Ringbone experience

[Interstellar]

So this was a less than favorable vet visit today. The mare I was given last year who I absolutely adore and who loves her job of eventing (well ok just the jump phases) has high and low ringbone in the hinds. I’m sure from kicking at pipe fences where she used to be with her previous owner. (I have electric fences and group 24/7 turnout in paddocks so no kicking now). She’s a 2/10 for high ringbone and 1/10 on the scale for low in both hinds. We have some other issues that were discovered that I think we’ll be able to overcome with chiropractic and lots of strengthening and time but this is the one that’s getting to me the most. The vet said he’d be surprised if she even moved up 1 point on the scale a year so there’s time and a 7 is when he said we’d need to start having a real discussion.

We had plans to compete in BN and N eventing this season and I don’t know if that’s going to happen or not. She’s just a little bit off sometimes when tracking to the right, but not felt or noticed when she carries herself correctly, and has been reluctant to give a left lead under saddle the past few weeks. She loves to jump and never seems off there. I guess I’m just fretting about what this all really means for everything. I don’t have advanced eventing dreams with her, but she’s only 9 so I’m pretty upset about this diagnosis. Does anyone have experience with horses with both types of ringbone?

[NancyM]

Well since no one else has tackled this for you… sure, ringbone happens. How much it will effect your horse’s soundness, whether it is career limiting or career ending “depends”. Low ringbone is more of a problem than high ringbone. High ringbone can cool out, and can either fuse the long and short pastern bones solid, OR wear smooth enough that the joint still has some flexion, and may or may not cause lameness or discomfort once it has cooled out. Low ringbone tends to be worse because the coffin joint is comprised of the three bones (short pastern bone, coffin bone and navicular bone), it is a more complicated joint.

Your vet has probably gone over treatment options for you, and between you and your vet, you need to try out some of those options, in an effort to keep this horse comfortable, and able to do her job for you, for as long as she can. The situation may get worse over time, or it may not, no one can foretell the future soundness of a horse, even a vet. It is always a “wait and see” situation when you have a problem like this identified.

A rider never knows for sure how long any competitive horse will be able to continue their career, retain soundness to be able to perform and compete. Managing and monitoring and maintaining soundness is part of horsemanship. As is knowing when to retire the horse.

Good luck. You are going to learn about ringbone.