot. But. He was a successful racehorse until he was 6 (a very successful racehorse), and while he was in training with us (me), he never went lame. To my knowledge, he has never been lame due to ringbone. SO. Could he make a good project for up to third/fourth? I'm not expecting my next horse to go to Grand Prix or PSG (it would be nice), but I'd like them to last to third. I know that things like pirouettes could potentially aggravate his ringbone, but again, I don't expect him to do fourth or above. BUT AGAIN. His ringbone may NEVER affect him. I really want this horse. And I'd obviously get his foot x rayed.

[release-the-reins]

Needing some input for my horse Ike. Does anyone have a horse with ringbone and how do you manage it?

[hashtag-youreit]

Pre-Clinic Plan

Tomorrow night, I'll do some under saddle walk work with Gali, ice him, and DMSO him. Friday, I'm going to spend an hour or two massaging Gali (got a pony massage book!!!), do some under saddle walk work, and do his usual treatments plus ice-wrap his legs before the de-spook demo. Saturday, we're going to work a bit more, burn some energy, and treat his ringbone. Sunday, he will embarrass me in front of the entire barn in the despooking clinic, and it will be grand.