Arthritic change/higher ringbone - help!

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Natassia

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I took my horse on loan 4 months ago, with a view of bringing him back into light work. He's 7 and used to event before being diagnosed with arthritic change in his pastern after injuring his suspensory ligament. This was last year, and then he was turned away for approx 5 months until I got him in January. I've been hacking him out mainly, I've been really careful with him and he's doing really well. He's on a good joint supplement and it staying perfectly sound, you wouldn't know there was anything wrong with him. Today I had a lesson on him, no circles smaller than 20m and he was fantastic, he coped with it all and was really forward going and seemed to enjoy himself. My instructor asked all about his history and I told him, a friend told me that she thought he had higher ringbone and I thought I could feel it as well. My instructor on the other hand couldn't feel anything when he took his brushing boots off to examine his legs. I'm starting to think that there isn't that much wrong with him, he recently bolted on hard-ish ground (there was absolutely nothing I could have done to stop him) and he was fine afterwards, wouldn't an arthritic horse be slightly stiff after that?? Obviously he can't event again still, but what are everyone else's thoughts??
Thanks for reading xx
 
Simply because a horse appears fine doesn't mean they are. My boy has huge collateral ligament problems, hind suspensory problems and minimal arthritis within the coffin joint. I turned him away for six months upon finding out about the collateral injury and arthritis. He has now been back in light work, similar to yours - hacking and very light schooling - for three months. He is 100% sound, however, I know that if I push him it would only be a matter of time until something gave way. I'm sure your horses owner has spent a long time getting him sound, don't throw it away. If your vet has diagnosed and recommended a certain workload then stick to it. As I said my horse looks fit and well, everyone always asks why I don't do more but I won't risk it. I'd rather he had a longer more enjoyable life at a slower pace.
 
Firstly I would never push him too hard, I'm not a competitive rider and I would hate to think that people see me as a pushy rider. I'm very careful with him, and I keep a v close eye on his soundness.
His owner, to be fair, didn't do that much at all to get him sound, he had the obligatory steroid injections and that was it, no supplement or anything. She wanted to event, he couldn't do it, she got her loss of use money and that was that. I didn't judge her on that, we all have different priorities with our horses but he was surplus to requirements.
But thank you for your reply, its good to have people's opinions, I didn't mean to come across as agressive, I just don't want to be misunderstood.
 
Sorry I didn't mean to criticise! I'm glad to hear you wouldn't push him, it's nice to know other people out there value their horse so much. I hope he continues to stay sound for you as it sounds like you're doing what is best for him.
 
Thank you, I'm just beginning to think that maybe his owner just wanted a different home for him, she said to my mum when I tried him that she never really gelled with him, obviously if you're going to event at affiliated standard (he did intro level) you need to get on with your horse well. I spoke to her vet when I got him and he said the same as her, but of course he was her vet, not an independant vet. He's having the vet in a few weeks for his vaccinations so I'm going to get another opinion then, I want to know the truth for myself, although I'm sure that there is something wrong with him, if that makes sense, otherwise she would have probably sold him. With me he has a home for life, he's been passed around a lot and he deserves to relax and really settle in to a home.
 
My show cob was diagnosed with high ringbone / bone remodelling arthritic changes when he was 13. He was fine to hunt for 4 hours but would get swollen legs the following day so i reduced him to 3 hours and he was fine. Any work on hard ground would cause swollen legs and pottery stride that would go after 48 hours so the simple solution has been to retire from showing and he now is on loan with a friend so he spends summer happily hacking and only canters/jumps on a surface and then in winter when the ground is soft, he can hunt but NO TROTTING on the roads. If you jump too much then he starts refusing and i never tell him off as its his way of saying he has had enough (BTW he loves his jumping and will cart you over anything rather than go through the adjacent gateway!!)
 
Sorry to hear about your horse.
What type of brushing boots have you got? Only asking as my old horse had advanced ringbone (high and low) and the high could be felt at first then seen easily as lumps on her pasterns which in the end were nearly as big as golf balls. Definately not under brushing boots unless they are sports med boots with pastern wraps.
My horse was low grade lame in all legs, I didnt realise as it was all of them and it wasnt until she started to struggle with circles that I really realised something was wrong. She had all available treatment and she was kept sound for about 18mths, I was careful with her but she became lame even with bute. I then retired her. She was only 8 at the time.
Good luck with your horse, enjoy him.
 
I only use equilibrium tri-zone boots, I'm going to get the sports med ones when I get paid and he has pastern wraps as well when schooling, I'm really enjoying him and he's enjoying his work, I'm careful with him but so far he has been totally sound, with no pain relief.
I'm so sorry to hear about your horse, thats so young to retire her, poor horse, it must have been really hard to see her deteriorate like that. Thank you for sharing your story.
 
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