Ringbone Diagnosis

[SLS]

I haven’t posted on here in a while-but I was posting about my 7 yo QH gelding being lame. He was at the vet today and was diagnosed with high ringbone. He is lame at a trot but fine at a walk. Prognosis isn’t the greatest. Best case scenario and it doesn’t get any worse and that Bute will help him when I ride him (I just use him for pleasure riding).

I suspected that this is what he had but was hoping I was wrong. I am heartbroken.

Has anyone had any experience with Ringbone? And had anything helped with soundness?

[XXS]

longtime management with a good, good farrier
adapted riding
shock wave therapy
leech
ringbone is nothing you can turn back, but with good management you can support the horse e.g. with supplements recommended by your vet

[SLS]

@Salo

longtime management with a good, good farrier
adapted riding
shock wave therapy
leech
ringbone is nothing you can turn back, but with good management you can support the horse e.g. with supplements recommended by your vet

My vet didn’t recommend any supplements. Are there any you recommend?

I think it can’t hurt to at least try. And would anything topical help?

[NancyM]

@SLS I don’t know how much you have investigated this diagnosis. But you sound so heartbroken, and sad that I thought I’d respond, since not a lot of others have done so.

High ringbone has a better prognosis for future riding soundness than low ringbone, so that is hopeful for you. It really depends on the extent and location of the bone growth so far, and WHY it happened in the first place. Your vet can tell you more about the first part, and maybe some idea about the second. Sometimes knowing this can help restore some level of soundness and usefulness for the horse. “Why” can be overuse, concussion, farrier skills, injury from a blow, conformation or something else that I’m not thinking of at the moment. But try to figure it out so that you can avoid having this happen again.

Arthritic changes in a joint may do any of a number of different effects on the horse… When fresh, they will cause pain. When they set and cool out, they may not be as painful. It is possible that some bone growth will wear smoother in time. It is possible that the joint may fuse, or partially fuse. Full fusion can happen naturally, in time, or can be encouraged with veterinary intervention. Partial fusion may mean only part of the normal flexion in the joint, but may be OK for light riding. I heard that one horse locally was doing the 3’ hunter division successfully with a fully fused hind pastern.

“Supplements” don’t cure arthritis or make it go away. Painkillers and anti inflammatory drugs may be helpful, may be called for, and do work as advertised. Your vet should have some insight into what may help your horse return to adequate soundness for light, recreational riding. If your vet doesn’t have this information for you, get a second opinion. Owning and riding and training horses is always a series of set backs, injuries, ailments and disappointments, it rarely goes smoothly and the way we all want it to go. Welcome to the club. Horses who have had high ringbone diagnosis sometimes do come sound again, given time, one way or another. I’ve had one who did come sound, and resume his show hunter career, and it was in the days long before the joint injections that are available today. So… keep your chin up. Good luck.

[SLS]

@NancyM

@SLS I don’t know how much you have investigated this diagnosis. But you sound so heartbroken, and sad that I thought I’d respond, since not a lot of others have done so.

High ringbone has a better prognosis for future riding soundness than low ringbone, so that is hopeful for you. It really depends on the extent and location of the bone growth so far, and WHY it happened in the first place. Your vet can tell you more about the first part, and maybe some idea about the second. Sometimes knowing this can help restore some level of soundness and usefulness for the horse. “Why” can be overuse, concussion, farrier skills, injury from a blow, conformation or something else that I’m not thinking of at the moment. But try to figure it out so that you can avoid having this happen again.

Arthritic changes in a joint may do any of a number of different effects on the horse… When fresh, they will cause pain. When they set and cool out, they may not be as painful. It is possible that some bone growth will wear smoother in time. It is possible that the joint may fuse, or partially fuse. Full fusion can happen naturally, in time, or can be encouraged with veterinary intervention. Partial fusion may mean only part of the normal flexion in the joint, but may be OK for light riding. I heard that one horse locally was doing the 3’ hunter division successfully with a fully fused hind pastern.

“Supplements” don’t cure arthritis or make it go away. Painkillers and anti inflammatory drugs may be helpful, may be called for, and do work as advertised. Your vet should have some insight into what may help your horse return to adequate soundness for light, recreational riding. If your vet doesn’t have this information for you, get a second opinion. Owning and riding and training horses is always a series of set backs, injuries, ailments and disappointments, it rarely goes smoothly and the way we all want it to go. Welcome to the club. Horses who have had high ringbone diagnosis sometimes do come sound again, given time, one way or another. I’ve had one who did come sound, and resume his show hunter career, and it was in the days long before the joint injections that are available today. So… keep your chin up. Good luck.

My vet gave me Bute to try the next time I ride. He said I should see a difference in my gelding. I’m hopeful this helps as I am only going to be using him for light recreational riding. He also told me that if the joint fuses he may be sound enough again to ride without NSAIDs.

I have investigated this diagnosis a lot-even before the vet confirmed my suspicions and I know the prognosis isn’t great-in that it can’t be cured but maybe slowed.

My gelding was used on cement alley ways to sort cattle at an auction mart so we (the vet and I) are pretty sure this was the cause. I however ride out on the pastures and this year in particular they are really soft due to all the rain we have been getting.

Thank you for posting, I am extremely heartbroken by this diagnosis, as this was to be my forever horse.

[S1969]

How was this diagnosed (xray or just lameness eval)? Just curious more than anything. Although I would think there might be something else you could use other than just bute before riding - or is this just a bute trial to see if it helps?

[tipzythegreat]

We had a mare at our barn with ringbone. I can’t remember if it was high or low – but they did shockwave and she was greatly improved. Recently had her stifles done, but I think the ringbone hasn’t really been an issue in a couple of years!

Oral supplements may help some. But they certainly aren’t going to be as good as a bute or prevacoix.

[NancyM]

@SLS

Thank you for posting, I am extremely heartbroken by this diagnosis, as this was to be my forever horse.

No horse is your “forever horse”. All horses that come into your life are transitory. You will appreciate and cherish each one. Some you will keep until they die, others you will sell or give to someone else who better suits them better than you do. Each one will teach you something, or many things. Some are brilliant individuals, who become part of you, others are not as well suited to you. Being a long term horseman means a long line of horses coming into your life, each one is special and different, and each one has something to teach you. This one is teaching you about ringbone right now. You will carry what he teaches you for the rest of your life. He may be able to teach you some other things too. Maybe even some stuff about riding, because the ringbone problem may be able to be overcome for the purposes that you have for him. Keep a positive attitude about this. “Management” of horses’ problems are part of being a horseman.

Rather than just using the bute for when you ride him, talk to your vet about using it daily for a while, like a creaky and arthritic human using a daily dose of an asprin or advil in the morning. Many of us oldtimers do this to remain functional and active and comfortable. There are risks involved in using a long term NSAID, but there are payoffs and advantages in reducing the inflammation and keeping pain masked… it stops the rest of the body from compensating for the pain from the ringbone even when you are not riding him. If your horse has had no previous issues with ulcers, longer term use of NSAIDs can be helpful, the advantages outweigh the risks. Treatment starts with a full dose, then reduces to a “maintenance” dose. Many horses have had maintenance doses of bute for long term, for years, and have had NO negative repercussions. It’s an individual thing for each horse how well they manage on bute. Your plan at an early stage with ringbone is to reduce any inflammation and new bone growth to stop it from getting worse. Daily careful use of NSAIDs will do that for you. And for him. The bonus to use of bute is that it is cheap, easy to administer (especially if your horse will eat it) and non invasive (not a joint injection- which also carries risk).

Again, good luck with this. Hopefully you and your horse can overcome this problem. You can be heartbroken, or you can get a plan to attempt to overcome. If your plan for this horse was as a high level three day event horse, your chances of success would be far less than the chances you have for success with functional soundness for a recreational riding horse. Don’t be heartbroken about this, be challenged. Save the heartbreak for when he twists his gut or breaks his leg! (Sorry- dark humour based on personal experience). There are worse things that happen than a ringbone diagnosis when you own horses.

[HorseMomCA]

I know someone whose horse was very lame due to ringbone, and after two weeks of being on CBD oil and a bit of bute, the horse was completely sound to ride. It’s not cheap, but seems to be well worth the cost.

[SLS]

He was diagnosed by a lameness exam. It was very obvious to the vet that he has ringbone. He has it in both front legs but is RF is the one causing him the obvious pain.

We we are trying Bute on a trial basis to see if it helps him when I ride him. Since I only am able to ride a few times a month it makes the most sense. If it helps and I decide to ride him more we will likely switch him to Prevacoix.

I would like to start him on supplements to help with pain and joint function. I am hoping his joint fuses sooner than later.

He is barefoot and my vet recommended I keep him that way-so I am. He’s never been shod and has great feet.

The CBD oil is interesting. I live in Canada so that stuff is legal here-so I wouldn’t need to get
a prescription. I may have to research that a bit more.

I realize no horse is a “forever horse” (I have a yearling sitting in my back pocket), but this guy is special-we had an instant connection. I know I need to stop having a pity party and be proactive. It helps knowing other people have been there (or are there) and it also helps knowing what has worked for them as it gives me some things I can try (other than what my vet has told me). If anyone else has any other suggestions of what I can try I would love to hear them.

[NancyM]

OK @SLS , these pictures are pretty scary. This did not happen overnight. I’m thinking that this did not happen in your care. Ringbone is usually first discovered when only an xray can find the bone growth, when it first starts. This is an “advanced” case, no xray is needed to diagnose it. If this joint is not fully fused already, I would be surprised. An xray would show this. There may be further damage in that limb other than the fused pastern joint, low ringbone, and/or a number of other things. Did you buy this horse with this damage? Did you notice this damage? Did you think that the horse was going to be sound for light riding with this damage and go through with the purchase? Because, in the future you need to get a pre purchase vet check done before you buy another horse. Some experienced horsemen, with decades of working with a large number of horses to a high level of training and performance, MAY decide to purchase a horse without a prepurchase vet check, and accept the risks of doing so, but those without this much experience should not do this. A horse with damage like this is not going to be anyone’s lifetime horse. You may be able to get him able to be ridden at the walk, for a while, with anti inflammatory drugs, but this will be only short term, IF you get success with this plan. Why did you decide to buy this horse when there are so many other horses out there who do not have damage like this? Was this purchase considered to be a “rescue” from going for meat? You don’t have to answer these questions, I’m just posing them for you to think about. Next time, when you are looking for a lifetime horse, look for a sound one, not an unsound one.

[findeight]

Yeah, some of that is hair but that’s pretty advanced. You bought him awhile ago so may as well see if you can alleviate his discomfort. See if the Bute makes him more comfortable and Bute is a very good choice to reduce the acute inflammation. Later you can switch to Previcox for ongoing care. For now, I would give the Bute more often then just before you ride, try every other day. That should allow it to build up in his body allowing him to stay more comfortable. I think that is more fair to him and the right thing to do.

I have seen this bad and worse, believe it or not, able to trail ride on soft ground or even occasionally “chase” a few cows, really slow, compliant ones, well into their senior years. Their use was limited but they stayed otherwise healthy and happy in their little niche. The high ringbone doesn’t seem to be as debilitating as the low.

Bumner but chin up and hopefully you can get him comfortable enough for your occasional trail rides on good ground. Least you have the dx and aren’t chasing soft tissue mystery lameness.

And do be aware this is not going to go away or into “ remission” despite claims. If anything made that happen, human arthritis sufferers would be all over it. Don’t dump a bunch of money into anything trying to fix it. Stick with the known NSAIDs like Bute and later Previcox several days a week and work with a good trimmer.

As noted, you will learn much from this horse and he won’t be the only one you ever own that doesn’t turn out as you hoped. That’s horses and part of what you sign up for when you buy one.

[SLS]

@NancyM

OK @SLS , these pictures are pretty scary. This did not happen overnight. I’m thinking that this did not happen in your care. Ringbone is usually first discovered when only an xray can find the bone growth, when it first starts. This is an “advanced” case, no xray is needed to diagnose it. If this joint is not fully fused already, I would be surprised. An xray would show this. There may be further damage in that limb other than the fused pastern joint, low ringbone, and/or a number of other things. Did you buy this horse with this damage? Did you notice this damage? Did you think that the horse was going to be sound for light riding with this damage and go through with the purchase? Because, in the future you need to get a pre purchase vet check done before you buy another horse. Some experienced horsemen, with decades of working with a large number of horses to a high level of training and performance, MAY decide to purchase a horse without a prepurchase vet check, and accept the risks of doing so, but those without this much experience should not do this. A horse with damage like this is not going to be anyone’s lifetime horse. You may be able to get him able to be ridden at the walk, for a while, with anti inflammatory drugs, but this will be only short term, IF you get success with this plan. Why did you decide to buy this horse when there are so many other horses out there who do not have damage like this? Was this purchase considered to be a “rescue” from going for meat? You don’t have to answer these questions, I’m just posing them for you to think about. Next time, when you are looking for a lifetime horse, look for a sound one, not an unsound one.

I didn’t buy this horse as a rescue. He’s papered and was purchased because he was/is an excellent cow horse. I didn’t notice his legs when we were buying him (we bought him from someone my husband knows) so I didn’t give him a full check or get a pre purchase exam. It was love at first sight for me and an instant connection. I know not something you should go on when purchasing a horse but it is what it is.

I noticed his legs after I had had him for a bit but thought maybe her just had ugly legs. He was perfectly sound and I had no issues with him. He only started to become lame at a trot this spring.

The vet doesn’t think it is fused yet-but again we didn’t do an X-ray because it was obvious it was ringbone.

He trots and canters out in the pasture-which gives me hope that he is still comfortable being in the pasture without bute.

I will learn a lot from him, and hopefully I can keep him sound enough for my little girl to ride. He has the sweetest personality.

Who knows maybe one day there will be a cure for arthritis in both people and horses.

[erinzgood]

@HorseMomCA

I know someone whose horse was very lame due to ringbone, and after two weeks of being on CBD oil and a bit of bute, the horse was completely sound to ride. It’s not cheap, but seems to be well worth the cost.

Hi I know this post is several months old but I came across this thread during a google search. My horse is currently experiencing lameness due to ringbone and I was also recommended CBD by a fellow friend. I’m wondering if it’s something worth looking into? I found these cbd pellets https://www.holistapet.com/product/holistapet-cbd-horse-pellets-3000mg/ but I’m not sure how effective they will be and I don’t want to spend all this money to buy them without some research first. Any help is appreciated.

[merrygoround]

If you want to go the hemp CBD route, check Amazon. You can find the same dosage FDA approved for far less $$.