Does anyone know anything about ringbone and how serious it is? A girl at my riding school has just found out she is pregnant and has offered me her horse on loan to ride during the summer. He is a lovely boy but apparently has ringbone and I'm worried that it would be cruel to ride him. She has ridden him for gentle hacking etc and says he is fine but a friend of mine believes that ringbone is quite serious. He is not on medication and does not appear to be in any kind of discomfort. I would only be doing hacking - no jumping, hunting etc. I'd be grateful for any thoughts.
Ringbone
- Thread starter Fleet
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my understanding of Ringbone (in an effort to bump this up for you - correct me If I am wrong!) is that it is cartilage in the foot turning to bone, which causes intitial lameness while they form. I believe once they are formed they are unsightly but horse is usually sound.
A friends horse had it years ago, she didnt jump but I dont think that was because of the ringbone.
hope that helps
A friends horse had it years ago, she didnt jump but I dont think that was because of the ringbone.
hope that helps
Looking at Wikepedia and the fact that your friend to owner rides the horse still Im sure your not doing any harm hacking around on him for the Summer. 
I think ringbone can vary in seriousness. My friend's old pony had a very severe case and was quite lame towards the end. I think it can depend on where the ringbone has formed - if its in a joint it can be quite serious.
I think though, that as long as the horse isn't showing any lameness you should definitely still ride!
I think that your friend is right not to jump though, I think high impact on the joints can make it worse.
I think though, that as long as the horse isn't showing any lameness you should definitely still ride!
I think that your friend is right not to jump though, I think high impact on the joints can make it worse.
J
Julz
Guest
My lad has ringbone..in both front pasterns and it is already quite advanced - unfortunelty!
depending on the degree that the pony has it, then it will be fine to hack/school maybe even jump, but listen to the horse, and watch the state of the ground you're hacking/jumping on... S likes the ground to be firm with a bit of give, but just now it's brick hard and he's having problems...vet out on monday to check him over.
Cartilage can never turn to bone. When Ringbone forms over the joint, it is growing mew bone over the joint, and it's this (osteo arthritis to give it's other name) that causes the problem, as the new growth interferes with the way the joint can move... in effect the joint is fusing.
depending on the degree that the pony has it, then it will be fine to hack/school maybe even jump, but listen to the horse, and watch the state of the ground you're hacking/jumping on... S likes the ground to be firm with a bit of give, but just now it's brick hard and he's having problems...vet out on monday to check him over.
Cartilage can never turn to bone. When Ringbone forms over the joint, it is growing mew bone over the joint, and it's this (osteo arthritis to give it's other name) that causes the problem, as the new growth interferes with the way the joint can move... in effect the joint is fusing.
There is high ringbone and low ringbone and out of the two high ringbone is the one to have! Low ringbone usually presents itself as a lump just above or on the coronet band and as it affects the joints that go down into the foot it is far more difficult to treat, is a lot more debilitating and has a poor prognosis. If he has low ringbone I would imagine you'd be extremely limited with what you can do with him, if anything at all although I stand to be corrected on this! High ringbone is actually on the pastern itself, found between the fetlock and the coronet band, and in it's full form it creates a ridge from each side and around the front, hence it's name 'ring' bone. There are degrees of it,from literally being bone that is calcified and therefore just a blemish, to the more degenerative variety that is a progressive arthritic problem. However, treatment is usually quite successful and with careful management horses can still lead a fairly active life. I would imagine the horse you're talking about has high ringbone but maybe check anyway
My lad has ringbone in both front pasterns.
It was diagnosed about two years ago - when he was 12. He went very badly lame, bilaterally in the winter.
Box rested him for about a month and then the vet had him in for nerve blocks and xrays when it was discovered. It was high ringbone.
I thought my horse's ridden life was over after he was diagnosed and I cried buckets. But my vet was wonderful. He had two very expensive injections and I can't for the life of me remember the name of the drug but they really helped, apparently it was to help the cartilege/synovial fluid around the joints rejuvenate and repair itself. My vet also recommended Pernamax, which, after ten days, brought my horse completely sound without bute, cortaflex, or anything else.
Each horse is different, but go onto Maxavita's website, who manufacture Pernamax and you will lots of good news stories about horses with arthritis who have benefitted from this supplement. It aint cheap, but it is worth every penny.
I put some pictures up on here last week of my horse doing dressage with my sharer and coming first..... two years ago he couldn't be ridden, so there IS light at the end of the tunnel.
It was diagnosed about two years ago - when he was 12. He went very badly lame, bilaterally in the winter.
Box rested him for about a month and then the vet had him in for nerve blocks and xrays when it was discovered. It was high ringbone.
I thought my horse's ridden life was over after he was diagnosed and I cried buckets. But my vet was wonderful. He had two very expensive injections and I can't for the life of me remember the name of the drug but they really helped, apparently it was to help the cartilege/synovial fluid around the joints rejuvenate and repair itself. My vet also recommended Pernamax, which, after ten days, brought my horse completely sound without bute, cortaflex, or anything else.
Each horse is different, but go onto Maxavita's website, who manufacture Pernamax and you will lots of good news stories about horses with arthritis who have benefitted from this supplement. It aint cheap, but it is worth every penny.
I put some pictures up on here last week of my horse doing dressage with my sharer and coming first..... two years ago he couldn't be ridden, so there IS light at the end of the tunnel.
Thanks for all your advice and suggestions, they've been really helpful. I'm not sure about the exact location of the ringbone but seem to recall that a lump above the coronet was mentioned which Horsebird says is not good so that's a bit worrying. However, he looks absolutely fine and canters in his field with all the zest of a youngster - to a newbie like me, there looks nothing wrong with him but it's there somewhere. I've heard good things of pernamax before so may suggest it to the owner and will have another chat with her about it. I just don't want to be riding a horse when it's in pain but I guess he'll let me know soon enough when he is!
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